Uses Meta-Refresh/JavaScript Redirect
Many people make the mistake of optimizing a specific page for a search engine to achieve a high rank - while not taking into consideration the appearance of the page. We refer to these as "cookie cutter" pages. Once a high rank is achieved, the person then places a meta-refresh or Java redirect tag on the page, and the user is redirected to a different page that is more suitable for viewing. The search engines don’t like redirects used in this manner. In fact, the search engines generally don’t like redirects at all, so it’s best to stay clear of them, if at all possible. Though they have some legitimate uses as explained later, they’ve been abused heavily in the past. Therefore, using redirects can send a “red flag” to the search engines.Besides being considered “spam,” it’s best to avoid redirects, because a search engine crawler will index the page that it is being redirected to (the pretty, non-optimized page) and not the optimized page. Therefore, WebPosition Gold will flag your page if it believes you're using the following meta-refresh or JavaScript tags between your <head> and </head> tags.
Meta-Refresh Example:
<META HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" content="1;URL=http://www.mywidgets.com/widgets.htm">
JavaScript Example:
<SCRIPT language="JavaScript1.1">
<!--
location.replace("http://www.mywidgest.com/widgets.htm");
//-->
</SCRIPT>
You should avoid using redirection such as Meta Refresh tags and simple Java-based redirection if your intent is for the engines to index the page's content while displaying something else to your human visitors. While it may work for a short period of time, as soon as the engine crawls your page again and sees the redirect tag, it will drop the page from its index. It will instead index only the page that the redirection points to. Most search engines desire to index the same content that the end-user will see. Plus, as stated previously, using redirect tags is considered spam by many of the search engines.
On the other hand, if you are adding a redirection because that page is now
obsolete or has moved to another location, then go ahead and do it. Your Web
site should not be banned or penalized since redirections are common on the
Web. That way people finding the old page will be sent to the new page location.
Most search engines will follow the redirection as well to discover the new
location of your page or Web site.
Note: WebPosition cannot detect whether or not your page is using server
side redirection.
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Uses Frames
Search engines can't put together frames, so the only thing they see in
a framed site is the frameset page. The only content they can read, besides the
<head> tags, is the content in the <noframes> tag, which often says
something like, "What no frames? You need a frames browser to view this site."
The first thing to remember when considering frames is that few top-10
ranked sites are using frames. Frames present problems for the search engines,
plain and simple. Plus, few visitors like to be caught in another site's
frames, so your visitors generally won't like frames either.
With frames, it's crucial to create a mini Web site in a
<noframes> tag, adding links to all other important pages of your site in
that tag. You also need to optimize and submit the individual pages of your
site to the engines. Use a well-crafted title tag, captivating description tag,
and keyword tag on your pages. Use heading tags, link text, etc.
The <noframes> information goes immediately after the first
frameset tag. Since the engines can index each of your pages separately, out of
the context of the frames, make sure your individual pages contain a home link
at the bottom of each of your pages, to where your viewers will be able to
navigate your site. By clicking on the home link, the viewers are taken back
into the frames and all is well. Be sure to use the TARGET="_TOP" command to
link to your home page, which prevents a page from appearing inside another
framed page.
Example:
<A HREF="index.html" TARGET="_top">Computer Mouse Pads Home
Page</A>
We also recommend that you create content rich informational pages that
contain no frames. You can then link to your main site that contains frames.
In the past, people have often used hidden frames to add content or
links, so that visitors wouldn't see them but the engines would. This is not
advisable any longer. Remember: the engines don't like anything that is
"hidden."
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Uses Controls, Java, or VBScript
Having these elements on your page is not necessarily bad. For example,
the Traffic Analyzer will add a small amount of Java to the bottom of each page
you specify to add visitor tracking. This should not hurt your rankings,
because it's at the bottom of the page.
However, if you have a large amount of Java, VBScript, or ActiveX
control code at the top of the page, this can end up diluting the prominence of
your keywords by pushing your important keyword-containing text to the bottom
of your page. Therefore, this can affect the effectiveness of your page in
terms of how it ranks. At least for your content-rich informational pages, try
and keep things simple and minimize unnecessary scripting and coding.
If you have lengthy JavaScript at the top of your page, move it to a
separate .js file, and reference it in the <head> section of your
page.
Example:
<Script language-="JavaScript" src="namethisfile.js">
Just cut and paste the entire JavaScript into a separate text file
(through a text editor like NoteTab Pro), and name it "namethisfile.js" Upload that
page to the root directory of your Web site. This can remove all of the lengthy
JavaScript to a separate file, thereby moving your important keyword-containing
text toward the top of the page.
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