phpbb SE description problem

Okay, I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong...

If you search for my site in MSN or Yahoo (not yet indexed by Google past the home page) but if you do, you get for the description "search.posts.reply" and related things, but not the actual threads and stuff.

How do I make/set the description to work in the search engine for a forum?

My site's http://www.lostdiscussion.com . If you search for it you'll see what I mean.

I'm sure it's obvious but I'm sort of a novice - help is greatly appreciated.

 

I know I'm missing something horrific and basic to SEO, but I have no idea...

 

Try adding the meta description tag
I still see some on my results but it seems to work

 

Would I place the meta tags in the viewforum.php file? Or what?

 

Nope, it should be in the overall_header.tpl, found in your template folder.
I placed it after

<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css">

Code (markup):

<meta name="description" content="YOUR CONTENT" />

Code (markup):

but i'm using dynamic descriptions and keywords for my site so it's not always the same with topics and shows up as CATEGORYTITLE : FORUMTITLE : TOPICTITLE
Only using dynamic description on my other site.

 

hmm...

I don't know, what I really need is to get the actual content in the threads/thread titles to show up in the SE.

 

Try this for dynamic description:
I left the keywords out because it will show all kinds of stuff and theres more work to do with database stuff, but this works.

##############################################################
## MOD Title:         Dynamic keyword metatags
## Original MOD Author:  Larsneo and Titus (@phpbb.de)
## http://www.phpbb.de/viewtopic.php?t=49679
##
## Modified by 993ti -www.twenteracingscene.com
##
## MOD Description:     Generates dynamic metatags for your phpbb
##             Please read the author notes BEFORE using this mod.
##
## MOD Version:     N/A
##
## Installation Level:     Easy
## Installation Time:     5 Minutes
## Files To Edit:     (2)
##            includes/page_header.php,
##            templates/subSilver/overall_header.tpl
##
## Included Files: n/a
##
##############################################################
## Before Adding This MOD To Your Forum, You Should Back Up All Files Related To This MOD
##############################################################
##Don't forget to edit these lines:
##These are used when on a different page then viewforum and viewtopic
##
##      $meta_description = '<meta name="description" content="YOUR DESCRIPTION">';
##
##
#
#-----[ OPEN ]------------------------------------------
#

includes/page_header.php

#
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------
#

define('HEADER_INC', TRUE);

#
#-----[ AFTER, ADD  ]------------------------------------------
#

if ( isset($HTTP_GET_VARS[POST_TOPIC_URL]) )
    {
       $topic_id = intval($HTTP_GET_VARS[POST_TOPIC_URL]);
    }
    else if ( isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['topic']) )
    {
       $topic_id = intval($HTTP_GET_VARS['topic']);
    }

    if ( $topic_id )
    {
        $sql = "SELECT c.cat_title, f.forum_name, t.topic_title
                FROM " . TOPICS_TABLE . " t, " . FORUMS_TABLE . " f, " . CATEGORIES_TABLE . " c
                WHERE f.forum_id = t.forum_id
                AND c.cat_id = f.cat_id
                AND t.topic_id = $topic_id";
        if( ($result = $db->sql_query($sql)) )
        {
            if ( $meta_row = $db->sql_fetchrow($result) )
            {
                $meta_description = '<meta name="description" content="' . $meta_row['cat_title'] . ' :: ' . $meta_row['forum_name'] . ' :: ' . $meta_row['topic_title'] . '">';
            }
        }
   else
   {
      $meta_description = '<meta name="description" content="YOUR DESCRIPTION">';
   }

#
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------------
#
'PAGE_TITLE' => $page_title,

#
#-----[ AFTER, ADD ]------------------------------------------
#
    'META_DESCRIPTION' => $meta_description,

#
#-----[ OPEN ]------------------------------------------------
#
templates/subSilver/overall_header.tpl

#
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------------
#
<META http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" />

#
#-----[ AFTER, ADD ]------------------------------------------
# If you already have description & keywords metatags, replace them with these

{META_DESCRIPTION}

#
#---[ SAVE/CLOSE ALL FILES ]-----------------------
#
# eom

PHP:

And this for the titles.
Since his website is still upgrading (i think he went up in smoke or something) i'll put it here:

############################################################## 
## MOD Title: 		SEO Friendly Title Tag For Topics and Forum Category 2.0.0 from NeonX
## MOD Author: 		webmedic (bah@webmedic.net) <Brook Hyumphrey> http://www.webmedic.net
## Original code from:	http://www.webmasterbrain.com/forum/question-static-sef-urls-for-phpbb-vt34.php
## MOD Description: 	From SEO Point of view Title tags play an important role in search
##			engine ranking. You need to have matching keyword on title tag to 
##			get ranked well in search engines like msn, google. This mod 
##			replaces the forum front page title with your forum keywords and 
##			make title of forum category as the category name itself. On 
##			topicpages the topic title will be the title tag. Using this mod 
##			with webmedic's google keyword Url is double advantage. You will 
##			get keyword titles and keyword urls. Necessary for SE rankings. 
## 			Check http://www.webmedic.net/released-phpbb-google-keyword-urls-200-vt2577.html
## 			for the latest version or to get help with this MOD 
## 
## MOD Version: 	2.0.0
## 
## Installation Level: 	(Advanced) 
## Installation Time: 	3 Minutes 
## Files To Edit: 	(3)
##			/viewforum.php 
##			/viewtopic.php 
##			/template/yourtemplate/overall_header.tpl 
##			/index.php
## Included Files: n/a 
##############################################################  
## Author Notes: 
## Use this mod together with the manage bots mod already included with integramod  
## Make backups and test this on a test forum if you can. This is not a typical mod.
## This version is not like all the other mod rewrite and search engine optimization mods 
## out there. It will make your urls into keword phrases. to do this it rewrites the url 
## to look like the topic or forum title. 
## To see this mod in action please goto:
## http://www.webmedic.net/index.php
## 
############################################################## 

# 
#-----[ OPEN ]------------------------------------------ 
# 

/viewtopic.php 

# 
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------ 
# 
 
 $page_title = $lang['View_topic'] .' - ' . $topic_title; 
 
# 
#-----[ REPLACE, WITH  ]------------------------------------------ 
# 

 $page_title = $topic_title; 
 
# 
#-----[ OPEN ]------------------------------------------ 
# 

/viewforum.php 
 
# 
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------ 
# 
 
 $page_title = $lang['View_forum'] . ' - ' . $forum_row['forum_name']; 

# 
#-----[ REPLACE, WITH  ]------------------------------------------ 
# 
 
 $page_title = $forum_row['forum_name']; 
 
# 
#-----[ OPEN ]------------------------------------------ 
# 

 /templates/*yourtemplate*/overall_header.tpl 
 
# 
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------ 
# 

<title>{SITENAME} :: {PAGE_TITLE}</title> 
 
# 
#-----[ REPLACE, WITH  ]------------------------------------------ 
# 
 
 <title>{PAGE_TITLE}</title> 
 
# 
#-----[ OPEN ]------------------------------------------ 
# 

/index.php 
 
# 
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------ 
# 
 
$page_title = $lang['Index']; 
 
# 
#-----[ REPLACE, WITH  ]------------------------------------------ 
# 

$page_title = "Your Top 3 - keywords/keyphrases - seperated by hiphens"; 
 
# 
#-----[ SAVE/CLOSE ALL FILES ]------------------------------------------ 
# 
# EoM 

PHP:

 

Now what exactly is this supposed to do? :/

I appreciate the help.

 

The first code is for generating dynamic description metatag.
Serp's for my site show up like this:
Coater
Marktplaats :: Gezocht :: Coater.

Coater is the title, marktplaats the category, gezocht the forum and coater the title.
And this for another topic:
Glow Night Car Inside
Evenementen/meetings :: Evenementen/meeting reports :: Glow Night Car Inside.

The second code is for a better title tag.
Instead of SITENAME :: View topic :: TITLE
It shows only the title for topics and forums and you can add something different for the index like your sitename.

 

http://www.able2know.com/forums/about15132.html

just follow the instructions setting up the mod.