JavaScript Redirect A Google Indexing Problem?

RGPHNX · #1 05-22-2005

Hi all,
I'm a newbie to HTML (but have 20 yrs prog. exp. in other lang)..
Have read dozens of "opinions" on the subject of Javascript re-directs & there IS a bunch of half "truths" & conflicting info out there...So.. here's the question(ie. situation)....

Have a "new" (2 mos. old) website. The website uses an index.html file with a html redirect (NOT a Javascript redirect) to my homepage which is located in a subfolder on the server (ie. the homepage is NOT in the root directory).
My webpages use a Javascript re-direct ( it's the "meta refresh" type I think.. but not sure) that tells the webbrowser (ie. the "sAgent") which webpage version to view.
[ It's NOT a 301 type redirect like the one you would use in the .htacess file to go to another website.]

PROBLEM: Googlebot is only spidering ~160 KB (NOT MB) of my 20MB website and then exiting... AND after 4 googlebot visits I'm NOT in the Google index yet.

QUESTION: Is the Javascript redirect causing this exiting behavior ??? OR is something else causing it ??

I really need a DEFINITIVE answer from someone with some real, extensive, practical, "in the trenches" experience on this issue. Something more than just the 'theory based" opinions I've been getting so far.

Any guru help is appreciated.
Please check out my website via my profile link.
Many thanks
RGPHNX

Relevancy · #2 05-22-2005

While redirects are not always the best idea for search engines especially the home page, that is not your problem. Server side 301 are followed and safe to use.

Your site is still in the Google aging delay (sandbox). A new domain takes about 6-8 months to get full rankings.

A new site will only get its second level links (pages linked off the home page) indexed during this time frame. So anything deeper then that will not get indexed for at least 5-6 months.

you have some more waiting to do that’s all.

RGPHNX · #3 05-22-2005

Hi Relevency,
Thanks for the fast reply. So..
even if I use the Javascript redirects... then .. this will not delay indexing of my website AND it will STILL definitely get indexed for the SERPS ?????

I'm concerned because I got an "opinion" elsewhere (maybe from someone with a little knowledge- 'a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing'

) that said that "if I use javascript redirects, then you just better give up on EVER having your webpages indexed by googlebot...etc". Because "gogglebot doesn't like (or just "skips over") javascript redirects... yada yada yada etc.

Also, I'm already in the "index".. but I just can't see it because I've been time delayed/"sandboxed ??

Your further input appreciated here
Thanks
RGPHNX

Relevancy · #4 05-22-2005

I believe I miss read your post. i thought you said you weren’t using java redirects. Yes java redirects to hinder SE spiders. Server side 301 redirects do not hinder them.

But you site is getting index through your java redirect now. Since you said the home page has a java redirect and is indexed and other pages are indexed.. correct? The aging delay/sandbox explains the rest of the site not getting indexed for sure. So Google might be following your redirects but i would still not use java redirects either.. use server side redirect with an htaccess file if you are on a unix server.

Relevancy · #5 05-22-2005

I did a check server on your home page and it looks to be following your redirect fine, but cahnge it to a server side redirect with htaccess file.

RGPHNX · #6 05-22-2005

Hi again relevency,
This is how it looks on the server.

index.html (on page HTML redirect to) <----------- ROOT
V V
V V
homepage (on page Javascript redirects) <---------- subdir

The problem is that NONE of my pages appear in the Google index !! At least when I do a Index:www.mydomain.com search... I can't seem to find my URL.

Hope this is clearer,
RGPHNX
ps- do you still recommend doing a htacess (ie. 301) type redirect ??
If So, do I keep the HTML re-directs in my index.html page OR do I delete them??

Relevancy · #7 05-22-2005

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...alpeoplepc.com shows a clear sign of either sandboxing or penalizing. Since your site is only 2 months old this looks like sandboxing.

Here is the problem with on page redirects. You are feeding the search engines one page and the user another page(through the redirect). That can be seen as a doorway page... very bad. Why cant you use a htaccess to do this redirect?

Doing a server header check you will find that the spiders are reading this as your page:
Browser Input 1: <html>
Browser Input 2: <head>
Browser Input 3: <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=windows-1252">
Browser Input 4: <meta http-equiv="content-language" content="English">
Browser Input 5: <meta name="author" content="RG Enterprises">
Browser Input 6: <meta name="generator" content="Enersoft SiteGenWiz Platinum 1.5 (LK=U4C48AC2), www.enersoft.ch">
Browser Input 7:
Browser Input 8: <title>Main Page</title>
Browser Input 9: <meta NAME="description" CONTENT="Beginners Guide to Advanced PC Repair">
Browser Input 10: <meta NAME="robots" CONTENT="INDEX,FOLLOW">
Browser Input 11: <link rel=stylesheet type="text/css" href="./_sgt/gen.css"> <script language="JavaScript"> </script> </head>

And this is not the header information for the page visitors are landing on. That is a doorway page. Your site is young and you can still use a htaccess file to do a safe redirect without causing your domain to much trouble. Fix it now before your domain is fully penalized or ignored.

RGPHNX · #8 05-22-2005

Hi again relevency,
Yup.. I know the situation needs correcting.. Am not knowledgable enough th know the EXACT way to do it the best.
Here's a exact copy of my index.html page.

<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=windows-1252">
<meta http-equiv="content-language" content="English">
<meta name="author" content="RG Enterprises">
<meta name="generator" content="Enersoft SiteGenWiz Platinum 1.5 (LK=U4C48AC2), www.enersoft.ch">

<title>Main Page</title>
<meta NAME="description" CONTENT="Beginners Guide to Advanced PC Repair">
<meta NAME="robots" CONTENT="INDEX,FOLLOW">
<link rel=stylesheet type="text/css" href="./_sgt/gen.css"> <script language="JavaScript"> </script> </head> <body>
Beginners Guide to Advanced PC Repair
       & nbsp;   This site is
dedicated to 
Real People 
with real PC computer repair
problems
 
 
 You have deactivated JavaScript. Please follow link: 
<a href="./_sgt/f10000.htm" target="_top">Internet Explorer (IE)</a> or 
<a href="./_sgg/f10000.htm" target="_top">Other Browsers</a> 

</body></html>

Now,
Do I (or can I or should I ) change the index page headers(& other info) to exactly match my homepage headers.??? AND/OR..
Do I only do a 301 re-direct via a htacess file in the ROOT directory??

Also, any pointers as to what goes into the htacess.html page would be appreciated.
Thanks for sticking with me on this one.
RGPHNX

Relevancy · #9 05-22-2005

You should remove the contents of the index page and keep it bare with a noarchive robots tag. Then in the root where the htaccess has to be you edit it to say:
RedirectPermanent / http://www.realpeoplepc.com/_sgt/f10000.htm

edit or create this file in notepad and save it as htaccess.txt then rename it to .htaccess after it is uploaded.

This make sense?

RGPHNX · #10 05-22-2005

Hi relevency,

this part

Quote:

You should remove the contents of the index page and keep it bare with a noarchive robots tag

Is the noarchive tag supposed to go in the header or the body ??
From there...I can figure this part out. Thanks

But I think you totally lost me on this part..

Quote:

htaccess has to be you edit it to say: redirectPermanent/ / http://www.realpeoplepc.com/_sgt/f10000.htm

.

Is this what it's (ie. htaccess file) supposed to look like??
<html>
<head>
redirectPermanent/ http://www.realpeoplepc.com/_sgt/f10000.htm
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>

Thanks again
RGPHNX

RGPHNX · #11 05-22-2005

Also...
What do I do with the .htaccess file that's already in the ROOT directory ??
RGPHNX

Relevancy · #12 05-22-2005

htaccess file is a simple documment and not html.. just put that line on it and it will do a 301 redirect from index to that page you specify

Use the exsiting htaccess file and just edit it in notepad

put this tag in the head section below the meta tags for the index page
<META content=NOARCHIVE name=ROBOTS>

Why are you redirecting the index page anyway? Can you just not use a redirect and use the page it goes to as the index?

RGPHNX · #13 05-23-2005

Hi again relevency,
Thanks again for the clarification. Thanks heaps!

, I've totally got it.

So, my new "index.html" page will now look like this..
======================================
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=windows-1252">
<meta http-equiv="content-language" content="English">
<meta name="author" content="RG Enterprises">
<meta name="generator" content="Enersoft SiteGenWiz Platinum 1.5 (LK=U4C48AC2), www.enersoft.ch">

<title>Main Page</title>
<meta NAME="description" CONTENT="Beginners Guide to Advanced PC Repair">
<meta NAME="robots" CONTENT="INDEX,FOLLOW">
<link rel=stylesheet type="text/css" href="./_sgt/gen.css"> <script language="JavaScript"> </script>

<META content=NOARCHIVE name=ROBOTS>

</head>
<body>
Beginners Guide to Advanced PC Repair
       & nbsp;   This site is
dedicated to 
Real People 
with real PC computer repair
problems
 
 
 You have deactivated JavaScript. Please follow link: 
<a href="./_sgt/f10000.htm" target="_top">Internet Explorer (IE)</a> or 
<a href="./_sgg/f10000.htm" target="_top">Other Browsers</a> 

</body></html>
=====================================

re: your question..

Quote:

Why are you redirecting the index page anyway??

There's no special reason I'm redirecting..its just because the WYSIWYG editor I'm using set it up that way .. by default.

re: your question..

Quote:

Can you just not use a redirect and use the page it goes to as the index?

Yes, I believe I could.. but then I'd have to redo all the internal links which currently go back to the main homepage.. as its name would have changed from "f10000.html" (ie. its current name) to "index.html" (ie. its new name)...Right??

Your further input appreciated
RGPHNX

Relevancy · #14 05-23-2005

global changes using dreamweaver or any wysiwig will do it. To be successful you are going to have to learn how to make global changes and set up your site linking properly.

If there is no point for the redirect then make that page your home page. rename it to index.html and globaly change links. To do global changes you just use the programs 'find and replace' feature and select entire local site when making the changes. What do you use? Please don't say frontpage.

Your site is new spend the time to fix it right before google sees how messed up it is.

Relevancy · #15 05-23-2005

plus you dont want to have 2 robots tags in the head section.. remove the first one

Relevancy · #16 05-23-2005

I see yoru program you are using .. I am not familur with it... so you will have to learn the global find and replace through the help files.

RGPHNX · #17 05-23-2005

So,
Looks like I finally got it all. Will make changes incrementally till done..
starting with the index.html file & .htacess file.
Then, the boring internal link change work.

Will have to do link changes manually because my editor doesn't have a global search & replace function

(no help files either).
No, I try to avoid Microbloat programs(like Frontpage) as much as possible.. can't wait till someone comes out with a full featured HTML editor for the linux platform.

Then, hopefully googlebot will respider my site before the next update in June & I'll get out of the "sandbox" & get fully indexed.

Any oppinion/guess on the timeframe for how long this will take ??

RGPHNX

Relevancy · #18 05-23-2005

you have 6-8 months before you get any search queries to bring up your site. Not to mention you have to a a good site that deserves rankings.

you will see yur domain name show up in about 3-4 months from when google first saw your site. Then you will get fully indexed in about 5 months. Then you will get indexed again and then you will see rankings from google in about 7 months or so.

In the mean time you will see your site and rankings is MSN and yahoo in about 4 months.

Just keep pluggin away at your site becasue even in the aging delay time you will be watched from gradual growth. Build links gradually and ad content at a steady pace.

JohnW · #19 05-23-2005

One other thing worth noting at this early stage - all of your internal links back to the home page should point to http://www.yourdomain.com/

and not to

the actual file (/index.html)

RGPHNX · #20 05-23-2005

Hi relevency,
Are ALL the times you posted (in you last post) starting from the first date googlebot saw my site OR
are they sequential increments of time ??(eg 4mos...then 3mos more ..etc)
RGPHNX

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