phpBB SEO Title
There are 3 things you want to do to SEO optimize your phpBB forums title. 1) Remove the word index from the home page title. 2) Change the order of the SiteName and the PageTitle in the title. 3) Remove View Topic and View Forum from the page title. After you complete these 3 things your phpBB forum title will be SEO optimized.
1) Remove index word from the home page
By default phpBB forum will display your home page title like "index page • web design forum". 9 times out of 10 most don't want "index page" to be in there for SEO purposes. Here is how to remove the index page portion and the • portion. Removing both from the home page only, and leaving the other pages to function as default.
Step 1: Navigate to forum/language/en/common.php.
Search For...
'INDEX' => 'Index Page',
Replace with...
'INDEX' => '',
Step 2: Navigate to forum/styles/prosilver/template/overall_header.html. This below edit essentially says if it's index page ingnore "•". And if it's all other pages use it.
Search For...
<title>{SITENAME} <!-- IF S_IN_MCP -->{L_MCP} • <!-- ELSEIF S_IN_UCP -->{L_UCP} • <!-- ENDIF -->{PAGE_TITLE}</title>
Replace with...
<title>{PAGE_TITLE} <!-- IF SCRIPT_NAME neq 'index'-->• <!-- ENDIF --> <!-- IF S_IN_MCP -->{L_MCP} • <!-- ELSEIF S_IN_UCP -->{L_UCP} • <!-- ENDIF -->{SITENAME}</title>
2) Change the order of the SiteName and PageTitle
Navigate to forum/styles/prosilver/template/overall_header.html.
Search For...
<title>{SITENAME} <!-- IF SCRIPT_NAME neq 'index'-->• <!-- ENDIF --> <!-- IF S_IN_MCP -->{L_MCP} • <!-- ELSEIF S_IN_UCP -->{L_UCP} • <!-- ENDIF -->{PAGE_TITLE}</title>
Replace with...
<title>{PAGE_TITLE} <!-- IF SCRIPT_NAME neq 'index'-->• <!-- ENDIF --> <!-- IF S_IN_MCP -->{L_MCP} • <!-- ELSEIF S_IN_UCP -->{L_UCP} • <!-- ENDIF -->{SITENAME}</title>
3) Remove View Topic and View Forum
Step 1: Navigate to phpBB/viewforum.php.
Search For...
page_header($user->lang['VIEW_FORUM'] . ' - ' . $forum_data['forum_name'], true, $forum_id);
Replace with...
page_header($forum_data['forum_name'], true, $forum_id);
Step 2: Navigate to phpBB/viewtopic.php.
Search For...
page_header($user->lang['VIEW_TOPIC'] . ' - ' . $topic_data['topic_title'], true, $forum_id);
Replace with...
page_header($topic_data['topic_title'], true, $forum_id);
4) Upload and Clear Forum Cache
1) Save all files >> upload and overwrite all corresponding files on server.
2) Purge forum cache. ACP >> General Tab >> Purge the cache >> Run Now.
3) Refresh Template. ACP >> Styles Tab >> Templates >> Prosilver >> Refresh.
Now your forums title will read.... on the index page the title will simple say your "Forums Name". On all forum pages the page title will read... "Forum • Forum Name". On all the topic pages the page title will read... "Topic • Forum Name". Minus the quotes of course.
