ProductCart Shopping Cart Software Forums : Google Sitemap question https://forum.productcart.com/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Sun, 12 Apr 2026 02:46:01 +0000 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:02:47 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.04 360 https://forum.productcart.com/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=4961 <![CDATA[ProductCart Shopping Cart Software Forums]]> https://forum.productcart.com/forum_images/pc_logo_50.png https://forum.productcart.com/ <![CDATA[Google Sitemap question : Hey, glad you resolved your issue. I...]]> https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19032.html#19032 Author: Rick_N
Subject: 4961
Posted: 06-February-2012 at 9:02am

Hey, glad you resolved your issue.
 
I ran into the same problem last night when I sent Google my datafeed. I just started to get my products listed through the Google Merchant Center and I have lots of duplicate files. Again it happens only on products with multiple categories. So the SiteMap.xml is OK but because the logic is the same in the exportfroogle.asp it is doing the same thing.
 
I opened a ticket for this one. :)
 
Sine this is my first time using the froogle list, I know I have not done anything to these pages, all original code, so hopefully the EI folks will find the same thing.
 
]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:02:47 +0000 https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19032.html#19032 <![CDATA[Google Sitemap question : Turned out I had to set WRITE...]]> https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19031.html#19031 Author: prillo
Subject: 4961
Posted: 06-February-2012 at 8:46am

Turned out I had to set WRITE permissions before it generated.  Duh.  ;)  Glad I figured that out and avoided a support ticket.

So I did create a sitemap based on our uppermost categories, but then had to go through and take out about 50 duplicates (I tested with Google and got what you originally got, re dup links).  We have a few items that are unisex, hence the dups across Men - Women.

I also had to add in all the other (lower) category links as I had told the sitemap generator to exclude them (in order to exclude the vast #s of dup links).  That was all category level links below Men - Women - Children etc.

Our total links count went from 37,000 (not realistic, lots of dups) to under 6,000 (this is valid).

I submitted to Google yesterday, and we'll see what happens!

Hope you are able to solve your problem as well.  I can code, but I wish I was not so rusty.  You seem able to take the plunge with much more ease than I can.  :)


Edited by prillo - 06-February-2012 at 8:47am]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:46:29 +0000 https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19031.html#19031 <![CDATA[Google Sitemap question : prillo wrote: I tried to...]]> https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19030.html#19030 Author: Rick_N
Subject: 4961
Posted: 05-February-2012 at 10:54am

Originally posted by prillo prillo wrote:


I tried to generate a new sitemap, it said it's successful, but the sitemaps remain unchanged on my server (domain.com/store/SiteMap.xml, SiteMap1.xml, etc).  I have a local copy and bytes are identical.  Hmmm... I think I will submit a support ticket and see what can be learned.


Might be the best idea. Love the support staff here.
]]> Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:54:48 +0000 https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19030.html#19030 <![CDATA[Google Sitemap question : Yes, as an example, my category...]]> https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19029.html#19029 Author: Rick_N
Subject: 4961
Posted: 05-February-2012 at 10:52am

Yes, as an example, my category Leather Lingerie carries all types of Leather lingerie only, but some are listed in Babydolls, so if I exclude Babydolls so the Leather stuff isn't included there, than everything else that was listed in Babydolls would be excluded, if I understand what you are saying correctly.]]> Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:52:57 +0000 https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19029.html#19029 <![CDATA[Google Sitemap question : The instr idea seems like it would...]]> https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19028.html#19028 Author: prillo
Subject: 4961
Posted: 05-February-2012 at 10:46am

The instr idea seems like it would work. 

I was wondering if you had items exclusive to some categories (i.e. excluding Cat B would mean skipping data elsewhere).  Too bad that wouldn't cut it.  I thought it would for me, but as edited above, I am not getting any new sitemaps generated via the wizard.  Strange.
]]> Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:46:18 +0000 https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19028.html#19028 <![CDATA[Google Sitemap question : I understand what you are saying,...]]> https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19027.html#19027 Author: Rick_N
Subject: 4961
Posted: 05-February-2012 at 10:39am

I understand what you are saying, I think, but if I have product A listed in Cat A and B, and I exclude Cat B, then I would lose all other items in that Cat(B).
I think what I can do is use an instr function in the code to look for the same product ID, if it finds one already, skip it and move on to the next. That way only one URL is being generated when listed in multiple categories.
I'll let you know what I come up with and send you a copy and see if it works for you as well.
]]> Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:39:32 +0000 https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19027.html#19027 <![CDATA[Google Sitemap question : How about this as a potential/quick...]]> https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19026.html#19026 Author: prillo
Subject: 4961
Posted: 05-February-2012 at 10:33am

How about this as a potential/quick fix...

When you go to generate the sitemap, use the feature that allows you to exclude certain categories:

Categories
Select categories that should be excluded. To improve performance, you can limit the amount of categories included in the map. To select the categories that you would like to exclude from the map generation process, click on any of the categories shown in the Exclude These Categories field. Keep the CTRL key on your keyboard pressed to select multiple categories.

This only works if you have a clean way to include/exclude categories so that you can get one complete list easily.  It also seems less than best *if* the categories you do select aren't showing the canonical version.

Maybe you could do this once, and then strip the categories out with Find/Replace in a text editor?

Edited To Add:
I tried to generate a new sitemap, it said it's successful, but the sitemaps remain unchanged on my server (domain.com/store/SiteMap.xml, SiteMap1.xml, etc).  I have a local copy and bytes are identical.  Hmmm... I think I will submit a support ticket and see what can be learned.


Edited by prillo - 05-February-2012 at 10:43am]]> Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:33:06 +0000 https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19026.html#19026 <![CDATA[Google Sitemap question : Hi Rick,It sounds like you solved...]]> https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19025.html#19025 Author: prillo
Subject: 4961
Posted: 05-February-2012 at 10:20am

Hi Rick,

It sounds like you solved the initial problem, that Google was seeing duplicates when it said remove them & then resubmit.

But now it seems like you have the same (potential) problem I do, as you added category codes to each link.  This makes sense in order to differentiate for Google, but as you said, your concern now is that you list the same product in multiple categories, like we have:

...blue-dress-185p39413.htm

...blue-dress-500p39413.htm

Is this an issue to Google?  I don't know, but I don't think it's ideal.  Why not just reference the canonical version of the page (no category refs in links at all)?  I will dig around in genGoogleSiteMapA.asp and see what could work toward this end.


Edited by prillo - 05-February-2012 at 10:26am]]> Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:20:54 +0000 https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19025.html#19025 <![CDATA[Google Sitemap question : OK, I found a fix for my problem. Based...]]> https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19024.html#19024 Author: Rick_N
Subject: 4961
Posted: 04-February-2012 at 6:09pm

OK, I found a fix for my problem.
 
Based on the table that genGoogleSiteMapA.asp references to build it's product links for the SiteMap.xml file is categories_products. The query uses a DISTINCT clause to seperate the unique values. After exporting the results I looked for duplicate product ID's, which I found. Each duplicate product ID had it's own unique category ID attached to it. So far so good.
The query loads the number of returned rows and uses that in it's count to loop through the results.
At one point the link is generated with the following line of code
 
LOCALtmpBody=LOCALtmpBody & "|$|" &  removeChars(pcArr(2,i) & "-" & "p" & pcArr(1,i)) & ".htm|-|"
 
Since the results returned from the query included both product ID's they were generated in the link building process. If you look at the line of code no category was being attached before the "p", whereas in the pcSEOlinks.asp file the category ID is attached, via parameter pIdSeoCat.
 
I edited the line of code in genGoogleSiteMapA.asp to include the category id:
LOCALtmpBody=LOCALtmpBody & "|$|" &  removeChars(pcArr(2,i) & "-" & pcArr(0,i) & "p" & pcArr(1,i)) & ".htm|-|"
 
Once done I checked for duplicate ID's. None. Resubmitted to Google and not one duplicate found.
 
My concern is now I am generating the same product in two separate categories. Is this good or bad for SEO? To me everything seems to be working the way it should be. Anybody see any problems with this fix?
 
Thanks.
]]> Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:09:26 +0000 https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19024.html#19024 <![CDATA[Google Sitemap question : Well what is happening with me...]]> https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19021.html#19021 Author: Rick_N
Subject: 4961
Posted: 03-February-2012 at 6:04pm

Well what is happening with me is a little different. I still do not know why, but for some reason I think I removed a line of code that may have to do with the NOFOLLOW clause.

My siteMap.xml is generated correctly. I get the right amount of entries, and no duplicates. But when Google reads the sitemap it says this is a duplicate URL on my website. Remove it then resubmit your sitemap. Although it is an error on the google dashboard, the sitemap is still showing as OK from google's perspective. Although it's not good to have duplicate URL's. What google is finding is 2 products on my site, one with the category ID attached and one without. I can access both these products just by adding or removing the category ID

This link:
http://www.eveningsecrets.com/lingerie/pc/2pc-Lycra-Mesh-Babydoll-3p2514.htm

points to the same product with this link:

http://www.eveningsecrets.com/lingerie/pc/2pc-Lycra-Mesh-Babydoll-p2514.htm

My cat nav displays the format of the first link, but in the XML file it is stored as the second link format.

Even when I tried some changes with the code that builds the navigation to make the XML file the same as the cat nav links, google still sees it as duplicate products.

Everything was fine for me before I made the new webdesign. Changed a lot to CSS and I think somewhere I removed a nofollow link, if that makes sense. Or at least that's what I think I did.

Basically I am going through all the files I backed up before the change to see what is different. Could take a while :(

]]> Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:04:25 +0000 https://forum.productcart.com/google-sitemap-question_topic4961_post19021.html#19021