Is there a way to get catalog data dynamically into my SEO pages?

If you are reading this document you are likely someone who has been hired by a Sophio client to 'do' SEO for them. Or, you might even be our client who is technically savvy.  Whomever you are, you will appreciate this explanation of 'how' Sophio works and what you can do to improve your organic rankings in search engines.

To start with, it is important for you to understand that neither Sophio nor your client has access to any 'raw' data for the catalog in use at any of its websites.  Most Sophio webstores use third party catalogs that are licensed for use on a site-by-site basis.  If raw data was readily available to merchants, we would be the ones supplying it since we host thousands of auto parts websites.  Sophio accesses these catalogs via web services using technologies such as XML, SOAP, and other custom methodologies imposed on us by the owner of the catalog content.  We actually make the web service raw data responses available for view by adding the URL attribute &nooutput=XML.  Adding this to any 'catalog' page and then clicking the view source will expose exactly the data returned to us by the content owner.  The results will normally be in some XML type of format.  If you are able to consume that data using php, asp, or some other web programming language, you could theoretically custom-create a system on top of ours.  We do not support this as part of standard support, but would be happy to quote on providing web-based training, or even one-on-one training at your location.

In addition to adding the 'nooutput=XML' to your site’s URL to discover catalog content information, you can also leverage the use of the extensive session variables from which we read and write. Every interactive piece of data that is displayed on a Sophio web page is normally stored in a session variable. For example, if you click a link on a catalog page, the selection is stored in the session variable, so that it can be used later.  If you look closely at every catalog page title right now, you will see that as you move through the catalog we automatically change the page title.  So if you are using our WHI auto parts catalog and you click a link for the year 2005, the title will change to 2005 Makes for YourSite.com.  If you then click BMW, the title changes to 2005 BMW Models for YourSite.com.  If you then click 325, the title changes to 2005 BMW 325 products and so on.  There is nothing for you to do for these changes to occur.  If you want to change this, we have an 'advanced setting' to turn this off.  The advanced setting is called NODYNAMICSEOTITLE and it goes in the site’s 'cepcconfig' field.  You add this tag by having the store administrator or Sophio support add it via the page mainteditstore.wws (store settings).

Another way of adding data stored in the session variables to your custom web pages is to use the script session.getsessionvar.  An example of this would be the following:  In the file default.wc (the master template used on every page stored in your HTML 'templates' folder) might have this tag—Specials for vehicles.  When this page renders in a browser, the HTML code would be what you see below if the user previously clicked a link for BMW.

There are hundreds of different session variables used throughout Sophio sites.  Unfortunately, we cannot create a list for your specific site because they depend on the configuration of your site.  For example, if your site uses the WHI catalog, it has one set of variables and if it uses the Worldpac catalog, it uses another.  If your site uses both catalogs and mixes data based on vehicle or something else, it creates an entirely new set of possible variables.  As a result, the best way to see what is available to you is to create a test order in the same fashion a consumer would.  Then go to the order itself via the control panel and click the link for 'edit order header'.  On the next page is a link to 'view session info'.  Inside of the that page is a list of all the session variables used for that particular order.

 

Below is an example of an actual order with its session variables sorted alphabetically.  Any of these tags could be used in a custom web page provided that page is 'called' with the Sophio Content Container page called content.wws. Scroll to the bottom for more info on how to use that.

 

36G0NZPZD36G0O51K2

http://yoursite.com/admin.epc?

0

http://74.208.7.4/thegreasesquad/

epccat_vehicleWHD.wws

PA

2000@@2000

2000@@2000

2000

2000

16@@CHEVROLET@@

16@@CHEVROLET@@

16

CHEVROLET

links

0.250

WHDPGBELTS-HOSES-COOLING

/screen-confirmation

WHD

yearid=2000%40%402000&makeid=16%40%40CHEVROLET%40%40&modelid=3602%40%40CAMARO&engineid=23280%40%40V6%2D231ci+3%2E8L+F%2FI+Vin+K%40%4023280&catid=2%40%40Belts%2FHoses%2FCooling&subcatid=31%40%40Belts%2C+Tensioners+and+Pulleys

yearid=2000%40%402000&makeid=16%40%40CHEVROLET%40%40&modelid=3602%40%40CAMARO&engineid=23280%40%40V6%2D231ci+3%2E8L+F%2FI+Vin+K%40%4023280&catid=2%40%40Belts%2FHoses%2FCooling&subcatid=31%40%40Belts%2C+Tensioners+and+Pulleys

0.0600

3602@@CAMARO

3602

CAMARO

WHDPGBELTS-HOSES-COOLING

0.110

V6-231ci 3.8L F/I Vin K

23280

23280

yearid=2000%40%402000&makeid=16%40%40CHEVROLET%40%40&modelid=3602%40%40CAMARO&engineid=23280@@V6%2D231ci+3%2E8L+F%2FI+Vin+K@@23280

0.141

23280@@V6-231ci 3.8L F/I Vin K@@23280

2@@Belts/Hoses/Cooling

2

Belts/Hoses/Cooling

0.125

31@@Belts, Tensioners and Pulleys

31

Belts, Tensioners and Pulleys

31

Belts, Tensioners and Pulleys

PS

1.765

1.7700

5060945DR,2000,CHEVROLET,CAMARODRIVERITE,02271,0,0,0,WHD,DVT

FALSE

1

5.7700

0.5900

100001

UPS

42.45

1.00

REMOVE

38.45

yes

36G0NZPZD36G0O0V2I

US

90210

CA

US

90210

CA

N/A

N/A

15.00

4.00

N/A

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N/A

<3ds>N/A

<1dp>N/A

<1dm>N/A

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<2dm>N/A

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z:90210^w:1^

90210

TYPE=#/UPSPOUNDSHIPPING

UPG

03/24/11 11:13:45 AM

03/24/11 11:13:46 AM

1.03

4.00

90210

1.0

0

Los Angeles

100001

AL

0

CA

0.0000

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