[Mike]

When the shortcode displays a category it works well. All the entries are listed as expected.

What isn’t expected (and I feel it damages SEO) is repeated text.

If I have a web page consisting of:
(My own text before the listings)
LISTINGS DISPLAYED HERE

When I click on an individual entry, the entry correctly displays but I get this:
(My own text before the listings)
INDIVIDUAL LISTING DISPLAYED

What I don’t expect is (My own text before the listings) to be displayed. This means that that text is repeated on a lot of web pages, which will damage SEO, but also it doesn’t make sense to the user either.

Is there any chance of disabling this feature?

Many thanks :-)

[Steven Zahm]

@ Mike

Yep, probably not the best for SEO, especially if your static text is greater than the unique text. Because Connections outputs via a shortcode, there is no way to remove the static contents of the page due to the order in which WordPress parses the page. The only option I would have is to pre-parse the page and remove all content except for the shortcode and then let WordPress parse the page like normal.

All that said… this can be worked around. Here’s how…

Create a new page. The name of the page is not relevant but should applicable, you know for good SEO permalinks :).

The content of this new page should be the [connections] shortcode and nothing else.

Save the page and take note of the page ID, You’ll need it. You can find it in the browser address bar as part of the URL.

Go to your original directory page and add the home_id shortcode option. You shortcode on the page should look something like this:

[connections home_id="n"]

Save the page.

No when the links in the directory are clicked, they will resolve to the new page.

Hope that helps!

[Mike]

I appreciate your fix, however to me this feels like a hack and not a genuine fix.

The default behaviour damages SEO and I feel that is not good. I reckon most people don’t realise this, however I feel it’s more ethical if your users know that your plugin is damaging their search results.

I know it might be hard work, however I feel if you are chasing quality then you’d fix this issue. I’ve worked as a software engineer for decades and unfortunately the default response by most engineers is to provide a hack rather than genuinely fix an issue. I have never understood that attitude. Maybe because the right thing to do is immensely hard?

I hope I am not appearing too critical here, however this is how I genuinely feel about your fix. Although at the same time I am really pleased that there is a ‘fix’.

[Steven Zahm]

@ Mike

This is not a hack, actually. This advanced shortcode option was developed for another reason entirely. It just also happens to be useful for those that put static text on their directory page. I’ve been supporting users for years with Connections and it is really a small minority that add static text and of those there are those that want the static text because it suits their needs.

As for appearing being too critical… not at all! Feedback is always very welcomed. Fresh eyes offer fresh perspective which is truly useful. You know how difficult it can get to see things when you’re too close to something.

Now, contrary to what I’ve literally just said… I will very likely at some point do this preparing and stripe all page content except the shortcode (or something) but not because of the static text. I’m finding more and more uses seems to be putting the shortcode on the page more than once and then wonder why they have repeated entries when they click on an entry link. This causing me to have to explain the home_id shortcode option over and over again. I do shudder at the thought of spending the next three or more years (exaggeration, maybe) explaining why the static text disappears.

[Steven Zahm]

@ Mike

I just released version 8.4.5 which removes the need to use the home_id option in your setup… you static text will no longer be shown on the individual entry detail page nor will duplicate entries be shown if the user has entered the shortcode on the directory page more than once.

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