SEO for the Web 2.0 Site
Tony Adam
October 7th, 2008
The Web 2.0 User Experience
• Web 2.0 is all about “sleek” looking interfaces
• When does AJAX really need to be implemented? • Think about the User (Experience) • There is a dilemma for Search Engines if the right techniques aren’t used
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Web 2.0 Dilemmas for Search Engines
• Content controlled by JavaScript is not Search Friendly • When JavaScript is unavailable, there needs to be a Graceful Fail • AJAX URLs can be problematic
• Hacked up code or a non-strategic approach to building websites
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iFoods.tv Tabs Interaction
• http://ifoods.tv
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iFoods.tv Tabs Interaction…turning the lights off...
• http://ifoods.tv
• The content within the tabs interaction is completely missing
• Since this isn’t accessible by Search Engines, it leads to:
– Loss in possible keyword density – No Deep Links to Content – No Internal Link Equity passed to deep content
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iMedix – Tabs Interaction
• http://imedix.com
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iMedix – Tabs Interaction – Whose the big winner!?
• http://imedix.com
• Same Experience. Same Content. Same Links!
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Getting geeky for a second...you know you want to!
• Be Strategic in the AJAX Implementations • Implement using Progressive Enhancement
– Separates content from presentation and interactions built using scripting languages.
• Work with Standards or Platform teams to build Standard interactions.
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The SEO’s Handy Dandy Toolkit
• Web Developer Toolbar
– You can use the Web Developer toolbar to see what your content looks like to a Search Engine. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60
• User Agent Switcher
– See what Search Engine Robots see on your website. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59
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I Can Haz AJAX URLs…kthxbai!
• URL Issues within AJAX
– Ugly “#” (hash tags) within the url structure Ex: http://icanhazuglyurl.com/webpage.php#foo32 – HIJAX can turn “#” tags into indexable unique URLs. Ex: http://icanhazhijaxedurl.com/webpage.php?foo32 – Rewriting URLs are preferred as they create the cleanest URL structure, accessible trim points, and can leverage keywords in the URLs. Ex: http://icanhazrewrittenurl.com/ webpage/foo32/
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We’re Open for Business!
• Partner with the following teams:
– Marketing – Web Development, Engineering, & Web Standards Experts – Accessibility Leads – User Experience and Usability
• Get buy in by showing people areas of improvement. • Get involved in company processes, site reviews, etc.
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“To-Go” bag of Web 2.0, AJAX, and SEO Hotness
• Jeremy Keith - Progressive Enhancement with AJAX:
– http://domscripting.com/presentations/xtech2006/
• Jeremy Keith – Article on Hijax:
– http://domscripting.com/blog/display/41
• Google Webmaster Central - A spider’s view of Web 2.0:
– http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2007/11/spidersview-of-web-20.html
• Learn about Progressive Enhancement:
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_enhancement
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Shameless Self Promotion (You had to know it was coming!)
• My Blog: http://tonyadam.com • Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/tonyadam • Anything Social: tonyadam
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