====== Keyword-rich and SEO optimized URLs in ProductCart ======

There is a big debate on whether keyword-rich URLs help your search engine rankings (see some [[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=do+keywords+in+urls+help|search results on this topic]]). They probably don't hurt. It's probably sensible to think that it is helpful to a search engine spider to see in the URL keywords that are related to the content on the page. It's one more confirmation that the page contact stuff that's related to those keywords.

===== Rewriting dynamic pages as static ones =====

To turn dynamic Web pages into static-looking, keyword-rich pages you need the help of your Web server. Generating the static pages as independent files is not feasible. It would require too much time and processing power, and things like inventory levels would not be updated in real-time.

Instead, what many Web sites do these days is to rely on "re-write" techniques to take a dynamic URL and turn into a static one, often using things like a product or category name as part of the page name. Unlike with the Apache Web server, there is no re-write capability built into a Windows Web server for Web sites that use Active Server Pages.

As a workaround, you have to options:

  * Use re-write software such as http://www.helicontech.com/isapi_rewrite/. See [[http://www.earlyimpact.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1128&PN=1|this thread on the Early Impact forums]] to hear from ProductCart users that have adopted this tool
  * Use the a custom 404 error handler, as described below

===== Creating Static Store Pages Using a Custom 404 Error Handler =====

==== Description ====

We believe that we have found a technique that will allow you to improve your search engine rankings, is easy to implement, does not require third-party software, does not require substantial code changes, and does not violate any Webmaster "best practices" (which is a crucial concern for us).

Using a custom 404 error handler - especially created for ProductCart-powered stores - your Web server will rewrite the URL of dynamic pages so that they look and behave like static .htm pages. If you are using ProductCart v3, the page URLs will also include the product and category names, thus becoming even more search engine friendly.

There are many ProductCart stores that use this technique, including the Early Impact software store. For example:

  * here is a [[http://www.earlyimpact.com/eistore/productcart/pc/ProductCart-Shopping-Cart-Software-v3-118p431.htm|product details page]]
  * and here is a [[http://www.earlyimpact.com/eistore/productcart/pc/ProductCart-eCommerce-Software-c118.htm|category page]]

The ASP pages are presented to the browser as ".htm" pages. These ".htm" pages actually don't exist on the server. The user is "transferred" from the missing .htm page to the asp page "behind the scene" using a technique that takes advantage of the custom 404 error page.

We have done extensive research and believe that this technique does not violate any "best practices" because the custom 404 error handler will correctly report that a page does not exist (404 server response code), except for properly formatted product and category links (and these pages do exist, although they are ASP pages).

==== Instructions ====

[[http://www.earlyimpact.com/temp/SEO/ProductCart_SEO_HTM_Pages_v3.pdf|Download this PDF file]] for more information, system requirements and detailed installation instructions. Please note that we do not provide technical support on implementing this technique on your Web store. Please use the Discussion area of this page to discuss your use of this technique and how it has impacted your search engine rankings.

FIXME - The instructions should be part of this WIKI instead of a separate PDF file.

==== Files ====

  * [[http://www.earlyimpact.com/temp/SEO/ProductCart_276_SEO_HTM_Pages.zip|ProductCart v2.76]]
  * [[http://www.earlyimpact.com/temp/SEO/pcSE0_v3.051_083007.zip|ProductCart v3.051]]
  * [[http://www.earlyimpact.com/temp/SEO/pcSEO_v3.1_090907.zip|ProductCart v3.1]]
  * [[http://www.earlyimpact.com/temp/SEO/pcSEP_v3.11_111607.zip|ProductCart v3.11]]
  * {{:productcart:pcsep_v3.12_080408.zip|ProductCart v3.12}}

===== Sample stores =====

There are many ProductCart-powered e-commerce Web sites that use this technique. Among them:

  * http://www.topbuy.com.au/tbcart/pc/home.asp
  * http://www.chumbadeals.com/
  * http://www.chevellejewelry.com/
  * http://www.thechassansplace.com/
  * http://www.ormsbyeditions.com/

... and - of course - our own [[https://www.earlyimpact.com/eistore/productcart/pc/home.asp|e-commerce software store]].