One product per page

[sloasby]

Like all new posters, I am concerned that these questions have been addressed before, so my apologies in advance if that is the case. I have searched extensively and found the postings, and, of course the AUG, hugely helpful but I would like to clarify a couple of things.
I am creating a new site where there is considerable product duplication (triplication etc) to enable customers to choose products by various categories (colour etc).
I am implementing OPP using subsections rather than extended info windows.
I am importing all the products via flat file import so it is trivial to create new sections as needed.
Questions:
1. Is there any important advantage/disadvantage between the two methods of implementation listed above (subsections v extended info windows)?
2. By definition, the duplicate products each have their own separate page. Is this a problem with Google? Should I prevent Google searching those pages?
Should duplicate products be included in the store in a different way?

[Rich Brady]

Most people, on here at least, will refer to SPP (Single Product Pages) so if you are searching for content those would be the terms I'd use rather than OPP.

Lee has a good tutorial on his site:

http://www.websitedesigned.co.uk/actinic-spp.htm

and I wrote a blog post on the topic, which is covers the same thing.

The best solution, regarding duplicate pages, is to create a fragment layout, very similar/identical to your parent section layout and use that fragment to link to the original product.

No need for duplicates, no concerns of duplicate content and great internal linking.

I hope that helps?

[Rich Brady]

... and welcome to the community by the way!

[leehack]

The best solution, regarding duplicate pages, is to create a fragment layout, very similar/identical to your parent section layout and use that fragment to link to the original product.

This is the best free route available to you IMO, there are better paid for solutions but not cheap.

[Duncan Rounding]

I still use my trusty old method of using cutdown product duplicates that automatically link to the main product page (non cgi link). This saves me having to create fragments and thus maintains itself when merchandising. It also allows you to have an add-to-cart per product on the parent section.

[leehack]

I still use my trusty old method of using cutdown product duplicates that automatically link to the main product page (non cgi link). This saves me having to create fragments and thus maintains itself when merchandising. It also allows you to have an add-to-cart per product on the parent section.

I have something along the same lines too, i presume you interrogate the database to get the parent section like i do, i think the fragment solution is best for someone using standard functionality though.

[Duncan Rounding]

Agreed the fragment method is the simplest for most.

I don't touch the database, I just name the sections relative to the product and then simply concatenate the code to make the section page URL link. So a product named 'raspberry toothpaste' will simply become 'raspberry_toothpaste.html'.

[Quantum]

Have a look at this :-
http://quantumelectronics.co.uk/acatalog/Packages.html

Each of the products in this section is in near enough 10 other sections depending on the filters that apply to it.

[leehack]

I don't touch the database, I just name the sections relative to the product and then simply concatenate the code to make the section page URL link. So a product named 'raspberry toothpaste' will simply become 'raspberry_toothpaste.html'.

That's a pretty clever method, i went down the route of getting the actual section page name in case of problems on naming and also so i could get the section image used and the section text etc. Basically making everything automatically available at product level that i had at section level.

[sloasby]

Many thanks - and very useful sites.
Experimenting with the 'fragment link' solution, if I am doing it correctly, the obvious problem is the breadcrumb trail is 'broken' - it is not possible to use it to get back to the duplicate group page.
Also, with regard to the use of fragments for dup products - I have copied the code from the AUG to provide a cart etc on the section page for the main products, and I am using the individual product page to show a larger image of the product as well as allowing the customer to purchase from there if wished. A fragment link to the product is always going to look different, isn't it?
Also because there are over 40 products in some of the sections, we were showing them in 2 columns. Short of inserting a table into a fragment, I can't think of a way of emulating that.
May I request your feedback?
Many thanks

[leehack]

The breadcrumb trail is the only issue but a minor one IMO. The back button still works and for me that is what people naturally use to go back a step. You have a fragment column count and a product column count you can change, have a look on the layout tab at your options.

[sloasby]

Forgive me if I'm being thick, but I can only see a fragment column count variable for brochure pages.
These fragments will be in section pages will they not?

[leehack]

Product column count will be the figure to change then, products and fragments are treated the same on sections.

[sloasby]

Thanks. I didn't know about that subtlety!
So to confirm. This method of including duplicate products is to improve the site for search engines. Is that correct?
I am quite happy with it, except that (as I said before) the SPP code given in the AUG gave add-to-cart functionality at the section level. By putting links to products from fragments, one loses that functionality.
Many thanks for all the assistance.

[leehack]

It's got absolutely nothing to do with search engines, you duplicate products for users and users only.