Google image search optimisation: file_is_product_image=0

[Lorrein]

Hi,

My quest is Google image search optimisation. Some of my product images are found and some not. When I look in de dbase tabel Jos_virtuemart_medias there is a colom called  file_is_product_image. Alle images have value 0 here. Is this OK?

Furthermore: when I go to admin\vm\shop\mediafiles there is a colom "product name" with only empty fields. Is this ok

If not: Where can this be edited?

Thanx

[Lorrein]

o yeah:

I'm running VM 2.0.6 and did a migration of joomlo 1.5 to 2.5 some time ago.

[jjk]

Alle images have value 0 here. Is this OK?
Furthermore: when I go to admin\vm\shop\mediafiles there is a colom "product name" with only empty fields. Is this ok

I think normally the values in the column file_is_product_image for product images should be 1. At present it's not being used consistently by VM2, but that should have no effect.
The reason for poor performance in Google images is probably related to your filenames and image alt text and a few other things Google is looking for.

Not shure where you have your empty "product name". Are you talking of a database table or a file folder? Normally there is no such folder but the "product_name" column in the _virtuemart_products_ table should contain your product names.

I would suggest to install a fresh joomla 2.5.4 and VM2 2.0.6 on your local PC and compare the database tables with your migrated ones.

[Lorrein]

thanks jjk,

The colom product name is to be found in the backend. VM component, left menu item shop then select mediafiles. My first colom is called "product name" and is empty.

Would it be wise to alter multiple images of the same product to "product_image=1" in Jos_virtuemart_medias? And will this be indexed by the Google crawler? Would it improve SEO for google image?

Further:
Where can I add the product name from the backend, and where can I set product_image=yes from the backend or can this only be done in the Dbase?

regards
Arthur

[jjk]

The colom product name is to be found in the backend. VM component, left menu item shop then select mediafiles. My first colom is called "product name" and is empty.

Ok, now I understood what you are talking about. The column "product name" is currently not used. Maybe it was originally intended to be used if the product is a downloadable file.

Would it be wise to alter multiple images of the same product to "product_image=1" in Jos_virtuemart_medias? And will this be indexed by the Google crawler? Would it improve SEO for google image?

Would have no effect if you images show up in the frontend view. It's (orginally been ) used internally to distinguish between product images and images used elsewhere.

Where can I add the product name from the backend, and where can I set product_image=yes from the backend or can this only be done in the Dbase?

I think normally an image should be set to file_is_product_image = 1, if you assign it to a product. However, from the SEO point of view it is useless to change the setting in the database table.

Either Google simply didn't list all your images yet (Google images is much slower the Google text) or you made some other SEO mistakes.
Do you have a link where I can see the images? (if yes send it as a forum PM)

[jjk]

Looks like you need to feed Google with some more information. Remember, that Google is a dumb search engine that doesn't know what "Lorrain.jpg" is. (without looking at your shop I wouldn't know that either). You will find some basic information here:
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.de/2008/11/googles-seo-starter-guide.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3NbuDpB_BTc