Integration with vBulletin - CFM: Google AdSense for Search Integration

Title: "CFM: Google Search Results"
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Author: Sal Bezos (webmaster@carforummisfits.com)
Date of Creation: September 3, 2006
Version: 1.0 (9/30/2006)
Home: http://www.carforummisfits.com/
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Purpose:
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This product for vBulletin creates a target page for providing Google Search Results within your vBulletin forums. The Google Search Results (AdSense for Search) will appear in a vBulletin page.

Unlike the previous revision of this product, you will now be able to enter code for a Google Search Box for placement in the Search drop-down menu (or anywhere else you would like to place it). Please make sure that your search box code includes a <form> tag that states something along the lines of action="http://<yourhostname>/forums/cfmgoogle.php".


Tested:
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This product has been tested on a vBulletin 3.6.1 installation. There is no reason why it should not work in the same manner on any 3.6.x or 3.5.x installation, but it has not and will not be tested by the author.


Included Files:
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- README.txt
- cfm-live-demo.png (screenshot)
- cfmgoogle.php
- product-cfm_google_search_results.xml


Installation:
-------------
1. Upload the cfmgoogle.php file to your forum root, usually located at http://<yourhostname>/forums.

2. Register for a Google AdSense for Search account.
----a. Register for a Google AdSense account if you don't have one.
----b. Visit "http://www.google.com/adsense/".
----c. Login with your e-mail and password.
----d. Click on the "AdSense Setup" tab.
----e. Select "AdSense for Search".
----f. Configure your search box.
--------f1. Select either "Google WebSearch" or "Google WebSearch + SiteSearch" depending on whether you want users to be able to Google search your site or not. If you select "Google WebSearch + SiteSearch", enter the URL of sites you wish to be able to search.
--------f2. For Logo Type, I recomment selecting "Google Logo" and checking the "Logo above text box" option.
--------f3. For "Opening of search results page" select "Open results within my own site." Enter the URL of your cfmgoogle.php file (e.g. http://<yourhostname>/forums/cfmgoogle.php)
--------f4. Click "Continue >>".
----g. Configure the appearance of the results page, then click "Continue >>"
----h. You should now receive two sets of code from Google labeled "Your search box code" and "Your search results code".

3. In your forum's admin panel, go to Plugins & Products/Manage Products

4. Click on Add/Import Product

5. Click "Browse..." and select the "product-cfm_google_search_results.xml" product file. If this is your first installation of this product, select the "No" radio button in the "Allow Overwrite" option. If you are upgrading or reinstalling, select the "Yes" radio button. Click the "Import" button.

6. Go to vBulletin Options/vBulletin Options. Scroll through the list and select "CFM: Google Search Results".

7. In the "Google Search Box Code" option, paste the code provided by Google titled "Your search box code".

7. In the "Google Search Results Code" option, paste the code provided by Google titled "Your search results code".

8. In Styles & Templates/Style Manager go into Edit Templates for your style. Open the "Navigation / Breadcrumb Templates" template group and open the "navbar" template.

9. Find the following:

		<form action="search.php?do=process" method="post">
		<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" border="0">

And replace with:

		<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" border="0">
		<form action="search.php?do=process" method="post">

Find the following:

		</table>
		</form>
	</div>
	<!-- / header quick search form -->

And replace with:

		</form>
		<tr>
			<td class="thead">Search Google</td>
		</tr>
                <tr>
                        <td class="vbmenu_option" title="nohilite">$vboptions[cfmgsr_googlesearch]</td>
		</tr>
		</table>
	</div>
	<!-- / header quick search form -->

10. Pull up a forum page and look under your search drop-down menu for the search box.

11. Enjoy!


FAQ:
----
Q. My search results window is too tall. What's wrong with it?
A. This appears to be a bug in the Google Search Results code. If my assumption is incorrect, please let me know.

Q. Why are the colors all wonky on my search results?
A. The colors of the search results are provided by the search box. Make sure the colors in the search box code are correct.

Q. The background color of the Google search box doesn't match my page -- what can I do about it?
A. If Google's TOS allows it, play around with the settings in the code you pasted in the "Your search box code" option.


Revisions:
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1.0 - 09/30/2006 - Adding instructions and support for the Google search box in the search drop-down menu
0.1 - 09/03/2006 - Initial release


Support:
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Any questions and problems should be reported to the modification's thread on http://www.vbulletin.org. No warranty, express or implied, is granted with this software. Use is at your own risk.


License:
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GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
Version 2, June 1991

[Hakaslak]

Nifty idea.

Is there a way to make it so that one search box pulls up both the Google results and your own site's results?

[Hakaslak]

Hmm... I figured it out how to place the Google Search bar like Throtex did in his preview picture.

IN NAVBAR FIND:

      <tr>
        <td class="vbmenu_option" title="nohilite"><label for="rb_nb_sp0">
          <input type="radio" name="showposts" value="0" id="rb_nb_sp0" tabindex="1002" checked="checked" />
          $vbphrase[show_threads]</label>
          &nbsp;
          <label for="rb_nb_sp1">
          <input type="radio" name="showposts" value="1" id="rb_nb_sp1" tabindex="1003" />
          $vbphrase[show_posts]</label>
        </td>

ADD BELOW:

      <tr>
        <td class="vbmenu_option">

<!-- GOOGLE CODE GOES HERE -->

      </td>
      </tr>

FINISH AND CLOSE.

Dunno if this is too simple to post, but just figured someone might ask eventually.

BTW - I code in Dreamweaver cause I'm a noob and like the code formatting feature and syntax highlighting, so my 'FIND' coding might be off. If anyone wants to tell me what the original code and spacing for the navbar was, I'd be glad to change my post.

[KevNJ]

Hakaslak - None of that coding is in my navbar. It must be the mod you installed for the google search feature itself.

[voteforbird]

Actually, if you do a Search in Templates for "search_menu" you'll see four templates. You'll want to modify FORUMDISPLAY, navbar and SHOWTHREAD to get all three relevant search boxes. Find the area with the popup DIV, copy the rows for the existing search form within it, and add another one directly below that's customized for the Google script.

You can make something like I have done at http://www.volconvo.com

[bchertov]

Ok. What's the point of having the search results in a vb page? If they click on any of the links they are outa there!

[Hakaslak]

That IS a good point... kinda counter intuitive...

[Phooey]

Works great, thanks! :up:


/installed

[Throtex]

Originally Posted by bchertov

Ok. What's the point of having the search results in a vb page? If they click on any of the links they are outa there!

Not really any point I suppose ... though the ads that show up in the search results count for your AdSense payments. Plus you get one more bite at the apple to keep people on your site ... otherwise you'd send them directly to Google as soon as they run the search.

I just think it looks nice. I think this is a fairly recent offering by Google, so maybe more will be possible eventually. And of course, people are free to extend this in other ways.

[Throtex]

Originally Posted by voteforbird

Great add-on. Also, I was able to do it, but you may want to include directions about how to install the search form on the three floating DIV search boxes.

I deliberately didn't add that because there are a number of other threads here on how to do that -- plus you guys figured it out anyway. I just wanted to get straight to the meat of my product.

[Hakaslak]

Ahhh..

Well, I guess if they use the Google box, it's etter them them heading straight to Google.

My only concern is how to make sure they dont confuse the Google ebox for the real search box. >_<