Adding Title & Meta Tags Help Needed..

charles256

I have a column in my database for 'CATEGORY' and 'KEYWORDS'. I want to add:
<title><? echo $title['CATEGORY'] ?></title>
but this doesn't work.

Even using the meta tags and <? echo ..blah..blah... doesn't
work.
Any ideas?

If you need more info..let me know...
thanks in advance
charles

ScubaKing22

Could you explain a little more and maybe post some code of what you're trying to do?

charles256

sure can...

this doesn't work.
I have tried to make an include page with all this in that,
then call it in, but it still doesn't work.

I have columns in my mysql database called CATEGORY AND KEYWORDS AND DESCRIPTION I want to use.
Does this help?

lee_umney

One way would be to pass the values from the previous page, i.e.<a href "whatever.php?title=$title meta=$meta">link name</a>

the values would then be passed through to whatever.php. You coul use an include() for a header that would use the title and meta variables.

You could also use an isset() check to see if the variables are set, if not it uses a default title and metatags.

Don't slate me for any syntax errors etc, I'm knackered and still learning PHP/MySQL too.

Hope this helps.

charles256

Okay, I have tried the include part with the header, and in the
view source of my page it is blank. So in my understanding that would be what the search engines would see, nothing. Correct
me if I am wrong.

I don't quite get this part:

One way would be to pass the values from the previous page, i.e.<a href "whatever.php?title=$title meta=$meta">link name</a>

Would I use this?
I have a page called metatags.php
by inserting
<a href=\"metatags.php\"><? echo .....wait...you have
a (?) there.....would I put an echo?
I don't follow this one...

and not sure of the isset.
charles

lee_umney

Right had some sleep.
No, when you add the include() statement it only shows the included part, so I've found anyway. BUT when the site is tried on a http server it works perfectly. If you haven't got a testing server on your system try xampp, easy to setup and use.

Ok, if you use something like this:-
$meta = $metadescription['DESCRIPTION'];
echo "<a href =\"metatags.php?title=$title&meta=$meta\">Link here</a>";

This should pass the values of $title and $metadescription['DESCRIPTION'] to metatags.php

On metatags.php you can access the variables by using this:-

$title = $HTTP_GET_VARS['title'];
$metadescription = $HTTP_GET_VARS['meta'];

you could assign a default value to $title by using something like this:-

if($title == NULL){$title = "default title here";}

I'm not 100% certain on how to use the values in the meta sections on the headers but I have tried to help you as much as I can my friend.

Weedpacket

Originally posted by charles256
this doesn't work.
I have tried to make an include page with all this in that,
then call it in, but it still doesn't work.

I have columns in my mysql database called CATEGORY AND KEYWORDS AND DESCRIPTION I want to use.
Does this help?

And have you made sure that the $title array does contain the correct data?

If and when $title['CATEGORY'] contains the correct title then

will insert a <title> element with that title in it. PHP doesn't care at all about HTML, so the fact that it's a <title> and not, say, <h1> doesn't matter.

charles256

lee_umney, will get back to ya in a minute,
weedpacket, I get that part of the <title> and php, but
when viewed in viewsource, the tags are blank, it looks like
this:
<title></title> and there is nothing inside the tags.
charles

charles256

lee_umney,
would this:

Ok, if you use something like this:-
$meta = $metadescription['DESCRIPTION'];
echo "<a href =\"metatags.php?title=$title&meta=$meta\">Link here</a>";

the Link here</a> part, would that be the clickable link to my original destination page, or the metatags.php page?
charles

lee_umney

The Link here is the text you want to display for the link. i.e-

echo "<a href=\"thispage.php?view=$photo1\">Click here for free money.</a><br>\n";

This link would display 'Click here for free money' and when clicked would pass the value of $photo1 in a variable called view, this could be accessed then in thispage.php by using $photo1 = $_get['view'];

Hope this helps mate.

charles256

Ok, have tried this, now I have a link at the top of my page, that is visible.

hmm...the page comes up. so what do I have this extra link for.
I think I am getting more confused.

lee_umney

Post you code mate, lets have a look.