Search Engine Friendly Features

• Product Map. An index of categories/products in "Site Map" format is created for the Category/Product hierarchy and also for the Manufacturer/Category/Product hierarchy (if used).
• Page Title, Meta Description, Meta Keywords (for the HTML headers) and a Visible Description (which will be displayed to people viewing the page) are now entered through cf_ezcart administration. This is available for each "indexable item" in the shopping cart. By indexable item we mean a Manufacturer, Main Category, Category or Product, whose page may be indexed by the search engines (see note at bottom). This information will be included whenever viewing an "indexable item" through cf_ezcart's pages and product map. You may use this information on your custom pages also.
• Additionally, when entering your Meta information, there is an additional field available. Search Engine Safe Name. This is used to name the indexable item's folder/file name. Read about the cf_ezcart Search Engine Safe File System below.
• Enhanced "Traditional" SES URLs if not using the Search Engine Safe File System. See Traditional SES URLs in our Search Engine Safe documentation for more.

Search Engine Safe File System

cf_ezcart now automatically creates a physical hierarchy of folders and files for each "indexable item" in your shopping cart (cffile and cfdirectory or their equivalents required). This results in a URL which will not only be indexed, but one which should also get a better ranking due to the inclusion of keywords in the pathname and filename. Below are before and after URLs browsing through a mythical cosmetics shop for 3 pages of Avon Lip Makeup at 10 items per page.

Before. A typical "normal" URL used by cf_ezcart and many other shopping carts. Not search engine safe, and certainly not search engine friendly.
http://www.abc.com/shop.cfm?action=list&man=4&cat=5&criteria=3&startrow=1
http://www.abc.com/shop.cfm?action=list&man=4&cat=5&criteria=3&startrow=11
http://www.abc.com/shop.cfm?action=list&man=4&cat=5&criteria=3&startrow=21

After. Search engine safe "and" search engine friendly.
http://www.abc.com/cosmetics/avon/beauty-products-cosmetics/lip-makeup~1.cfm
http://www.abc.com/cosmetics/avon/beauty-products-cosmetics/lip-makeup~2.cfm
http://www.abc.com/cosmetics/avon/beauty-products-cosmetics/lip-makeup~3.cfm

The "after" URL, combined with the meta information being unique and relevant for each "indexable item", should greatly enhance your chances of being indexed and ranked well by the search engines.

The following situations may arise as your inventory changes.

• A manufacturer or category page is clicked from a search engine but there are no more products available under that listing.
  Remedy: Show a message and the Product Map.
• A product page is clicked from a search engine but the product is no longer available.
  Remedy: Show a message and the Product Map.
• lip-makeup~3.cfm (for example) is clicked from a search engine but you've removed products and there are now less than 3 pages of products.
  Remedy: Show the product list as though this is page 1.

Note: Using manufacturers and "main" categories for listing your products is not required. At the very least you will want to enter Meta information and perhaps a description for each Category where the items are shown. If you also show a link to view the product details, then you may also wish to use the search engine friendly features for each individual product.