Legacy Allow the use of a custom google search url for SiteLinks Search

[bzcomputers]

For those of us who already have a Google Custom Search page integrated on our sites it would be nice to be able to use that search engine option rather than the default vB search engine which will not account for many of our custom pages and add-ons (outside of the normal vB pages).

It looks like just a url variable for the target option will work.

You can test using this: Search - CRUISIN


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Update: Probably need a variable for the site url also, so the base/root url can still be used if the forum it outside the root.

 

[Fillip H.]

I should be able to add that to the next version

 

[CharlieDelta]

For those of us who already have a Google Custom Search page integrated on our sites it would be nice to be able to use that search engine option rather than the default vB search engine which will not account for many of our custom pages and add-ons (outside of the normal vB pages).

Sorry, I don't mean to hijack you thread but this is interesting and I never thought of the search function. So default vb search would not work for, lets say, dbt review system? Basically only the forums or stock vb pages?
So would it be safe to say that if we have a lot of custom pages or reviews and classifieds mod we would be better off with a custom google search?

 

[bzcomputers]

Sorry, I don't mean to hijack you thread but this is interesting and I never thought of the search function. So default vb search would not work for, lets say, dbt review system? Basically only the forums or stock vb pages?
So would it be safe to say that if we have a lot of custom pages or reviews and classifieds mod we would be better off with a custom google search?

I'm sure Fillip H. can add more specific information on DBTech products but I'm under the impression there are very view vB mods out there that integrate with the built in vB search function. Some mods have there own search functions but if you want a single search that covers everything on your site your best bet is to go with the Google Custom Search.

The Google Custom Search option will reap you the biggest benefit especially with the new SiteLinks search engine function - especially for those with a lot of custom pages/mods.

 

[Fillip H.]

I can indeed confirm that I'm not aware of any DBTech mods that add a content type to vB's search, mostly due to the fact that a fair number of our mods are spread across vB3 and vB4, where the implementation differs (tbh, I'm not even sure if vB3 supports extending the search).

 

[Fillip H.]

Update: In the next version, the Homepage URL as defined in the vBulletin Options will be used in the SiteLinks template. Also, a new option has been added to customise the target part of the potentialAction.

 

[CharlieDelta]

Update: In the next version, the Homepage URL as defined in the vBulletin Options will be used in the SiteLinks template. Also, a new option has been added to customise the target part of the potentialAction.

This is all new to me. How does this help with the google custom search?

BTW - I have a custom search page set up and ready to go as soon as this is implemented.

 

[Fillip H.]

This is all new to me. How does this help with the google custom search?

bzcomputers would be better suited to explain that, since I've never replaced the vB built-in search engine with the Google Custom Search engine. All I know is that the ability not to edit templates to make GCS work with the SiteLinks Search feature is something that was requested, and like a good code monkey I make it happen

 

[bzcomputers]

This is all new to me. How does this help with the google custom search?

BTW - I have a custom search page set up and ready to go as soon as this is implemented.

bzcomputers would be better suited to explain that, since I've never replaced the vB built-in search engine with the Google Custom Search engine. All I know is that the ability not to edit templates to make GCS work with the SiteLinks Search feature is something that was requested, and like a good code monkey I make it happen

...and it is appreciated

Let me see if I can explain it all, as far as I understand it - and see it working.

This is what the latest Google Search will look like if you have been updated by Google to show Sitelinks:


Being updated to show Sitelinks even after having the correct markup on your site can take some time, weeks to months, depending on how busy and large your site is. The SiteLinks Search option is new and just recently added to Google's Search Engine results, it is also now coded into DBSEO and you can benefit from it when your site is approved for Sitelinks also.

Why replace the built in vB Search with Google Custom Search?
To gain the best benefit of from Google's Search Engine in general and it's implementation of Google's Sitelinks and Sitelinks Search on a vBulletin site that is not stock (you have mods / custom pages that did not come with the original vB installation) you should implement Google Custom Search to replace the default vB Search on your site. What this allows for is to show search results for all the non-stock vB mods /custom pages that Google has indexed, right on your own site's search (with images and Google's familiar formatting). If you do not use Google's Custom Search and use vB's built in search you will not get any results of mods / custom pages to show in your on-site search. For some of us that is a substantial number of pages - hundreds to thousands.​

With the new DBSEO coding for SiteLinks Search implemented this now allows for a direct link to your "on-site search box" to show right after your main search result and before your SiteLinks Search results at Google.com (see image above). This search box will allow users on Google.com to further search your specific site right from Google. The search box is linked to whatever on-site search you use, default vB or Google Custom Search. When a user types into that box they are redirected directly to your site and given the search results on your site just as if they had searched from your site in the first place. Again if you have mod / custom pages on your site and do not use Google's Custom Search those mod / custom pages will not show in your results. This is another way for Google to get users to implement their Custom Search on their sites and it's also a great way for those of us with many mods / custom pages to get better indexing and better overall search results.

Hope that made sense. If not let me know.

 

[CharlieDelta]

That made complete sense and now I completely understand the importance and full advantage.
Thanks for requesting this and thanks Fillip H. for being a code monkey.