Navbar template changes

Join Date: Jul 2006

Posts: 9,813

Location: Topeka, KS

Navbar template changes

Changing the navbits to an h1

I have changed the navbits so that the current breadcrumb is in <h1>.

Style Manager/Main CSS - add to the "Additional CSS definitions"

Code:

.h1navbar
  {
    font-family:verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;  
    margin:0;
    font-size: 14px;
    font-weight: bold;	
    display: inline;
  }

add the following as well for the firstwords:

Code:

 .navbar2
  {
	font-family:verdana, geneva, lucida, 'lucida grande', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;  
   margin-bottom:5pt;
   margin-top:5px;
   font-size:8pt;
  }

Edit the navbar template

replace:

Code:

<strong>$navbits[lastelement]</strong>

with:

Code:

<h1 class="h1navbar">$navbits[lastelement]</h1>

and replace:

Code:

<strong>$vboptions[bbtitle]</strong>

with:

Code:

<h1 class="h1navbar">$vboptions[bbtitle]</h1>

Firstwords on the page

Google likes paragraphs at the top of pages that include the search phrases. Often it will use this paragraph for its snippet. Therefore, you need to use the search phrase (ie title) minimum twice within around 157 characters. The firstwords are used in both the main forum index page, thread and forum. For the index page, I use the guest welcome message. In addition, I tweak the guest welcome phrase - Languages and Phrases, Search in phrases - for "If this is your first visit".

On the NAVBAR template

after what was:

Code:

<strong>$vboptions[bbtitle]</strong></div>
 		</if>

now

Code:

<h1 class="h1navbar">$vboptions[bbtitle]</h1></div>
</if>

add - your version of:

Code:

<if condition="THIS_SCRIPT=='member'">
<div class="navbar2">
The userprofile of $userinfo[username]. Domain.com - a community of ... discussing ...</div>
<else />
<if condition="THIS_SCRIPT=='index'">
	<if condition="$show['guest']">
	<!-- guest welcome message -->
<div class="navbar2">
Welcome to domain.com. keyword laden good english text
<phrase 1="faq.php$session[sessionurl_q]" 2="register.php$session[sessionurl_q]">$vbphrase[first_visit_message]</phrase>
	<!-- / guest welcome message -->
	</if>
<else />

<if condition="THIS_SCRIPT=='poll'">
<div class="navbar2">The poll results for <b>$threadinfo[title]</b>.</div>
 
 <else />
 
 <if condition="$thread[title]">
<div class="navbar2"><b>$thread[title]</b><if condition="$pagenumber>1"> Page $pagenumber</if>. Discuss <i>$thread[title]</i>, on domain.com sales pitch. $foruminfo[title].</div>
 
 <else />
 <if condition="$foruminfo[title]">
  <div class="navbar2">
$foruminfo[title] <if condition="$pagenumber>1">Page $pagenumber </if> on domain.com. $foruminfo[description]</div>
 </if></if></if></if></if>

As an interesting addition, for one client, I have added a guest intro for every page in two parts - the normal guest intro phrase every page, and for just the first page, the full intro.. Plugin attached for vbulletin 3.5 series.

Then at the end of the navbar template use the following:

Code:

 

<if condition="THIS_SCRIPT<>'index'">
<if condition="!$show['member']">
<!-- guest welcome message -->
<table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
<tr>
	<td class="alt1" width="100%">
<div class="navbar2">
<if condition="!$lastvisitb">
<phrase 1="faq.php$session[sessionurl_q]" 2="register.php$session[sessionurl_q]">$vbphrase[first_visit_message]</phrase>
<else />

<b>Welcome to the ... Forums</b><br /><br />We look forward to you <a rel=nofollow href="register.php$session[sessionurl_q]">registering</a> on the forum and being part of this great ....
</if>

<br /><br />
Sincerely,
<br /><br />
<i>name</i>
</div>
	</td>	
</tr>
</table>
<!-- / guest welcome message -->
</if></if><br />

An alternative - using the welcome headers plugin from vbulletin.org
http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=99579 - please click install on his page if you happen to download and install my version of it
- summary of all above navbar template changes.
- with the vbulletin plugin, I remove all the formatting

Code:

 <if condition="THIS_SCRIPT=='member'">
<div class="navbar2">
 The userprofile of $userinfo[username]. Domain.com - a community of ... discussing ... $welcomeheaders</div>
<else />
<if condition="THIS_SCRIPT=='index'">
<div class="navbar2">$welcomeheaders</div>
<else />

<if condition="THIS_SCRIPT=='poll'">
<div class="navbar2">The poll results for <b>$threadinfo[title]</b>. $welcomeheaders</div>
 
 <else />
 
 <if condition="$thread[title]">
<div class="navbar2"><b>$thread[title]</b><if condition="$pagenumber>1"> Page $pagenumber</if>. Discuss <i>$thread[title]</i>, on domain.com sales pitch. $foruminfo[title]. $welcomeheaders</div>
 
 <else />
 <if condition="$foruminfo[title]">
  <div class="navbar2">
$foruminfo[title] <if condition="$pagenumber>1">Page $pagenumber </if> on domain.com. $foruminfo[description] $welcomeheaders</div>
<else />
$welcomeheaders

 </if></if></if></if></if>

Add a "Register" link on the logon form (top right of page)

It is not always easy to find the register link - I like having a link as part of the logon script box.

after:

Code:

<input type="submit" class="button" value="$vbphrase[log_in]" tabindex="104" title="$vbphrase[enter_username_to_login_or_register]" accesskey="s" />

add

Code:

<if condition="$show['registerbutton']"><span class="smallfont">
<a href="register.php$session[sessionurl_q]" rel="nofollow">$vbphrase[register]</a></span></if>

[Source...http://forum.time2dine.co.nz/seo-vbu...5-a-2460.html]

Last edited by Brandon; 10-24-2006 at 02:33 PM.