XMLHttpRequest and Google Search Engine

[sagemaster]

My site uses XMLHttpRequest quite a bit to switch data in main div tags while browsing to eliminate unnecessary full page refreshes(typical AJAX i guess).

Will this have an impact on google crawling my site? I heard AJAX is bad for google bots.

[kgun]

You can start here: http://www.webproworld.com/search-en...tml#post302022

Then continue here http://www.webproworld.com/search-en...tml#post334678 since some AJAX technologies (e.g. used by Google) combines XMLHttpRequest and iFrame technology.

[Bernd]

AJAX: Avoid iFrames - or link to their content separately

[kgun]

Good link. Note

"Develop with progressive enhancement

If you're starting from scratch, a good approach is to build your site's structure and navigation using only HTML. Then, once you have the site's pages, links, and content in place, you can spice up the appearance and interface with AJAX. Googlebot will be happy looking at the HTML, while users with modern browsers can enjoy your AJAX bonuses.

Of course, you'll likely have links requiring JavaScript for Ajax functionality. Web developer Jeremy Keith labeled this technique Hijax, and it's a way to help AJAX and static links coexist.

When creating your links, format them so they'll offer a static link as well as calling a JavaScript function. That way you'll have the AJAX functionality for JavaScript users, while non-JavaScript users can ignore the script and follow the link. For example:

<a href="ajax.htm?foo=32" onClick="navigate('ajax.html#foo=32');
return false">foo 32</a>

Note that the static link's URL has a parameter (?foo=32) instead of a fragment (#foo=32), which is used by the AJAX code. This is important, as search engines understand URL parameters but often ignore fragments. Since you now offer static links, users and search engines can link to the exact content they want to share or reference.

While we're constantly improving our crawling capability, using HTML links remains a strong way to help us (as well as other search engines, mobile devices and users) better understand your site's structure".

Also note that Hijax

is a slide show that in my browser is shown while you mouse over the lower right corner of the screen.

[sagemaster]

thanks for all the good information. I managed to create an ajax solution that gets the good content crawled by google bot and other spiders. Not all the content can get crawled though but i think that is ok maybe... cant post the website here because i dont have enough posts but you can check it out by doing a google search for investing simulators. third one down or where the description says the No.1 source etc. browse to a simulator review. Those are the pages im talking about.

[kgun]

1. I assume that you are talking about investingsimulators dot com
2. Not to sound arrogant, but personally I prefer relevant information. Do you mean that your ajax solution solves the ajax SEO problem? Then how?
3. Personally I prefer the search term
   
   "investment simulator"
   
   to
   
   "investing simulator"
4. You are affiliated with a site that has the following logo:
   
   Beat the market. Earn money. Zero risk.
5. What is your background?

[sagemaster]

1. You are correct

2. I mean that one of the review pages used to return none of the text content with googles fetch as google bot because the content was loaded after the page was loaded with ajax. I changed it to include all the text on the page with php first and then it refreshes the page with ajax.

3. I agree , investment simulator also gets more keyword traffic but pretty much both get none. do you think marketgames dot info would be better? or are info domains still out.

4. yup lol. its just a simulator.

5. software development and finance degrees. 5 years working for a bank developing their website. Curious as to what your is too. Noticed you have a link to a financial website in your sig.

Just wanted to show how i got google bot to fetch the good content using your articles and advice. thats all.

[kgun]

2. I mean that one of the review pages used to return none of the text content with googles fetch as google bot because the content was loaded after the page was loaded with ajax. I changed it to include all the text on the page with php first and then it refreshes the page with ajax.

That was what you should have written in your first post

5. software development and finance degrees. 5 years working for a bank developing their website. Curious as to what your is too. Noticed you have a link to a financial website in your sig.

Twenty years in the research department of the Central Bank of Norway.

Just wanted to show how i got google bot to fetch the good content using your articles and advice. thats all.

Great that my WPW posts can be of help. More members should have done like you, return and tell how the information in a thread is used on a site.

[sagemaster]

lol yeah your absolutely right, i should have said what i did. Just to reiterate what i did for those people using ajax that want google to be able to crawl your sites text content.

1. Load everything on the page that is hidden with ajax into a single div tag using php includes.

2. Add a javascript onload event to the body tag to properly format your page which will get called after all the text has loaded and google has seen it.

If your site loads fast enough there wont be an issue with users seeing all this random content being loaded and then refreshed.

If it loads slow then just make sure you format the preloaded content so that it looks pretty or preload it right down the bottom of the website where the user wont have enough time to scroll down to even see it!

Very nice "Twenty years in the research department of the Central Bank of Norway." Did u see the subprime collapse coming?

[kgun]

Very nice "Twenty years in the research department of the Central Bank of Norway." Did u see the subprime collapse coming?

It is not so dificult to identify a bubble. There were red lights all over the internet.