URL Rewrite - ISAPI Filter for MS IIS
Introduction
URL Rewrite is an ISAPI Filter for Microsoft IIS (ASP, ASPX, CFM, PHP, JSP, etc.) that allows a webmaster to use static URLs on the fly in IIS. The product is basically designed for search engine optimization, search engine ranking, search engine exposure and promotion without effort because it overcomes the problems associated with dynamic pages and allows dynamic sites to be indexed by search engines as if they were static HTML files.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS PAGE CONTAINS ARCHIVED CONTENT OF THE ORIGINAL SITE. When www.smalig.com's domain expired, this site disappeared from the web. Recently I discovered that the domain was available. I decided to buy it with the goal of recreating as much of its original content as possible from archived pages. I did not want someone else to purchase the domain and re-purpose the site for something that had nothing in common with the original website. View this site's presented information in its historical context. Please be indulgent, if the site is not exactly as you remember it.
Speaking of Filters
I want to alert those of you about a FDA Warning regarding the IVC Filter, a medical device recommended for people who are at risk for (deep vein thrombosis) DVT and can not be treated with blood thinning medications. A friend of mine, Z, had what we all thought might have turned into a life threatening scare with the IVC filter that his surgeon had implanted when Z didn't respond to the blood thinning meds he was on. There are numerous lawsuits are being filed by IVC lawyers claiming that certain IVC filters have design defects, manufacturing defects, resulting in breach of implied warranty, and negligence. Most of te lawsuits are against two manufacturers, the main culprait being Bard. The FDA recently issued a warning letter (July 2015) to C.R. Bard, Inc. and Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc. (collectively referred to as "Bard") for eight violations of federal law relating to the safety of its Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filter product line. Z had read about the FDA warning online and freaked out, as I would or for that matter any of us might have. Turns out that his filter was not a Bard and that his docter plans on removing it once the threat of his DVT is past. I'm glad to report Z is back at work at the progressive software company where he is part of a team that develops custom apps for businesses in finance. These types of companies generally have higher-than-usual security and privacy concerns. Z's team has the expertise to support every aspect of custom software in a product's development life cycle, starting from feasibility analysis, user experience design, and prototyping, to the development of scalable solutions. As he is always telling me, "Our data team goes beyond everyday reporting. We discover, segment, and deliver potentially game-changing insights for our clients." Well, I am glad you are back at work, hale and healthy once more.
If you know of anyone who has had an IVC filter implanted, give them the heads up regarding the FDA warning.
Fortunately the URL Rewrite filters we are discussing here do not and never will cause a threat to your well being or health.
URL Rewrite is available as a high performance IIS C++ filter primarily intended for database driven catalog type web sites seeking to increase exposure by allowing spidering search engines such as AllTheWeb, AltaVista, AOL Search, Ask Jeeves, Google, Hotbot, Inktomi, Lycos, MSN Search, Netscape Search, Overture, Yahoo, Teoma and many others to index the values behind a querystring. e.g. products.asp?type=computer&product=123
URL Rewrite is compatible with Microsoft's ISAPI specification, and has been tested on Windows 2000 Server running IIS 5 and Windows 2003 Server with IIS 6.
Product Description
A database driven website pulls data from a database, and basic query string usually looks like: http://www.domain.com/products.asp?type=computer&item=123. When a search engine spiders and indexes this page it will only index http://www.domain.com/products.asp and automatically chops off everything after the "?". This is where URL Rewrite filter helps you. With this filter you may create a gateway, or doorway pages, or replace all dynamic URLs on your site by "static" URLs and let search engine to spider all of your dynamic pages.
With URL Rewrite for dynamic link [url1]:
http://www.domain.com/products.asp?type=computer&item=123
you may use following "static" format [url2]:
http://www.domain.com/web/type/computer/item/123/products.asp, or
http://www.domain.com/web/item/123/type/computer/products.asp
and still use dynamic link [url1]!
All parameters (in this example - type, item) and their values ("computer", "123") are transformed to "directories" and separated with a directory slash "/". Notice, the link url2 does not exist, but url1 does! When this "static" url2 is requested by the browser, IIS and the URL Rewrite filter internally converts url2 into url1 but maintains the original "static" URL, which is a valid to the search engine. A /web/ folder does not exist and it is not parameter from url1, this is how URL Rewrite knows to convert the URL to a readable server page. A /web/ suffix is configured in INI file and instead of /web/ you can use more relevant string (e.g. if your website sell cars, then it is better to use another suffix like /cars/, /auto/, or /buyacar/, because search engines also attaches value to URLs).
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the main difference between URL Rewrite and other similar products on the market?
URL Rewrite uses a straight forward algorithm optimized for the performance so that we do not use regular expressions and other surplus configuration. Because of that URL Rewrite is the fastest (and cheapest) rewriting ISAPI Filter for the moment.
2. Can I use dynamic links if URL Rewrite is installed?
Yes.
3. Does URL Rewrite change dynamic links on my web pages to static links?
No, it doesn't change your pages. It gives possibility to use second URL address only and if you want to use dynamic URLs you have to change links on pages yourself.
4. Can I have relative links on my web pages with URL Rewrite?
There are following possible solutions. Because of the suffix ("web") your old relative links will not work and you have to change them, e.g. to "/web/image1.gif" instead of "image1.gif", < !-- include virtual="/..." instead of < !-- include file="..." Other way is to use
tag in section, e.g. then you could use usual relative links, like "image1.gif".
5. Do I need change all dynamic links on my website?
It's up to you to find out the right solution. It is recommended to change pages which you want to optimize for search engines, for example, product catalog, sitemaps, and so on. But some pages, like Privacy, Help, etc. could be still used with dynamic URLs.
6. What do I do if I have subfolders?
Put the suffix after subfolder(s). E.g. in case of following dynamic URL:
http://www.domain.com/scripts/products.asp?type=computer&item=123
the static link has to be following
http://www.domain.com/scripts/web/type/computer/item/123/products.asp, or
http://www.domain.com/scripts/web/item/123/type/computer/products.asp
For all further questions about URL Rewrite please contact us.
What Our Customers Say
With a several tens of the customers we can promise you 100% satisfaction of our product. See what our customers say about URL Rewrite. Kevin Adler, www.adleraudio.com: "I think people will be impressed by URL Rewrite once they use it, its simple, straight forward, and CHEAP! One company quoted me $510.00 for the same type of filter! Then they wanted to limit my usage to 10 domains! I installed URL Rewrite Filter on my server." (since May, 2003 about 7500 pages in Google). Tim Cormier, www.machinebox.com: "We are running our ecommerce site using this ISAPI filter. We love the product." (since August, 2003 about 300 pages in Google). Other good examples of using URL Rewrite could be found at www.customize-my-phone.co.uk, since August 2003 about 13500 pages in Google, www.tarkett-commercial.com, since September 2003 about 2500 pages in Google.
Purchase
URL Rewrite is available with server license (cost per server is EUR 23.00, for unlimited web sites per server) and sold as ESD, which means you get the URL to download the full version and installation instruction immediately after purchase.
More Background & Overview of Smalig.com
Smalig.com, once a notable entity in the realm of internet technology, specifically excelled in the domain of URL rewriting for Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS). This website, which has now been archived, was dedicated to providing a robust solution that enhanced search engine optimization (SEO) for dynamically generated websites. Here, we delve into the detailed background, functionality, and historical significance of Smalig.com, while also examining its impact, user reviews, and press coverage.
Background and History
Smalig.com emerged as a critical tool for webmasters looking to optimize their websites for better search engine visibility. The core product, an ISAPI filter, enabled the transformation of dynamic URLs into static ones, which are more favorably indexed by search engines. This was particularly important during a time when search engines struggled to effectively index dynamic pages, thereby limiting the visibility of content-rich websites that relied on dynamically generated content.
The primary function of Smalig.com's URL Rewrite was to allow database-driven websites to generate URLs that appeared static to search engine crawlers. This process involved converting query strings (e.g., products.asp?type=computer&item=123) into a more SEO-friendly format (e.g., web/type/computer/item/123/products.asp). This capability was essential for websites looking to improve their search engine rankings without the need to overhaul their entire site structure.
Technical Specifications
The URL Rewrite filter was compatible with Microsoft's ISAPI specification and was tested on Windows 2000 Server running IIS 5 and Windows 2003 Server with IIS 6. Its primary advantage was its straightforward algorithm that avoided the use of complex regular expressions, thereby ensuring high performance and ease of use. This made it an attractive option for webmasters who needed an efficient and cost-effective solution for URL rewriting.
Press and Media Coverage
While direct historical press coverage of Smalig.com is sparse, its influence can be inferred from the broader context of internet and SEO technologies. During its operational years, Smalig.com would have been part of a burgeoning industry focused on improving web visibility and user access. As search engines evolved, the need for tools like Smalig.com's URL Rewrite became increasingly critical, leading to a proliferation of similar technologies and the eventual integration of URL rewriting capabilities into many modern web platforms.
User Reviews and Impact
User testimonials highlighted the effectiveness and affordability of Smalig.com's URL Rewrite filter. Kevin Adler from Adler Audio praised the product for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, noting significant improvements in Google indexing. Tim Cormier from Machine Box echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the positive impact on their e-commerce site's performance.
The broader impact of Smalig.com's technology can be seen in the way it influenced the development of subsequent SEO tools and practices. By addressing the limitations of dynamic URLs, Smalig.com played a pivotal role in shaping the strategies used by webmasters to enhance search engine visibility.
Cultural and Social Significance
In the context of internet technology and SEO, Smalig.com represents a significant step in the evolution of web optimization tools. Its contribution to making dynamically generated content accessible to search engines helped democratize information on the web, allowing smaller businesses and individual webmasters to compete more effectively with larger, static-content websites.
The cultural significance of Smalig.com lies in its role as a precursor to modern SEO practices. By providing a solution that made dynamic content indexable, it contributed to the broader movement towards more accessible and user-friendly web design. This, in turn, has had lasting effects on how information is disseminated and consumed on the internet.
Detailed Insights and Examples
One of the key features of Smalig.com's URL Rewrite was its ability to create custom suffixes in URLs, which further enhanced SEO by making URLs more relevant to the content. For example, a website selling cars could use /buyacar/ instead of a generic /web/ suffix, adding an additional layer of relevance that search engines could recognize and prioritize.
The flexibility of the URL Rewrite filter allowed webmasters to tailor their URLs to specific content types, making it easier for search engines to categorize and index pages. This customization capability was particularly useful for large e-commerce sites with extensive product catalogs, as it enabled more precise control over how products were indexed and displayed in search engine results.
Smalig.com, through its innovative URL Rewrite filter, made a lasting impact on the field of SEO and web optimization. By addressing the challenges associated with dynamic URLs, it provided a critical tool that helped webmasters improve their search engine rankings and enhance the visibility of their websites. Although the site itself is now archived, its legacy lives on in the principles and technologies that continue to drive SEO practices today.
The historical significance, technical prowess, and user satisfaction associated with Smalig.com underscore its importance in the evolution of internet technology. As we continue to navigate an increasingly digital world, the contributions of pioneers like Smalig.com remind us of the ongoing need for innovation and adaptation in the pursuit of a more accessible and user-friendly internet.