phpBB2 => phpBB3 : Where to start

kyle1745 · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 32

I have been reading about the benefits of SEO and am trying to understand where to start. I have an existing site with roughly 230,000 articles. I have been looking into the "Google Yahoo MSN Sitemap And RSS" but have recently had issues with an inefficient rss mod that had to be removed from the site.

Then I look at these:
Advanced phpBB3 SEO Mod Rewrite
Mixed phpBB3 SEO Mod Rewrite
Simple phpBB3 SEO Mod Rewrite

So my question is where to start? Is a sitemap all I need or is a rewrite mod required. It seems the "Google Yahoo MSN Sitemap And RSS" includes some rewrite modifications but is it everything that is needed?

What will happens to my pages that have already been indexed? What about old links on the site to older threads? Will they be broken?

Thanks for any ideas,

kyle1745 · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 32

So I am thinking of starting with:
Mixed phpBB3 SEO Mod Rewrite

But still have the questions about my older indexed pages and links to the old URLS. With the site being around for some years I would hate to break all of the links to it.

SeO

And welcome Very Happy

Converting to phpBB3 will be a good occasion to go for more SEO.

So where to start would be wait a bit more for the gold premod and start testing the conversion, on a local mirror install at first can be a good thing just to see how ut goes (time mostly).

Then, play with options, find out the best setting before you'll go for online conversion. To convert, you'll have to install phpBB3 in a separate dir at first, so you can play online before you go public if you install phpBB3 in a private dir.
You can test everything easily, even if your forum is already using an .htaccess, you'll just need to select "alternate location" (showing up after you submit with "more options" selected) to generate an .htaccess meant to be uploaded into phpBB3's dir (in ACP => phpBB SEO => .htaccess).
This way, it won't interfere with phpBB2 and you'll be able to test peacefully.

Then, once you are ready, you'll just need to rename or move the phpBB3 dir to the phpBB2 dir (after you deleted it's phpBB2 related content), and update the phpµBB3 script path in the config to match the new install dir (clearing the cache is wise too).

About the old URLs, two case :
- If you where not previously using url rewriting on your board, then, there is nothing more to do than installing / activating the zero duplicate (included in the premod), and all the previous URLs will be HTTP 301 redirected to the new one.
- If you where using URL rewriting, then, post your current .htaccess and I'll tell you what rewriterule to keep in your new .htaccess in order to redirect them too with the zero duplicate.

Nothing more Wink

kyle1745 · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 32

Ok well I screwed up that post, and I apologies.

On my main site it will be some time before I migrate to phpBB3 so I am interested in moving to SEO prior to the migration. Unless this is not recommended. As stated I would need the old links to work, so my take on it is that I would want to run the "Mixed mod Rewrite" and then the "Zero Duplicate" after that. This should allow my old links to work, correct? If it makes more sense to wait until the phpBB3 upgrade let me know.

I do have another site that is already on phpBB3 which I will want to try the phpbb3 SEO when it is ready.

Thanks for the help and moving the thread, I realized after I posted it that it was in the wrong section.

SeO

kyle1745 · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 32

Thank you, and I think you are right. I have tested it on my test forum and it had issues due to my overall site template. So I may start pursuing the phpBB3 upgrade instead. I am already running it on one site and so far it has been working well.

One question I have is that my current phpBB2 site is integrated with coppermine to provide galleries to my users. Will the SEO mods cause issues with integrations like this in the future?

SeO

Nope, well, there could be some precaution to follow to merge the eventual .htaccess of the additional apps if any, but nothing more.

kyle1745 · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 32

Ok so I am ready to attempt this on my smaller site. What I am trying to determine is which mod to go with. I have a current site with minimal traffic which has been running phpBB3 gold now almost since the release. I am trying to make up my mind to use the Mixed phpBB3 SEO mod Rewrite or the Advanced phpBB3 SEO mod Rewrite. I would also add the Dynamic Meta tags, and phpBB3 SEO No Duplicate.

Is there a benefit to the advanced over the mixed? Is it worth it?

Thanks for any ideas,
Kyle

kyle1745 · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 32

Well after some more digging I have found your already written explanation of the 3 versions and it seems the Mixed phpBB3 SEO Mod Rewrite maybe the safest. I allow users to start threads and the topics titles can be rather vague.

kyle1745 · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 32

I am preparing to upgrade my larger site and need to know how to manage the rewrite for a new forum path.

I plan to use the Mixed mod Rewrite again, though this site has been online for over 4 years.

My current path to my forum is /phpBB2/ and I need to move it to /.

Thank you your your help!

SeO

For the mod rewrite choice, as you saw, pretty much everything is said in the presentation thread. The hard thing is to evaluate honestly the effort you'll be putting into moderation to go for the advanced one.

Mixed mod is a efficient choice in all cases, especially if you activate the virtual folder trick (adding chosen forum keywords in topic urls forum-keywords/topicxx.html)

So for what your now plan to do, you have two way to go.

You can either keep phpBB3 in the phpBB2/ dir and activate the virtual root option. This option will get rid of the phpBB2/ path in all the rewritten urls, simulating a root install.

The advantages of this is that you won't have to work on redirecting other url that you may have used in the phpBB2/ dir, like images or added pages (not handled by the url rewriting mod).

Or, you could do as you firts though, eg install phpBB3 in the root dir, and implement a custom .htaccess.
The principle will be to first care about the new urls, and then to handle the one with phpBB2/, just linking them to the new phpBB scripts (index.php, viewtopic.php etc ...) to their new location, the zero duplicate will do the rest.

In all cases, you can take this redirecting occasion to add the virtual folder trick, you'll have better url this way, and since you are about to redirect all your url, it really the time to think about it.

So, tell me what do you chose, and then post here both your new and old .htaccess, I'll tell you how to merge the in order to get all the redirection you need Wink

kyle1745 · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 32

Hmm... Maybe keeping the /phpBB2/ path is worth it but then I will need to get my site to default to that directory as I am planning to no longer use a "home page". So would that change then cause issues with the old urls pointing to phpBB2.

Im trying to go with a simple solution that will not cause me issues in the future.

SeO

kyle1745 · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 32

Ok makes sense, so I will be putting phpBB3 in the root of the site. With that I will need to figure out how to get my old links that point to /phpbb2/ to point to /.

Thank you for all of the help.

kyle1745 · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 32

Ok I have upgraded my site and moved phpBB3 to the root. I have installed Mixed phpBB3 SEO Mod Rewrite, and Zero Duplicate.

So far most things seem to be working well, but I have some questions:
- The check for Zero Duplicate when I try to miss spell a forum url gives me a 404. If I go to a post it will give me a 202.

- I also need to add a rewrite for my old forum path of phpBB2/ so my old links will work.

- Also anything else I need to do since my site has been around awhile I do not want to get blackflaged or anything.

Thanks for all of the help!

Here is my .htaccess: