Visual Guide to sh404 MetadataHere is a step-by-step guide to turning on the metadata module for sh404 in Joomla, so that you can have full metadata management.
Once the sh404SEF component is working, we have SEF URLs -- search engine friendly page addresses. The next job is to enable the sh404 Custom Tags module, which provides custom per-page metadata. This is a different plugin that acts together with the main component. It must be enabled as a separate task, and then in order to for it to function, you must configure it and enter the metadata you require.
As it is a little bit harder to enable the metadata module than the basic component, we thought a visual guide would be useful. There is also another very important factor: different languages. What can happen is that text instructions do not transfer well to alternative language versions of the administrator's panel, since labels and even appearance can change due to localisation. A visual guide is much better here.
Enable the sh404 metadata module Go to Modules >> Site Modules >> sh404 Custom Tags module
Click on the thumbnails to see the full-size image (opens in a new window, or a new tab if you have set your browser to open new windows in the next tab - recommended)
Now place it in the last module position. If this causes problems (maybe if you can see a 'phantom module' at that place on the page) then move it up one. For example, on the site shown, with the RT Replicant template, it will go in the User 4 position as you can see over on the right.
To do this, open the module >> in the left spin box for position, choose User 4.
Then to sh404 configuration -- Components >> sh404SEF
Now select Extended View, in case you are in Simple View, which is the default.
Now you can see all the sh404 icons, for all the full options.
Now we will go to >> sh404 Configuration, blue button icon >> Meta / SEO tab >> Activate Meta management = YES.
Save & exit.
Index page / home page metadataFirst we should do the front page meta. This has its own special text entry configs and is very easy to find - there is an icon for it at the top right of the page, when in the View / Edit SEF URLs page.
Go to View / Edit SEF URLs >> Home Page Meta.
Now fill the 4 meta fields as shown in the picture below:
Fill the Title - the Description - the Keywords - the robots instruction (index, follow).
Always use lower case letters in the Meta Keyword text box - and it's best kept VERY brief.
BE BRIEF with meta. It is a tremendous temptation to write reams of rubbish in here -- DON'T.
Metadata for all other pagesNext we can fill the meta for any / all other pages. The page title will automatically be the article title alias. However you can override it in sh404, of course.
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So: now you should have full meta if you need it. You must fill each page by hand. We have done the front page, which is the most important. Each page will have the default meta until you enter new text.
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sh404 Metadata
