The new solution (WordPress) is fabulous, but now I have a couple hundred inbound links that are broken. Trying to get all of the links updated by the other sites was a losing proposition, so my next step was to put some 301 redirects into my friendly neighborhood .htaccess file and transfer all the link love to the new pages.

Easy (normal) 301 redirects via .htaccess
Normally, a 301 redirect in your .htaccess file would look like this:
Redirect 301 /old/url.shtml http://domain.com/new/filename
or if we’re being fancy…
RewriteEngine on
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^old/url.shtml$ new/filename [R=301,L]

Normally, the examples above are perfect for redirecting incoming links from old, defunct pages to the new, correct location of the file. The problem I ran into is that my pages were dynamically generated; i.e., they all shared the same URL, and which review was presented to the user was determined by an argument passed in the URL after the file extension.
http://www.domain.com/cgi-bin/script.cgi?review=bobs_shrimp_hut

To address this, I figured I would just include the argument in the pattern that the RewriteRule tries to match, and make sure that I remembered to escape the question mark after the file extension since question marks are special characters in regex.
RewriteEngine on
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^cgi-bin/script.cgi?review=bobs_shrimp_hut$ restaurants/bobs-shrimp-hut [R=301,L]

Looks right… but nothing happened. Like, nothing-nothing. It didn’t return a 500 Server Error, which would have let me know I screwed something up, and it also didn’t even attempt to rewrite the URL. When I tried the original (old) address, I got a 404. :(

Since my .htaccess file already had a number of other RewriteRules that were executing correctly, I ruled out the possibility that the .htaccess file wasn’t being read. To test my assumption, I tried removing the argument portion from the rule (the question mark and everything after it).
RewriteRule ^cgi-bin/script.cgi$ restaurants/bobs-shrimp-hut [R=301,L]

Okay, that worked. We’ve confirmed the .htaccess file is being read and things are working correctly. The only problem with this solution is that this rule will fire every time any of the reviews are accessed, regardless of the argument, and will always rewrite as “restaurants/bobs-shrimp-hut”. Great exposure for Bob’s Shrimp Hut, but not cool if you were expecting to find Chez Francois or Chuck’s Cheese Chalet.

Let’s RTFM!
After re-reading the Apache documentation on the Mod_Rewrite Module, I found this in the RewriteRule Directive section:

What is matched?

The Pattern will initially be matched against the part of the URL after the hostname and port, and before the query string. If you wish to match against the hostname, port, or query string, use a RewriteCond with the %{HTTP_HOST}, %{SERVER_PORT}, or %{QUERY_STRING} variables respectively.

Crap. The part of the URL after the hostname and before the query string is identical for all 200 restaurants. The query string is what I HAVE to match.

Alrighty, so the manual says I need a RewriteCond if I want to match anything against the QUERY_STRING (argument). So I tried the following:
RewriteEngine on
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} ^(.*)bobs_shrimp_hut$
RewriteRule ^cgi-bin/script.cgi$ restaurants/bobs-shrimp-hut [R=301,L]

And it worked! Mostly. The rewritten URL looked like this:
http://www.domain.com/restaurants/bobs-shrimp-hut/?review=bobs_shrimp_hut

So we’re 98% of the way there at this point. Realistically, this is still a success as far as the user is concerned because the link does redirect to the new page successfully. It’s just ugly and will cause some canonical issues for the engines.

So I RTFMd some more, and a little further down the page, I found this:

Modifying the Query String

By default, the query string is passed through unchanged. You can, however, create URLs in the substitution string containing a query string part. Simply use a question mark inside the substitution string to indicate that the following text should be re-injected into the query string. When you want to erase an existing query string, end the substitution string with just a question mark. To combine new and old query strings, use the [QSA] flag.

Eureka! So now my .htaccess looks like this:
RewriteEngine on
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} ^(.*)bobs_shrimp_hut$
RewriteRule ^cgi-bin/script.cgi$ restaurants/bobs-shrimp-hut? [R=301,L]
which gives us
http://www.domain.com/restaurants/bobs-shrimp-hut
YAY!

The only downside to this method of redirection is that there has to be a separate RewriteCond/RewriteRule pair for each argument I need to redirect. This is only because I failed to use a consistent naming scheme. If I had thought ahead when I set up the original script, I probably would have named the files differently and wouldn’t be having this problem now.

If the names were consistent between the old script and the new solution, I would have been able to do something like this:
RewriteEngine on
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} ^review=(.*)$
RewriteRule ^cgi-bin/script.cgi$ restaurants/%1? [R=301,L]
%1 retrieves a captured value from the RewriteCond. $1 (more commonly seen) retrieves a captured value from the first part of a RewriteRule. This single Condition/Rule pair would have handled all of the dynamic URLs from the old script and redirected them to their new homes.

Okay, that’s it for the .htaccess tonight. My head feels like it’s going to explode.

Post from: Cshel Chicago SEO, Web Development

Mod_rewrite doesn’t look at arguments? D’oh!

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Think of this as sort of like those essay contests the English teachers used to make everyone participate in, but the differences are 1) we won’t take off points for poor grammar or spelling (because this is all about style and ability to persuade!) and 2) the prize is way cooler than some lame $50 savings bond that you can’t do anything with for 20 years.

BEHOLD, the Details

1. Listen to SEO 101 tonight at 9p Central
2. Call (646) 716-6190
3. When you’re on… give us your most compelling reasons why YOUR business needs and can use the information and tools you’ll learn at the seminar.

Just remember, the seminar is near St. Louis, Missouri. You have to be able to get yourself there and home again because we’re only supplying admission to the event ;)

Post from: Cshel Chicago SEO, Web Development

SEO 101 Call-In Show Tonight

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In addition to the talks, there will also be a “Ask the Experts” panel and a two hour networking event (with a bar — naturally) and the sponsors are also giving each attendee a complimentary SEO audit of their business Web site.

I believe there are just under 50 tickets left for this event, so if you’re in the St. Louis area, hurry and register (now!)

Title: Look At Me Seminar – Market Saint Louis
Location: Glendale, Missouri
Link out: Click here
Description: The “Look at Me” seminar will help you understand the power of online marketing, and how it will boost your bottom line significantly. This event is tailored entirely for business owners in the Saint Louis area that want to get in front of online customers, but don’t know how.
Start Time: 9:00
Date: 2009-06-11
End Time: 18:00

Post from: Cshel Chicago SEO, Web Development

‘Look At Me’ Seminar – Market Saint Louis

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Podcast Recap
Before I join the podcast, Brian and Robert covered a pretty extensive array of e-commerce topics:

• Twitter “Help Engines”
• A lengthy discussion of Magento Commerce, prompted by the announcement that Brian is converting his properties from his own custom-built ecommerce platform to Magento (which speaks volumes about how impressed Brian is with the features available — it’s not like he hasn’t just built his own platform when he needed features existing programs didn’t offer).
• Robert Garcia (Rumblepup) is now offering e-commerce and SEO consulting.
• There was fairly in-depth discussion of the evolution of social media — from the days of BBSs and Usenet News through to all the “new” Web 2.0 social media options.
• Brian and Robert also discussed a number of social bookmarking and social shopping sites that retailers should definitely be paying attention to…. specifically mentioned were:
  • ThisNext
  • Kaboodle
  • HonestBargain
  • Dealigg
• Finally, they wrapped up by talking about must-haves for every e-commerce website: “Add This” buttons to enable customers to easily submit products to the aforementioned social bookmarking and shopping sites, product reviews, and forums for customers to discuss services and products, as well as get support.

So then….
Whew! Still with me? Okay :) This is where I joined the conversation… I just returned from PubCon South in Austin, where Twitter was discussed *incessantly*. I shared with Brian and Robert some of the major points that were discussed, what software is most popular for using and monitoring Twitter streams, and some best practices for retailers on how to use, but not abuse one’s Tweeple.

I’ll warn you, this is a 95 minute long episode, so make sure you’ve either got a long drive ahead of you, or have a comfy place to sit before you begin :)

Post from: Cshel Chicago SEO, Web Development

Ecom Phenom: Social Media and eCommerce

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Thankfully, the guys at IM Broadcast have created a mini-conference designed to maximize the education and networking while minimizing the cash out of your wallet. The concept is simple: shorter conference, single room, limited attendance, intensive education…. for a *reasonable* price.

Their first conference using this format (Scary SEO) was a great success. I was tremendously impressed with the quality of both the sessions and the networking. (The cookie breaks in the afternoon were a personal favorite, too!)

Spring Break hopes to expand on the success of Scary SEO by expanding the formay from two to three days to accommodate more topics and more great speakers, but keeping the attendee numbers and admission price low.

So here’s the skinny:

IM Spring Break is 3 days of intensive search education featuring world class speakers (who can also be found speaking at the “big-big” conferences), very limited attendance (read: this WILL sell out quickly), and lots of time in between presentations for work group discussions and opportunities to get real expert help with your specific issues.

On top of all this, the price of admission is only $500 and it’s in Deerfield Beach Florida (near Ft. Lauderdale and hence the “Spring Break” part) AND the hotel is only $159 a night.

To put it in perspective, you’re getting up close and personal access to the biggest names in the search world, plus entertainment, plus Florida DURING spring break, plus a nice hotel room, plus a great educational opportunity… for less than the cost of JUST the admission to one of the big conferences.

In a nutshell:

If money is tight and you can only choose one conference to attend this year…. attend IM Spring Break. It’s a great value.

Post from: Cshel Chicago SEO, Web Development

IM Spring Break: Sun, Fun and Internet Marketing

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In addition to the obligatory, heymybookisgreatsogobuyit stuff, Mike talks with us about developing and implementing a search marketing program in your business, the ins and outs of exploring new media and social media (again, in the context of “how will this benefit my business”), and then finally, the absolute importance of optimizing your internal Web site search.

P.S. If you’re looking for something to keep you from dying of boredom at the relative-who-has-no-wifi’s house over the holidays… grab a copy… good readin’

Post from: Cshel Chicago SEO, Web Development

SEO 101: Mike Moran discusses Search Engine Marketing, Inc

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Specifically, we discuss:

• Crawling through HTML Forms — Friday, April 11, 2008
• Dynamic URLs vs static URLs — Monday, September 22, 2008

In a nutshell, Google says they pull “important” terms from surrounding pages and use them to populate search boxes and other forms in an effort to get more content. Some of the terms they pull don’t seem like things normal people would be searching for, so we’re not sure how exactly they decide what terms to try or not try. You should be able to scan through your access logs and pick out examples of the bot filling in forms to see for yourself.

As for the 180 degree flip on dynamic URLs vs. static URLs, we’re pretty much in agreement that it’s not a green light to shut off URL rewriting or stop doing “pretty URLs”. Pretty URLs enhance the user experience, and in cases where you have an existing web site that is already turning ugly, dynamic URLs into pretty static strings, you should DEFINITELY not deviate from the status quo. Changing all of your existing URLs will cause a horrendous drop in traffic while the engines try to figure out what you’ve done and get everything sorted out.

Post from: Cshel Chicago SEO, Web Development

SEO 101: Google Revelations

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MSN Live's Jeremiah Andrick

Post from: Cshel Chicago SEO, Web Development

SEO 101: Interview with MSN Live’s Jeremiah Andrick

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I know I go through business cards like water goes through a sieve at conferences, so make sure you’re well stocked and they’re current. If you wait too long, you’ll either end up with craptastic cards that look like you had them printed at the Kwik-E-Mart, or you’ll pay out the nose for shipping. Or possibly both if you’re exceptionally unlucky.

So consider this my little PSA reminder :)

Designed it myself ;)

The reason I thought to issue the reminder is because the mailman *just* brought me a big heavy box full of print collateral! (I know… the strangest things make me happy. What can I say?)

My box of goodies contained my new Lafayette Online business cards, my new BeFoundLocal.com cards, and my new (pictured to the right) cshel cards. Oh, and a couple thousand rack cards for Lafayette Online (rack cards go in the visitor information stands at hotels, the Chamber of Commerce, restaurants by the interstate, etc.)

I was worried that the new cshel cards were going to come out a little weird because I decided to put an enormous blue seashell on the left side of the card and it literally occupies a third of the printable space. The worry, however, was for naught because the color looks great and I’m really, really pleased with the way they turned out. These definitely sparkle with me.

Also, I don’t know if you noticed, but the seashell is the exact same image I’m using as the favicon for cshel.com. Yay for consistent branding :)

Post from: Cshel Chicago SEO, Web Development

T-17 days from SES San Jose. Order your business cards NOW.

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Come hear me speak on Wednesday, July 30th at the Gleacher Center, Downtown Chicago

You might be wondering what management has to do with social media, SEM, online advertising, etc. If you’ve ever worked for a not-online-only company, chances are you know *exactly* what manglement has to do with it — or more to the point what role they play in preventing you, and the people like you who know what needs to be done to get it done right, from doing your job.

This talk is aimed at upper management and executives who either think they know about social media, SEM/SEO and internet advertising, or who realize they only know the buzzwords and need a better understanding of the concepts and ideas.

The goal of the session is to give these decision makers with a better grasp of the concepts involved, and help them start thinking about ways they can modify current business procedures to accommodate these new and emerging technologies.

It’s all great to walk into the marketing department and declare, “Let’s get on Digg! Let’s get a million visitors!”, but seriously, is that really what the company NEEDS? How do you even define what is needed?

Once you have your needs and goals defined (because really, you can’t define your needs until you define your goals… it’s hard to create driving directions without a start point AND an endpoint), then how do you go about implementing your plan of action? Here’s a hint: meetings to schedule more meetings, to throw things back to committee to review and then another meeting to discuss the findings just isn’t going to cut it. The cycle time for decisions and actions is dramatically shorter now than ever before, and if you’re used to doing business the way you did business 30 years ago, or even 10 years ago, you’re going to miss A LOT of opportunities, or you’re going to waste a lot of money doing things ineffectively.

Wow Carolyn, this sounds FASCINATING…. when is the talk?

Ever so glad you asked… here are the details:

How To Reorganize Management For Social Media, Search Marketing & Internet Advertising

Speakers:
Carolyn Shelby, Social Media and SEO Consultant
David Dalka, Internet Marketing, Change Management and Mobile Search Marketing consultant

Date: Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Time:
6:00p — Registration
6:30p-8:00p — Program
8:00p — Networking and Cash Bar

Location:
University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
Gleacher Center – Room 100
450 North Cityfront Plaza Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60611 USA

Register Online (right now!)

Post from: Cshel Chicago SEO, Web Development

How To Reorganize Management For Social Media, Search Marketing and Internet Advertising

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