SEO for PHPBB 3 - A Checklist Mod for fresh installs
by Liv | Published on April 24th, 2007, 7:16 pm | Advice
Updated: March 29, 2011 for 3.0.8Here is my running checklist, of SEO for PHPBB 3.0 need on upgrades or new installs.
PHPBB 3.0 is a great forum software, that lack basic fundamental search engine support. I occasionally come back and add or modify these SEO techniques based on current industry standards at the time, so I recommend placing a date stamp somewhere in your PHP files so you can keep track of what version you have installed:
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// SEO MOD CHECKLIST by Liv Jones - 3/29/2011
Many of the pagination and canonicalization issues have been addressed with the recent introduction of the canonical tag now standard. The last portion of this list deals with a standard phpbb install in a root directory. If you don't wish to use that portion, I recommend adjust the sort_param and possible redirect canonicalization of various pages.... (Be sure to duplicate changes on poll pages too)
If you find any of this useful, please send me some link love in return, as this list took hours of late night time away from my family, and a little respect goes a long way. Thanks...
-Liv
Sessions
Open includes/functions.php
Find:
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// Assign sid if session id is not specified
if ($session_id === false)
{
$session_id = $_SID;
}
Replace with:
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// Remove Sessions for guests & bots
if ($session_id === false)
{
$session_id = $_SID;
}
global $user;
if ($user->data['user_id'] == ANONYMOUS OR $user->data['is_bot'] )
{
$session_id = false;
}
// end sessions mod
TITLES & URLS:
Find in includes/functions.php
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'U_INDEX' => append_sid("{$phpbb_root_path}index.$phpEx"),
Replace With
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// delete the pesky index.php
'U_INDEX' => append_sid("{$phpbb_root_path}"),
// end pesky index
Follow these changes to improve titles:
##############################################################
#
#-----[ OPEN ]------------------------------------------
#
index.php
#
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------
#
page_header($user->lang['INDEX']);
#
#-----[ REPLACE WITH ]------------------------------------------
#
page_header($config['sitename']);
#
#-----[ OPEN ]------------------------------------------
#
viewforum.php
#
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------
#
page_header($user->lang['VIEW_FORUM'] . ' - ' . $forum_data['forum_name'], true, $forum_id);
#
#-----[ REPLACE WITH ]------------------------------------------
#
page_header($forum_data['forum_name']." - ".$forum_data['forum_desc']);
#
#-----[ OPEN ]------------------------------------------
#
viewtopic.php
#
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------
#
page_header($user->lang['VIEW_TOPIC'] .' - ' . $topic_data['topic_title']);
#
#-----[ REPLACE WITH ]------------------------------------------
#
if ($_GET['start'] >= $config['posts_per_page']){ page_header($topic_data['topic_title']." | ".$topic_data['forum_name']);}
else { page_header($topic_data['topic_title']);}
#
#-----[ OPEN ]------------------------------------------
#
styles/subSilver/template/overall_header.html
#
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------
#
<title>{SITENAME} • {PAGE_TITLE}</title>
#
#-----[ REPLACE WITH ]------------------------------------------
#
<title><!-- IF S_IN_MCP -->{L_MCP} • <!-- ELSEIF S_IN_UCP -->{L_UCP} • <!-- ENDIF -->{PAGE_TITLE}</title>
#
#-----[ SAVE/CLOSE ALL FILES ]------------------------------------------
#
# EoM
HANDLING DELETED POSTS & BAD FORUM REQUESTS:
Please note that the procedure since 3.0.5 has been updated and simplified. Previous methods are no longer valid. This handles incorrect, and moved posts as well as deleted topics by redirecting them via Apache 301 to either the correct place or the homepage.
Open viewtopic.php & Find:
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include($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/bbcode.' . $phpEx);
Below it add:
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$topic_id = request_var('t', 0);
$sql = 'SELECT forum_id
FROM ' . TOPICS_TABLE . "
WHERE topic_id = $topic_id";
$result = $db->sql_query($sql);
$forum_id = (int) $db->sql_fetchfield('forum_id');
$db->sql_freeresult($result);
if (!$forum_id)
{
header("Status: 301 Moved Permanently", true, 301);
header("Location: $phpbb_root_path");
exit();
}
if ($_REQUEST['f'] != $forum_id)
{
header("Status: 301 Moved Permanently", true, 301);
header("Location: {$phpbb_root_path}viewtopic.php?f={$forum_id}&t={$topic_id}");
exit();
}
BOTS, SPYDERS, & OTHER CREEPY CRAWLIES
Open Robots.txt (or create)
add:
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User-agent: *
Disallow: /adm/
Disallow: /download.php
Disallow: /file.php
Disallow: /images/
Disallow: /includes/
Disallow: /language/
Disallow: /memberlist.php
Disallow: /mcp.php
Disallow: /posting.php
Disallow: /ucp.php
Disallow: /search.php
Disallow: /styles/
Disallow: /viewonline.php
Disallow: /faq.php
Disallow: /style.php
Disallow: /style.php*
Disallow: /memberlist.php*
Disallow: /search.php*
Disallow: /ucp.php*
Disallow: /posting.php*
Disallow: /report.php*
Disallow: /download.php*
Disallow: /file.php*
Disallow: /*?sid=*
FIX FOR PHPBB'S SCREWY URL ARCHITECTURE:
LAST POST PAGINATION MOD:
FIND IN VIEWFORUM.PHP:
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// Send vars to template
$template->assign_block_vars('topicrow', array(
BEFORE IT ADD:
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// URL START MOD
if ($row['topic_replies'] > $config['posts_per_page'])
{
$start=floor($row['topic_replies'] / $config['posts_per_page']);
$start=$start*$config['posts_per_page'];
$start='&start='.$start;
}
else
{
$start='';
}
// END URL START MOD
FIND:
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'U_LAST_POST' => append_sid("{$phpbb_root_path}viewtopic.$phpEx", $view_topic_url_params . '&p=' . $row['topic_last_post_id']) . '#p' . $row['topic_last_post_id'],
REPLACE WITH:
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'U_LAST_POST' => append_sid("{$phpbb_root_path}viewtopic.$phpEx", $view_topic_url_params . $start) . '#p' . $row['topic_last_post_id'],
LINKS:
(add nofollow, and open in new window)
Install this short mod here: Open PHPBB links in new window (and nofollow)
More Canonicalization.... using rel=tag (This mod is setup for only those sites who are setup in the rootdirectory. You would need to modify this for subdomain installs, etc.... or just skip all together)
Makes sure PHP is turned on in your templates.... and add this in your overall_header.tpl above the <title> tag.
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<!-- PHP -->
if (isset($_SERVER['PHP_SELF'])) {
if ($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']=='/index.php') {
echo '<link rel="canonical" href="http://'.$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'].'"/>';
}
if ($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']=='/viewforum.php') {
if (isset($_GET['start']) && $_GET['start']!=0) {$page="&start=".$_GET['start'];}
echo '<link rel="canonical" href="http://'.$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'].'/viewforum.php?f='.$_GET['f'].$page.'"/>';
echo '<meta name="robots" content="noindex, follow">';
}
if ($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']=='/viewtopic.php') {
if (isset($_GET['start']) && $_GET['start']!=0) {$page="&start=".$_GET['start'];}
echo '<link rel="canonical" href="http://'.$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'].'/viewtopic.php?f='.$_GET['f'].'&t='.$_GET['t'].$page.'"/>';
echo '<link name="original-source" content="http://'.$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'].'/viewtopic.php?f='.$_GET['f'].'&t='.$_GET['t'].$page.'"/>';
}
}
<!-- ENDPHP -->
SIGNATURES
Display once per page:
FIND in viewtopic.php:
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//
$postrow = array(
'POST_AUTHOR_FULL' => get_username_string('full', $poster_id, $row['username'], $row['user_colour'], $row['post_username']),
ADD BEFORE:
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// Sig displayed only Once Per Topic
if (!$signature[$poster_id])
{ $signature[$poster_id] = 1; }
else
{ $user_cache[$poster_id]['sig'] = ""; }
// End Mod
Turning off word censor for registered users:
FIND:
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$message = censor_text($row['post_text']);
REPLACE WITH:
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if (!$user->data['is_bot'] && $user->data['is_registered']) {
$message = $row['post_text'];
} else
{
$message = censor_text($row['post_text']);
}
Find Beer
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Drink
EOM
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