Elk Development => Feature Discussion => Exterminated Features => Topic started by: emanuele on March 28, 2016, 05:10:24 pm
Title: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: emanuele on March 28, 2016, 05:10:24 pm
In Elk there is this option coming from the far past of the internet, when search engines were barely able to parse static html pages and didn't know very well how to deal with "strange" urls, the "Search engine friendly URLs".
In the current implementation, the option converts the urls from something like:
So, there are a couple of points: 1) the software delivers the wrong message, Elk is not able to have "friendly URLs" in the meaning given nowadays to this sentence, it just gives another version of the same stuff (i.e. board and topic ids in the URL), 2) to search engines there is no difference between the two forms of the URL.
I would propose to drop the option. Of course, drop it entirely now is not a good thing, mainly because it would mean lots of index content becoming 404 and that would be bad. So we need at least a couple of phases: 1) phase one, remove the option from the admin panel, that way it will be less easy to enable it, at the same time, the option will be deprecated (I'd say this could even be in 1.1), any website with the option already enabled would still use it, 2) phase two, implement "proper" (in the meaning of today) friendly URLs (still the previous code will work behind the scenes redirecting to the new URLs), this could be in 2.0, 3) drop the code and provide an addon for those that actually like that form of the URL (3.0 or 2.0 if we want to merge phase 2 and 3).
Opinions?
ETA: now that I finished to write, I feel we already had a similar discussion... if you find it I'll merge the two. :P
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: Allan on March 28, 2016, 05:32:07 pm
I personally feel that this is something that many users are going to want, regardless if it's core or as an add-on. So I say which ever works better for ElkArte as a whole is the best way to go. It's not like installing an add-on through the acp is hard.
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: emanuele on March 28, 2016, 05:35:02 pm
Do they want the option removed? ??? I'm confident you mean they want "proper" friendly URLs, but I'm not 100% sure. ;)
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: Allan on March 28, 2016, 05:40:08 pm
Quote from: emanuele – Do they want the option removed? ??? I'm confident you mean they want "proper" friendly URLs, but I'm not 100% sure. ;)
Even though it doesn't do really anything for SEO since it will be indexed no matter what, I feel they just like the way it looks better. So having an add-on that can do this I don't think is a huge deal, it would be better for ElkArte to have it core like WBB and Xenforo does, but not something that has to be.
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: SkyNet on March 28, 2016, 05:56:23 pm
I am ALL for having the new type SEO URL's, such as: http://www.ElkArte.net/community/feature_discussion/this-is-cool
It makes the URL's easy to remember for us humans too.... plus it just looks cool..... 8)
If its good enough for Wordpress, it should be good enough for Elk.... ;)
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: meetdilip on March 28, 2016, 10:17:36 pm
I too see many prefer search engine friendly or Type 3 url you have posted on their forums. An url without topic no. or index.php
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: Frenzie on March 29, 2016, 03:46:50 am
Quote from: SkyNet – If its good enough for Wordpress, it should be good enough for Elk.... ;)
Note that Wordpress doesn't say a word about search engines.
Quote from: Wordpress 4.4.2WordPress offers you the ability to create a custom URL structure for your permalinks and archives. Custom URL structures can improve the aesthetics, usability, and forward-compatibility of your links. A number of tags are available, and here are some examples to get you started.
The most obvious part of that being that index.php may change.
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: emanuele on March 29, 2016, 03:59:08 am
I would love to stop talking about search engines here too, but... heh. :P
ETA: reading all the replies, it seems you think this is a poll about having friendly URLs or not. Well, no, it is not.
The "point" of this topic is about deprecate the current "feature" and the procedure to follow to deprecate and removing it[1], not about implement other ways of display URLs, that's something asked tons of times and it will be at some point included.
1 Yes, I know this sounds boring, but 90% of the development is boring stuff!↵
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: IndianTalkZone on March 29, 2016, 04:17:30 am
I vote for friendly url, either as an addon or default feature in ElkArte. Friendly url gives a clean look in my opinion and clearly says what the topic is about :)
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: radu81 on March 29, 2016, 05:42:40 am
I never used that on SMF or elkarte, for me could be dropped and released as addon for those who are using it
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: Frenzie on March 29, 2016, 08:23:14 am
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: lordrt on March 29, 2016, 12:00:09 pm
Seems like a great idea, could be hidden in admin in 1.0.8 really. Bad practice sure but sooner new forums can't turn it on the better less URL redirects for less forums later. All for this proposal.
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: Antechinus on March 29, 2016, 04:02:39 pm
Quote from: IndianTalkZone – I vote for friendly url, either as an addon or default feature in ElkArte. Friendly url gives a clean look in my opinion and clearly says what the topic is about :)
You ignored what Ema just told you. :P
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: Antechinus on March 29, 2016, 04:05:14 pm
Quote from: emanuele – 1) phase one, remove the option from the admin panel, that way it will be less easy to enable it, at the same time, the option will be deprecated (I'd say this could even be in 1.1), any website with the option already enabled would still use it, 2) phase two, implement "proper" (in the meaning of today) friendly URLs (still the previous code will work behind the scenes redirecting to the new URLs), this could be in 2.0, 3) drop the code and provide an addon for those that actually like that form of the URL (3.0 or 2.0 if we want to merge phase 2 and 3).
Opinions?
I don't think anyone will ever actually want 3) since it's not a useful form anyway, but 1) and 2) sound good.
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: emanuele on March 29, 2016, 04:48:17 pm
Quote from: IndianTalkZone – I vote for friendly url, either as an addon or default feature in ElkArte. Friendly url gives a clean look in my opinion and clearly says what the topic is about :)
You ignored what Ema just told you. :P
I feel like I updated the message after he wrote his... though I didn't notice as well (I had this open for a while lol).
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: Spuds on March 29, 2016, 07:49:09 pm
like you said, not what the user expects, no different to an indexer, not useful to the end user as a better perma link. Removing the option from the ACP (leaving it in the code to support the depreciated option and not break links) makes sense and adding proper user friendly links in ?.?
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: kucing on June 29, 2016, 07:59:39 pm
If I may request is the WordPress system for permalink formatting, so the admin can use the presets permalink or their own formatting.
But personally based on using ElkArte without any SEF url there is no difference in Google so I just want something simple. If possible in the future: elkarte.net/t/3441/ for thread or topic url. elkarte.net/b/12/ for board url. It's simple and shorter.
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: ahrasis on June 29, 2016, 08:12:11 pm
If I am not mistaken, there will always be index.php or at least a simple ?, right?
Title: Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)
Post by: emanuele on June 30, 2016, 03:15:10 am
Not necessarily. IIRC there ar few places that don't play nice with urls without index.php, but I'm confident it can be fixed.