https://legacy.forums.gravityhelp.com/topic/query-string-seo-and-google Gravity Support Forums Topic: Query String SEO and Google en-US Sun, 05 Apr 2026 13:56:38 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.1 q https://legacy.forums.gravityhelp.com/search.php https://legacy.forums.gravityhelp.com/topic/query-string-seo-and-google#post-72634 Sun, 26 Aug 2012 03:02:11 +0000 Chris Hajer 72634@https://legacy.forums.gravityhelp.com/ <p>To clarify your information before the - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - you are using the Types plugin, is that correct? <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/types/" rel="nofollow">http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/types/</a></p> <p>1. Query string, yes, that information will be displayed in the browser address bar.</p> <p>2. Yes, you can use the page the form is embedded in to pre-set some variables in your form. I'm not sure exactly how you tie together the location (URL slug) and the email address, but this is possible.</p> <p>3. URLs with query strings are indexed by search engines like Google. Yoast has a couple plugins that will take care of this and not allow indexing of the URLs with query strings. I use his <a href="http://yoast.com/wordpress/seo/" rel="nofollow">SEO plugin</a> and set a canonical URL, but he also has a Canonical URL plugin which stands alone.</p> <p><a href="http://yoast.com/canonical-url-links/" rel="nofollow">http://yoast.com/canonical-url-links/</a></p> <p>4. I won't get into that argument. All you can do is test, or just avoid the query string URLs being indexed altogether. I've seen people argue both ways about query strings in URLs. </p> <p>Please provide more information regarding #2 and we'll try to give you better advice. </p> https://legacy.forums.gravityhelp.com/topic/query-string-seo-and-google#post-70887 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:02:23 +0000 cmccrone 70887@https://legacy.forums.gravityhelp.com/ <p>I understand how to use the short codes for Dynamic Population but a little confused with URL Query String version. I have a site with many cities, each city has contact form for a different person. I want to use the same form for all pages.</p> <p>The short code version works AMAZING!! Heres the problem. People visit my directory site, fill out a form, it creates a post with their info, I need that post form to know to contact that person but gravity forms won't allow a short code within a short code :(</p> <p>EXAMPLE:<br /> [gravityform id="4" field_values="city=[types field="city-state"]"]<br /> --- will look like this ---<br /> [gravityform id="4" field_values="city=sandiego"]</p> <p>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</p> <p>So I'm thinking maybe the Query String could work?</p> <p>1 ) How does the url get displayed? In the actually address bar? On the page somewhere ? or?<br /> - So heres the example GF <a href="http://siteurl.com/form-url/?your_parameter=value" rel="nofollow">http://siteurl.com/form-url/?your_parameter=value</a></p> <p>2 ) Is it possible to not alter the URL and have the form on that page take an already existing word out of my untouched url? - Example: <a href="http://Service.com/San-Diego" rel="nofollow">http://Service.com/San-Diego</a><br /> - If the url has SAN-DIEGO send the email to this person? I know how to do the actual emailing redirecting part. Just using it as an example.</p> <p>3 ) Going back to 1 ) for a second. If the ?your_parameter=value does have to appear in the browsers address bar, what happens when someone finds my page on google? How will that string appear in the link? Or do i have to add ?your_parameter=value in the permalink when editing the post?</p> <p>4 ) If i do have to add ?your_parameter=value to the posts permalink does it affect SEO?<br /> - My URLs are very clean for SEO reasons. EXAMPLE: Domain.com/service/city<br /> - I feel like this looks awful. EXAMPLE: Domain.com/service/city?your_parameter=value</p> <p>Pardon all the questions, trying to learn something new :)</p> <p>And thanks to everyone at Gravity Forms for making the hands down, best plugin by far, and I'm not just talking about contact form plugins. This plugin is so much fun and saves me SO much time. </p>