Using QSC Webmaster Tools Integration
Greetings! I'm Kristof, a lead developer on the Quick Shopping Cart® team. While I have only been with Go Daddy® for just over a year, I have been developing software for 9 years. Prior to joining the team at Go Daddy, I had been designing and developing Java applications for the defense industry. My goal is to improve Quick Shopping Cart by adding value-added features and improving the performance of the system. One of the new exciting features we've added is the Webmaster Tools Integration.
Google® Webmaster Tools
The Site Promotion Manager portion of the QSC admin console has a section for configuring your site to work with the Google Webmaster Tools suite. This section is accessed by clicking the Site Promotion menu item and selecting Webmaster Tools. The page has multiple input fields and is designed to make it as simple as possible to enter pertinent information that Google uses in searching and indexing your site.
The first field is called "Title." As the name implies, the text entered here will be used to construct the <title> tag in the <head> of the pages rendered on your storefront. The actual <title> tag is created for you dynamically by the system, so you only want to enter the actual title and leave the markup creation to the QSC system.
The next two fields are "Description" and "Keywords." These are used in the construction of the description and keywords <meta> tags. Again, as with the title field, the actual tag construction is handled by the system, so you will only want to enter the actual keywords and description text, and leave the tag creation to the QSC system.
Site Verification
The fourth field is "Google Webmaster Tools Verification Meta tag Content." For more information about Google Webmaster Tools, please log into your Google account and click on "Webmaster Tools."
To begin the integration with Google Webmaster Tools, you must log into your Google account. Once logged into your Google account, you will click on the link "Webmaster Tools." This will take you to the Webmaster Tools "My Sites" list. To add your site, you simply type your QSC URL into the into the "Add Site" box and click "OK."
This will take you to a summary screen about your site. You will see a yellow box that says "Next Step: Verify your site." You will click on this link which will bring you to the verification method selection screen. From the droplist, you will select "Add a META tag" and Google will generate a tag that looks like this:
<META name="verify-v1" content="KPE+qvMhBQan1+DxdmyP4rFN/w391NdKsCpdaUbW/og=" />
In another window (keep the Google window open), launch the QSC admin console's Webmaster Tools integration by accessing it from the Site Promotion menu. We will construct the actual meta tag for you, so we are only interested in the content portion from the string above. In this case, it would be:
KPE+qvMhBQan1+DxdmyP4rFN/w391NdKsCpdaUbW/og=
Simply copy and paste that portion into the QSC field "Google® Webmaster Tools Verification Metatag Content." Then, you will save the form and publish your site. You must publish your site to complete the verification process. Once you have published, return to the Google window and click the "Verify" button. You will be taken to a screen that says "You've successfully verified http://yourdomain/."
Uploading a Sitemap
The last field is called "Google Webmaster Tools Sitemap." This is a file input field used to upload a valid Google sitemap xml file to QSC. For more information about Google Sitemaps, please see the "My Sites" section of your Google account. If you need a tool to generate your Google Sitemap, you can use Traffic Blazer®. A link to Traffic Blazer is provided on the Webmaster Tools screen in the QSC admin console.
Once you have a valid sitemap xml file, you simply click the "Browse..." button and select the sitemap file. When you click "Save", any existing sitemaps will be overwritten. The sitemap will be written to your storefront on the next publish, and any subsequent sitemap updates will also require re-publishing. To view your currently published sitemap, you can navigate to the URL noted below the file input field.
One you have uploaded a sitemap to QSC and have published your storefront, you need to let Google know about the sitemap. In the My Sites screen in your Google accout, you will see a link that says "Add Sitemap." Click that link and select "General Web Sitemap" from the subsequent form. You will also enter the URL of your sitemap, which should be the same as the example that Google provides on the form. Then click "Add Web Sitemap" and it will take you to a screen that says:
"You have added a Sitemap to http://www.best-widgets.com/. Reports may take several hours to update. Thank you for your patience!"
That's all there is to it! You have now made your QSC site more Google friendly thereby increasing the speed and efficiency with which your site is indexed and searched.
We have tried to make integrating with Google Webmaster Tools as simple and seamless as possible. By supplying QSC with the required information, you can enhance your Google search relevance and enable access important information regarding how the Google search engine returns your site in search results.
Hello,
I have used the webmaster tools and used the sitmap generator. The sitemap dramatically helped with my website being index and having a ranking status on google.
Works great, it is a well thought out plan and simple to use.
Thanks
I have been a godaddy customer for close to a year now and I have had my share of issues with the shopping cart. Today, after several calls with no soulutions, We tried yet another computer from another location to log onto and make changes and publish them and we found success!!! The answer was that the godaddy site is not compatible with Internet Explorer or AOL users. The site that server that we were able to find success with was mozilla firefox.
I can now make changes and accept paments in a timely matter.
My other struggle is with the fields that you have available for shoppers. They are tailored strictly to the consumer. Unfortunately, my sales are business to business and I require a field for the business name. The length of time that I have wasted on the first issue with no help, leaves me wondering how long it will take to get a resolution. I pray that you will consider adding a field for a business name to the shopping cart very soon!
Hi Anne,
Many QSC users can use Internet Explorer with no issues, however we have heard that some of our users get better results with Firefox, like you found. I'm glad you've found the best solution.
We do plan to add a Company Name field for orders. Unfortunately, we are not permitted to publish our product roadmap or to give projected dates for new development.
Thanks for writing,
Cindy
I need more flexibility with theme editing. My hover links are yellow on a white background. Is there some way around this?
Hi Eileen,
There is a way to change the navigation hover color.
In the black menu bar, select Storefront --> Fonts and Colors. (If the black menu bar is not there, click the Advanced Builder button in the top right-hand side of the gold header).
A preview of your site will display. Click Font Color(s) at the top of the preview.
Along the top, you will see color squares with font colors used in the site. Click on the color you want to change (in your case, yellow). Select a new color from Basic Colors or from the rainbow section. Back in the Preview, hover over the links to see the color change. (Note - some themes will have more than one square of the same color. In this case, you will need to use trial-and-error to discover which yellow square is the one that controls the text you want to change.)
When you're finished, click Save at the bottom of the preview. As always, remember to publish your site for the changes to take effect.
Hope this helps,
Cindy
Is there a place where the google tracking code for Google Analytics can be entered?
Hi Mike
QSC does not support Google Analytics at this point.
Thanks for the contribution.
- Rob
While the Google webmasters tools are nice, how about letting me add Google analytics code so I can see what users are doing on my site?
Hi David
QSC does not support Google Analytics at this point.
Thanks for the contribution.
- Rob