Should I modify my last modification date?

[wige]

Hi everyone. I am a relative newbie to SEO, but I have developed a web site for my company which uses PHP and a MySQL database. The PHP is necessary because it pulls live data from an outside source for our visitors. Because I use PHP, my server does not show a last modified date for the page.

My web site contains a database of descriptions of the various products we have available for sale. I have this in the database instead of on the actual page because it is easy for anyone to edit, and it makes it easy for me to look through the database and see what items need to be updated.

I have been considering using a line of PHP code to cause the server to show a last modified date that would be in line with when the item description was last edited. Would this be beneficial as far as the search engines, so they can see when pages are updated, or would they somehow see this as spam?

[Orion]

Here's google's take on dynamic websites: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=34431&query=indexing%20dynamic%20sites&topic=&type=

The best solution which I have seen is to have your php code pull the data from the database and write it to a static page.

So you end up with actual pages in your site not index.php?blahblahblah

As each page is a real page it will have an updated date on it, also as you update the data in the db when someone accesses the page it will contain the new data.

I'm not a php programmer, but have worked with a few and gotten some code to work. Some have an update button in the site admin to update the pages other's don't, so there are a few different ways to skin this cat out there.

My other thought, though on a quick search I wasn't able to confirm it, is that the SE's index your database (or can) so when changes are made to it it knows.???? That may only be if you actually have a

[Serrbiz]

I've noticed on a php based blog we have that Google seems to like it when we don't add new content daily, hourly...I only publish new content 2 or 3 times a week to give all the bots a chance to find and read the page...

These pages have a modified, created date in the body, as well as the header...

M.

[holyhttp]

As far as the modification date is concerned
you can use the PHP header function:
header("Last-Modified: " . gmdate("D, d M Y H:i:s") . " GMT");

You can replace the gmdate parameter by the last modification date of your item description.

Google is smart enough to know a file has been modified by simply comparing the current content with what is cached in the Google server.
I would not really worry about the "Last Modified" date.

[RegDCP]

Orion, I have a number of PHP/MySQL sites that Google seems to love. I do not have to make static pages.

Wige
If you want a date last edited on the products, you can code in something, my system adds a "This product was added to our catalog on.........."
Or you can just add a date in the description field.

Either way I do not see the search engines regarding it as spam.

Reg

[Orion]

oh definitely google doesn't need the static pages, however in line with accessibility standards and good marketing practices people have a much easier time remembering orionsweb.net/webdesign.shtml than orionsweb.net/index.php?id=13443234626haosu233426, lol.

Also there are other engines and directories that aren't as sophistocated that can't decipher dynamic sites as well.

But you are correct, RegDCP, google doesn't require it.

The last modified date is important, it might not be important for google but don't forget it's not the only fish in the sea.

In fact though over 50% of our average client's traffic comes from google over 80% of conversion comes from other engines (mostly Yahoo! MSN).

[mikesmith76]

oh definitely google doesn't need the static pages, however in line with accessibility standards and good marketing practices people have a much easier time remembering orionsweb.net/webdesign.shtml than orionsweb.net/index.php?id=13443234626haosu233426, lol.

Thats where the power of mod_rewrite comes in, or ISAPIRewrite (i think for IIS). Using this you can silently rewrite requests for a static url to it's dynamic equivalent and nobody will ever know.



Also there are other engines and directories that aren't as sophistocated that can't decipher dynamic sites as well.

The SE's will never know the site is dynamic as the php is parsed before ANY html is served. If you use the technique I described above the SE won't know any different.

In short, there is no need to write php pages that output static html pages.

[ruelbermudez]

you can also read this great resources:

http://www.isapirewrite.com/
http://www.qwerksoft.com/products/iisrewrite/
http://www.iismods.com/url-rewrite/index.htm
http://www.download.com/Ionic-s-ISAPI-Rewriting-Filter/3000-2648_4-10508075.html

Cheers,
http://ambatchdotcom.ruelbermudez.com