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vB Google Search Cloud - SEO · **Released**: 05-09-2008

Simple Search Cloud Script by Dan Fletcher
vBulletin Integration by NeutralizeR

vB Google Search Cloud

Simple Search Cloud

A search cloud is like a tag cloud, that you find on blogs- except instead of showing a cloud of tags, it shows a cloud of search terms used to access the site.

It shows different searches visitors have used to get to your website. The more people that searched for a particular term- the bigger that term will appear in the cloud.

This script is easy to install, particularly if you have a PHP based website (like a blog, a script, a forum, etc).

It will increase your page views (because it encourages customers to explore more), and is also great for SEO.

More about search clouds...

One of the best ways to get targeted traffic to your website is through the search engines. And how much traffic you get will be based on how high you appear in the search engine rankings. So it is important to spend some of your marketing time trying to improve your search engine rankings. There are many ways to do this, but the two main ways are changing the text on your website, and increasing the links to your website.

You also need to look at the actual links on your website- make sure you link to your important pages, and use good anchor text (which is the text that your link appears as, eg a link to bluewidgets.com might appear as "blue widgets", so "blue widgets is the anchor text"). A great way to optimize your internal links is to use a "search cloud". A search cloud appears on your website (often on the side), and is a large list of words. Each word is a link, and they are all different sizes. Each word is something that someone searched for when they came to your website. If a lot of people search for a certain word, then that word will appear bigger in the cloud.

Search clouds help with your search engine rankings, because they ensure that you have internal links with the anchor text that people are actually searching for. Often people will guess what anchor text they should use- but they often get it wrong. A search cloud solves this problem- because it?s based on live results based on what people actually searched for. Lets say that you get some traffic for the search phrase "blue widgets". If someone visits your site after searching for "blue widgets", then the search cloud will now show "blue widgets", with a link to the relevant page. Now you have extra links to "blue widgets", you are more likely to rank higher for that term.

There are other benefits to search clouds as well. They can help lead your customers to your more important pages. If someone searches for "red widget", and then sees that the biggest phrase in your search cloud is for "blue widgets", they instantly know that your site is popular for blue widgets, and may go and visit the page. Search clouds also encourage visitors to explore your, which will help increase the average page views per visitor. This can mean more income, whether it?s in the form of extra sales, or more revenue from advertising. You can usually add a search cloud quite easily to your website.

Dan Fletcher

vBulletin Integration

Shorthly, vB Google Search Cloud product will fully integrate Simple Search Cloud script with your forum.
The default script didn't work for me so i changed some variables and added a function to display the hits of each search term + make-up for vBulletin.

Installation Instructions

1-) Upload search_cloud.php to your forum root.
2-) Import the product-vbgooglesearchcloud.xml.
3-) Put $searchcloud in any template you want to display your search cloud. e.g. footer

Upgrade Instructions

- (This step is for v1.0.3 only - Uninstall vB Google Search Cloud product.)

- Overwrite search_cloud.php with the new one.
- Import product-vbgooglesearchcloud.xml.

Optional

Open search_cloud.php and change these lines if needed:

PHP Code:


			
    // Variables you can set (if you want), but the defaults are fine.

    var $m_minFont     = 75;   // The minimum font size. No keywords will be smaller than this. This is a %
    var $m_maxFont     = 150;  // The maximum font size. No keywords will be bigger than this. This is a %
    var $m_averageFont = 100;   // The font size of an average searhced for keyword. This is a %
    var $m_maxEntries  = 100;   // Maximum number of entries displayed in the cloud
    var $m_showCount   = 0;    // Whether counts are shown along with each entry

    var $m_blackList   = array();   // list of disallowed words. An example is commented out below...
    //var $m_blackList   = array("sex","boob","cheatz");

Template
If you want to change something in the template > Search Templates > searchcloud

vBadvanced CMPS Integration

vBa CMPS > Add Module > Template Module

Module Title: Search Cloud
Template to Include: adv_portal_searchcloud
Template Content:

HTML Code:

<tr>
<td class="$bgclass" style="text-align:justify">
$vbsearchcloud
</td>
</tr>

Use Module Wrapper Template: Yes

Open vBadvanced Main Options and add vbsearchcloud to Portal Output Global Variables box.

Versions
v1.0.0 - May 10 2008
-First release
v1.0.1 - May 10 2008
-Fixed uncached template bug
v1.0.2 - May 15 2008
-Fixed security issue
-Added option to disable/enable hit counts
-Added blacklist option to disallow specific words
v1.0.3 - May 15 2008
-Changed mySQL variables so you don't have to enter the db details
v1.0.4 - May 16 2008
-Fixed bug: hit counts don't work
v1.0.5 - May 19 2008
-Added PHP 4 compatibility
-Small template changes

Demo
http://www.msxlabs.org/forum/

hdrmut · #42 05-12-2008, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeutralizeR

I see

Code:

Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Access denied for user ' hdrmut_mohammed'@'localhost' (using password: YES) in [path]/search_cloud.php on line 118

error in your site. It's a database connection issue. You should enter the correct database name, username, password and IP.

Iam sury

the problem same

Mesohu · #43 05-12-2008, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesohu

how i can change the width of this template($searchcloud) b'coz i'm using a fixed skin .

???

Magnumutz · #44 05-12-2008, 04:27 PM

Nice hack and a VERY nice skin you got on your forum

TruthElixirX · #45 05-12-2008, 10:45 PM

I get this error:

Code:

You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '-dev.google_searches order by hits DESC limit 100' at line 1

glennybee · #46 05-13-2008, 12:45 AM

Nice hack, thanks.

Is it possible to integrate this into vBadvanced CMPS?

I have created a new adv_portal_search_cloud template with the following code:

Code:

<tr class="alt1"><td>$searchcloud</td></tr>

I've also included the search_cloud.php file in the Global Advanced settings page. I see the new module on my page but it's empty, whereas I have search criteria in the cloud on forum home.

Thanks

NeutralizeR · #47 05-13-2008, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesohu

how i can change the width of this template($searchcloud) b'coz i'm using a fixed skin .

Edit "Search Templates > searchcloud".

Quote:

Originally Posted by TruthElixirX

I get this error:

Code:

You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '-dev.google_searches order by hits DESC limit 100' at line 1

This hack doesn't use table prefixes. The table name will always be "google_searches" for everybody. Check which table exists "-dev.google_searches" or "google_searches" and edit your search_cloud.php.

Quote:

Originally Posted by glennybee

Nice hack, thanks.

Is it possible to integrate this into vBadvanced CMPS?

I have created a new adv_portal_search_cloud template with the following code:

Code:

<tr class="alt1"><td>$searchcloud</td></tr>

I've also included the search_cloud.php file in the Global Advanced settings page. I see the new module on my page but it's empty, whereas I have search criteria in the cloud on forum home.

Thanks

I haven't tried adding it as a vbadvanced module yet but if you put $searchcloud to your footer template, it'll also work for vbadvanced pages. I'll check it soon...

NeutralizeR · #48 05-13-2008, 01:26 AM

glennybee, use $vbsearchcloud instead of $searchcloud.

glennybee · #49 05-13-2008, 03:17 AM

Thanks for the reply NeutralizeR but I don't really want it in the footer.

When you're in the vBa CMPS admincp settings > edit module, you have the option to preview the module. You can see that the module works and you see the search queries. But when you go to the actual portal page, the queries don't appear. I'll keep working on it.

P.S. I tried $vbsearchcloud and that was the same.

vmacedonia · #50 05-13-2008, 07:04 AM

How to clean up the database with the referral links?

I have made some changes to the PHP file like the number of displayed links, and now I need the info to be cleaned up and showed all over again.

swissknife · #51 05-13-2008, 11:09 AM

ich got a little problem: when the product is active, then this error appears:

You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '-united.google_searches order by hits DESC limit 100' at line 1

Quote:

This hack doesn't use table prefixes. The table name will always be "google_searches" for everybody. Check which table exists "-dev.google_searches" or "google_searches" and edit your search_cloud.php.

but i dont use prefixes?!?!?

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