Home Page Title 2.0.1

[Sim]

Sim submitted a new resource:

Home Page Title - Set a custom title for the home page instead of boardTitle

Set a custom title for the home page instead of boardTitle.

Because the boardTitle is set as a suffix on all page title tags, you ideally want to keep it short.

However, you also might want the home page for your forum to be more descriptive so that it shows something more meaningful in Google searches.

Example usage:

We use the "Somersoft" brand as the boardTitle so that the suffix is short.

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[Agentos]

Great addon. Can you create an add-on where you can set a meta description for nodes?

 

[Sim]

Great addon. Can you create an add-on where you can set a meta description for nodes?

The forum/node description is already shown in the description metadata tag. Are you saying you'd want to have a custom meta tag description that differs from what users see in the node description?

 

[Agentos]

Are you saying you'd want to have a custom meta tag description that differs from what users see in the node description?

Something like that.

 

[Sim]

Something like that.

I have no plans to expand the functionality of this addon to cover that suggestion - but I'll make a note of it as an idea for a new addon.

 

[Agentos]

I use another add-on where I can set it, but the main meta description is automatically added and I have seo suggestions to reduce the meta description for nodes, but this can't be done



For example, I would like to set: Misije i poradniki do GTA Online - GTA Forums

 

[Sim]

I use another add-on where I can set it, but the main meta description is automatically added and I have seo suggestions to reduce the meta description for nodes, but this can't be done

View attachment 226085

For example, I would like to set: Misije i poradniki do GTA Online - GTA Forums

The bit after the pipe | is the boardTitle ... if I understand what you are trying to achieve, you could just change your boardTitle setting to the shorter name and then use this Home Page Title addon to adjust what is displayed on the home page to the longer name?

So change the following:

boardTitle = GTA Forums
homePageTitle (from this addon) = GTA Forums Polska

Is that what you mean?

 

[Agentos]

This is also a solution. Is there a way to change the sign | on -?

 

[Sim]

This addon has been tested on XF 2.2

 

[Harvey]

I'm trying this addon out, but I'm not sure I understand it.

Is it possible to have a different:

<h1>

and

Index page title tag

while retaining the title tag structure for the rest of the forum:

{thread title} | Board Title

There are 5 phrases listed, what do they do?

Which one sets the forum onpage title <h1> and which one sets the index page title tag:

 

[Sim]

I'm trying this addon out, but I'm not sure I understand it.

Is it possible to have a different:

<h1>

and

Index page title tag

while retaining the title tag structure for the rest of the forum:

{thread title} | Board Title

There are 5 phrases listed, what do they do?

Which one sets the forum onpage title <h1> and which one sets the index page title tag:

View attachment 231604

This is exactly what the addon does.

This version of the addon doesn't use phrases for the home page title - it uses a configuration option:

 

[Harvey]

OK well then I screwed up. Need to get the phrases back to the original settings.

Should just uninstall and reinstall?

Somehow what I did in phrases did change the h1 and the title tag to be the same.

EDIT: Ideally I'd like all three to be different.

 

[Sim]

Just revert the phrase changes.

 

[Harvey]

OK I did it but the h1 and title tag are both changed. I only want to change the title tag?

 

[Sim]

OK I did it but the h1 and title tag are both changed. I only want to change the title tag?

Sorry, I misunderstood your original question - this addon changes both the h1 and the title tag on the home page to the same text (but different to every other page).

Why would you want the h1 and the title to be different?

 

[Harvey]

Our approach may be a little different than most.

My training is as a content and SEO pro working for great brands. Our goal is always to produce the best possible user experience.

In another thread here someone said to me "why do you care about meta descriptions, Google doesn't care about them."

While I disagree with that, I also don't think that way. I've seen sites where the meta description isn't addressed and in search results under the title tag you see java scripts. Not exactly enticing for the user.

We alway consider user experience and the context.

Let me explain how that impacts this case.

Right now, coincidentally my old forum and new forum BOTH appear in search results.

(There is no "converter" for the old software, and the old forum has ten years of content. It is still capturing a lot of traffic which I am "asking" to come to the new XF site to register. All of this is somewhat beside the point.)

Below are search results for my forum brand. Google is adding to my title tag <title>The NY Ski Forums</title> because it is too short. The are mixing my blog brand with my forum brand, by adding it on to the end. This is not ideal.

I really want the longer more descriptive title tag, but I don't want the title tag to become the brand.

If I use the title tag as my H1 My homepage then looks something like this:

NY Ski Forums: Trip Reports, Skiing, Riding, NY Northeast

Trip Reports
Skiing and Riding
NY
Northeast

with the items (Categories and Forums) below it repeating the same information over again. It's not a great user experience. I also don't like the way it looks.

Search results can be improved with a long title tag. But the H1 serves a different purpose.

Probably more than you wanted to know, but I'm passionate about it, and my approach has worked for me since 2008.

 

[Sim]

Search results can be improved with a long title tag. But the H1 serves a different purpose.

Fair enough - it is easy enough for me to add a separate option for the H1 so it can be set different to the Title on the home page.

Note that it won't change anything on any other pages - the H1 and Title will both remain as default on all other pages.

 

[Harvey]

That is awesome thank you!

LMK when it is ready, will reinstall.

Will also share in the other threads about this, and make a donation if you have a place for that.

 

[Harvey]

Any news on this?

I tried to edit the code itself but I can't figure it out. I keep getting " | {boardTitle}" at the end of it.

 

[Harvey]

Anyone...

What part of this code is adding the board name at the end of the {CUSTOM TITLE} title tag in the second instance?

<xf:h1>{$xf.options.boardTitle}</xf:h1>
<xf:if is="{$xf.options.forumsDefaultPage} != 'forums'">
<xf:title>{{ phrase('forum_list') }}</xf:title>
</xf:if>

... modified code...

<xf:h1>{$xf.options.boardTitle}</xf:h1>
<xf:if is="{$xf.options.forumsDefaultPage} != 'forums'">
<xf:title>CUSTOM TITLE</xf:title>
</xf:if>

Or where is the code that is doing it?