SEO-Friendly Extension: Discussion Forum Schema.org Markup

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Snokenfeldt
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Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2020 7:55 pm

SEO-Friendly Extension: Discussion Forum Schema.org Markup

Post by Snokenfeldt »

Hello everyone,

I’d like to suggest the development of an extension for phpBB that incorporates Discussion Forum Markup to improve the SEO performance of our forums.

Why is this important?
Google has introduced structured data specifically for discussion forums to help search engines better understand and classify forum content. When a forum site adds this markup, Google can:
  • Recognize forum discussions more effectively.
  • Feature relevant forum threads in specialized sections, such as "Discussions and Forums" in search results.

This not only increases visibility but also drives more organic traffic to the forum by showcasing discussions directly in search results.

What is Discussion Forum Markup?
It’s a type of structured data that uses the DiscussionForumPosting schema from schema.org. It’s designed for forum-style sites where users share first-hand perspectives.


Implementing this schema would allow phpBB forums to:
  • Improve their search rankings.
  • Enhance their presence in search engine features.
  • Help users find relevant forum discussions more quickly.

References for Implementation:

How it could work:
The extension could automatically generate the required structured data markup for forum posts and threads. This would ensure every topic or reply is correctly formatted for search engines without requiring additional manual input from forum admins or users.

Benefits for phpBB Users:
  • Better SEO and increased traffic.
  • A stronger presence in search engines, making phpBB forums more competitive in the era of social media and other platforms.

I believe adding this capability would greatly enhance phpBB’s appeal for forum owners focused on growth and visibility. Let me know your thoughts!

Best regards,
Snokenfeldt
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nou nou
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Posts: 757
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2016 8:08 pm

Re: SEO-Friendly Extension: Discussion Forum Schema.org Markup

Post by nou nou »

Forum search results are fine if not excellent as they are. Never had any complaints and neither do my users.

What is not fine in my opinion is that - especially since this last spring - bots have been slamming forums specifically for the purpose of AI training. Makes total sense, since forums, "old-fashioned" as some may claim they are, are valuable, human-curated, hyper-focused, and in the best cases reliable, sources of knowledge.

Putting 2 and 2 together, I believe this is more about Google wanting to make it easier for them to train their AI, than it is to do us any favours.
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nou nou
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Re: SEO-Friendly Extension: Discussion Forum Schema.org Markup

Post by nou nou »

Perhaps more on topic - I am effectively already paying for someone else's desire to make money off other people's content (having had to quadruple my server capacity over this past summer).

Google is now asking to do more, then, under the guise of them knowing what's best for us?

Unless this markup thing is somehow more efficient of how phpBB stores/serves information, this will cost us.

Meh.

On the other hand, Google may simply favour DFM in their algorithms so it may be a case of resistance is futile.
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thecoalman
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Re: SEO-Friendly Extension: Discussion Forum Schema.org Markup

Post by thecoalman »

There is topic in the Ideas section with some recent comments by Mark.

viewtopic.php?t=2638946
nou nou wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 10:08 am Unless this markup thing is somehow more efficient of how phpBB stores/serves information, this will cost us.
It would be in addition to existing HTML, it's meta data that will give the bot specific marked up data.

I've only briefly looked at it but shouldn't be that hard to implement, most of it not all of the data is already available. You should only need separate iteration of {postrow.XXXXX} in the head tags. No idea if that is the best way to implement it.
“Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results! I have found several thousand things that won’t work.”

Attributed - Thomas Edison
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MestresHackers
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Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:47 pm
Name: Thalles Lázaro

Re: SEO-Friendly Extension: Discussion Forum Schema.org Markup

Post by MestresHackers »

Snokenfeldt wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2024 11:37 am Hello everyone,

I’d like to suggest the development of an extension for phpBB that incorporates Discussion Forum Markup to improve the SEO performance of our forums.

Why is this important?
Google has introduced structured data specifically for discussion forums to help search engines better understand and classify forum content. When a forum site adds this markup, Google can:
  • Recognize forum discussions more effectively.
  • Feature relevant forum threads in specialized sections, such as "Discussions and Forums" in search results.

This not only increases visibility but also drives more organic traffic to the forum by showcasing discussions directly in search results.

What is Discussion Forum Markup?
It’s a type of structured data that uses the DiscussionForumPosting schema from schema.org. It’s designed for forum-style sites where users share first-hand perspectives.


Implementing this schema would allow phpBB forums to:
  • Improve their search rankings.
  • Enhance their presence in search engine features.
  • Help users find relevant forum discussions more quickly.

References for Implementation:

How it could work:
The extension could automatically generate the required structured data markup for forum posts and threads. This would ensure every topic or reply is correctly formatted for search engines without requiring additional manual input from forum admins or users.

Benefits for phpBB Users:
  • Better SEO and increased traffic.
  • A stronger presence in search engines, making phpBB forums more competitive in the era of social media and other platforms.

I believe adding this capability would greatly enhance phpBB’s appeal for forum owners focused on growth and visibility. Let me know your thoughts!

Best regards,
Snokenfeldt
I strongly support everything you suggested. I also suggest support for friendly links, not just for search engines, but so that users have an idea of ​​what the link is about before they click on it when it is shared.

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