This feature createss SEO URL rules for use when these are maintained online.
Overview
An SEO-friendly URL is optimised for search engines and users. This means the URL string should describe the page's content in an accurate, meaningful and unique way using relevant keywords, and adhere to standards established to make a URL more search engine friendly. For ecommerce sites, having SEO-optimised URLs for pages users are likely to search for is very important. You want to entice them to click on the link!
As your site will be generating and maintaining SEO URLs online in the CMS instead of integrating them from the ERP, the rules used to create such URLs have to be specified. This feature allows you to create rules for category, product and article pages, and decide when they apply. Note that default rules for category and product detail pages are automatically included but can be changed. The rule can also be manually overriden for an individual page.
This guide explains how to create the rules and the parts that are used to make them.
Example
We'll use a category page to explain how a rule is created and the various parts used to make up a rule. Categories are usually nested, with one or more sub-categories (up to 4), to further sort products. In our example, the Top Level (Level 1) 'Office Products' has two other levels, Level 2 and Level 3 subcategories. 'Writing' is a Level 2 subcategory. It has subcategories as well, which would make it Level 3. One example is 'Ballpoint Pens'.
| Level 1 (Top Level) Category | Level 2 (Subcategory) | Level 3 (Subcategory) |
|---|---|---|
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Now, let us look at the URL of the Level 3 subcategory 'Ballpoint Pens' page. We are only interested in what comes after the domain name, so the string: /Office-Products/Writing/Ballpoint-Pens
Notice it is the category structure: Level 1/Level 2/Level 3
This SEO URL string has been generated from our URL rule for category. It is in fact the default rule. You can change it to something else if you wish. However, we will use it to explain rule-making.
Rules and rule parts
| Part | Use | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Create new rule part | |
| Type | Company Name Table Field First Category Last Category Text Separator | |
| Incomplete rule part | |
| ||
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First, let's access the feature.
Access SEO URL Rule Maintenance
To access SEO URL Rule Maintenance:
In the CMS, navigate to Advanced Content → SEO Generation Rule Management.
Category URL Rules
Category URL
Default is the default rule for a category URL string. The symbols look a little scary but it is actually quite simple.
Remember we are creating a rule that will output an URL string with the nested categories: Office Products > Writing > Ballpoint Pens
The Default category URL shows the last category plus the one immediately preceding that. Notice hyphens ('-') replace blank spaces and forward slashes ('/') divide between category levels. All capital letters are also changed to lower letters.
For our example, the rule would translate to 'writing/ballpoint-pens'.
Level1: Level 1 or the top category.
Level2: the next category (or sub-cateogory) after Level 1.
You can define up to six levels. You can also add a unique rule for a specific category by clicking Add.
Category Title
Default for URL:
Category Meta Tag
Meta tags are small snippets of HTML code. They contain important information read by search engines. They will be generated automatically so that you don't have to do it manually. The default generates a meta tag of the last subcategory. In our example,
Product
Product URL
Product Title
Product Meta Tag
Article
Article URL
Article Title
Article Meta Tag
The Default URL is a two level category structure.
Additional Information
| Minimum Version Requirements |
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|---|---|
| Prerequisites | |
| Self Configurable |
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| Business Function |
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| BPD Only? |
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| B2B/B2C/Both |
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| Ballpark Hours From CV (if opting for CV to complete self config component) |
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| Ballpark Hours From CV (in addition to any self config required) |
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| Third Party Costs |
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| CMS Category |
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Related help
