Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

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beagley
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Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by beagley »

When I use Google and search for "learn.pcc.com" or for another topic in my WebHelp library, the first result is "WebHelp"

"WebHelp" is not the name of my WebHelp. It's "PCC Help".

I've gone through everything in my target file and elsewhere... can't figure out why "WebHelp" is the primary search result.

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lacastle
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Re: Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by lacastle »

What about the file name of your target? (what is in the project organizer in the Targets folder)
Or the name of your skin?
NorthEast
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Re: Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by NorthEast »

You can set the name in the skin using the Caption setting (on the General tab).
beagley
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Re: Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by beagley »

lacastle wrote:What about the file name of your target? (what is in the project organizer in the Targets folder)
Or the name of your skin?

The target files are all in a folder, I drag them to the final destination. They go in at the root of learn.pcc.com. The skin is named "pccfinal" and has no effect on the page title.
beagley
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Re: Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by beagley »

Dave Lee wrote:You can set the name in the skin using the Caption setting (on the General tab).

The Caption setting is "PCC Help".
beagley
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Re: Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by beagley »

When I look at the output, and edit the "Default.htm" file, I can see that the first title tag in the head tag contains "WebHelp".

So, I guess I can somewhat fix this manually, every time I recompile.

I still can not find anywhere in the skin or target that would change this.

Perhaps it can be set somewhere in the Styles section of the Skin? There's a lot of stuff in there...
lacastle
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Re: Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by lacastle »

Did you ever have this uploaded to the production site with WebHelp as the title? Google doesn't scan the same site constantly for changes, so the version it scanned could have been called WebHelp. (in the google search results, i clicked "cache" and the page said the cached version of the site was collected on Aug 31, 2010. it looks like google hasn't updated its listing for your site since then.) This is also one reason why a site can appear first on the list one day and further down another day.
beagley
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Re: Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by beagley »

lacastle wrote:Did you ever have this uploaded to the production site with WebHelp as the title? Google doesn't scan the same site constantly for changes, so the version it scanned could have been called WebHelp. (in the google search results, i clicked "cache" and the page said the cached version of the site was collected on Aug 31, 2010. it looks like google hasn't updated its listing for your site since then.) This is also one reason why a site can appear first on the list one day and further down another day.
Nope.
I have been using this precise build, with no changes to target or skin, for about six months.
beagley
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Re: Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by beagley »

lacastle wrote:Did you ever have this uploaded to the production site with WebHelp as the title? Google doesn't scan the same site constantly for changes, so the version it scanned could have been called WebHelp. (in the google search results, i clicked "cache" and the page said the cached version of the site was collected on Aug 31, 2010. it looks like google hasn't updated its listing for your site since then.) This is also one reason why a site can appear first on the list one day and further down another day.

Oh, and I should point out: I can see where it says "WebHelp" right in the Default.htm file. That's probably why Google is picking it up. I just can't see where in Flare to change "WebHelp" to "PCC Help".
lacastle
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Re: Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by lacastle »

I don't think it can be changed. I just googled the MadCap knowledgebase and that shows up as WebHelp too. You'd think if it could be changed, MadCap would change it.

https://www.madcapsoftware.com/bugs/submit.aspx
beagley
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Re: Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by beagley »

lacastle wrote:I don't think it can be changed. I just googled the MadCap knowledgebase and that shows up as WebHelp too. You'd think if it could be changed, MadCap would change it.
Thanks, submitted.

Don't they understand that an army of technical writers are a picky bunch of perfectionists?!
lacastle
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Re: Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by lacastle »

Do you regularly have people do a google search for your help? i don't think i've ever googled help like that for a particular software. i would just use the Help button in the software or on the website. i would only google something if there was no obvious help. but that's just me, a technical writer, who reads help documents... :)
beagley
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Re: Google Picks up "WebHelp" as Search... Why?

Post by beagley »

That is a good point, Laura...

The MOST common way people reach my online help is through direct links in e-Newsletters that we distribute to our customers.

But, we do get a fair number of Googlers, too... and expect to get more as our client base gets younger.

NOTE TO ALL:
I got a response back from Flare support, and the issue is probably some kind of bug or error in the way my projects compile. (In other words, it should NOT be doing this.)

I suspect if I rebuilt the project or tinkered around in the code of my skin file, perhaps remaking it, I could find what's sticking and shake it loose. In the meantime, I just edit my Default files in my compiled projects, changing the header manually before uploading.
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