Duplicate home pages?

littlegiant · #1 (**permalink**) 03-29-2005, 04:19 PM

I'm redesigning a site for a client who insists on putting all his web pages in a subdirectory and only keeping his home page (index.html) in his root directory. This creates a situation where if someone decides to access his subdirectory, they have to be fed some kind of web page in order to avoid them getting just a directory listing. His solution up to now has been to just create a duplicate of index.html in the root directory and place it in the subdirectory. But this, in effect, creates two home pages which I'm not sure is a wise thing to do when it comes to appeasing Google.

I've thought about using a redirect in index.html in the subdirectory but there seems to be a plethora of theories about which redirects are proper to use in which situation (301? 302?).

What should I do? Should I use redirects? Or should I just have two home pages? Or is there some other solution that I haven't thought of? Any help at all on this situation would be greatly appreciated.

Much thanks.

paulhiles · #2 (**permalink**) 03-30-2005, 06:37 AM

I really don't understand why the index page in the subdirectory should duplicate the homepage content. Surely the organisation of the site material into folders/directories helps ease site maintenance and provides a sense of order.

The subdirectory index page should reflect the contents of its own folder. So the navigation links will obviously be different.. it might be useful to display a summary of the pages contained within that area of the site, the list goes on!!

Paul

littlegiant · #3 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 07:00 AM

Hello Paul,

Thanks for the response and sorry for the delay. I've been working like a dog to meet a deadline.

Yes I realize your suggestion about the subdirectory index page containing a summary of the contents of the folder is the most obvious solution. However in this situation it would be somewhat redundant and maybe even a little pretentious since my client only has one subdirectory and the reason he created it has nothing to do with the site's navigation. Moreover he already has a site menu on every page which pretty much summarizes the entire site.

He's also very reluctant to try new things (to the point where he sometimes shoots himself in the foot). So to do something else with the subdirectory index page besides duplicating the home page -which is what he's always done- is going to be a real hard sell.

Since none of the pages on his site actually link to his subdirectory index page (he's always had it there just as a kind of placeholder) I was thinking of just making some kind of "courtesy redirect page" (for want of a better description) where it says something like "This directory listing is not available for public viewing. Please refer to the <link>home page</link> to browse our site." It seems to me I've seen another site use this somewhere's before and I thought it looked pretty good.

Unless you have another suggestion?

paulhiles · #4 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 07:15 AM

Thanks for the further information, I can understand the problem you're facing now!
Do you have a particular page in the subdirectory which would be a suitable "landing page"?

Your idea of adding a redirect (with a polite message) on the second index page could work... although it's difficult to give a specific answer without seeing the site itself.

Paul

littlegiant · #5 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 05:03 PM

Humble apologies for wasting your time, Paul. I just off the phone with my client. After pitching him some ideas about what to do with his duplicate home page problem, he has now changed his mind and wants to put all his web pages in the root directory (which is the way it should have been done all along).

Oh well, the customer is always right, eh?...

(*sheesh*)

Much thanks for your input anyway. It'll be food for thought the next time I'm in a similar situation.