Author Topic: Iframe redirecting  (Read 7716 times)

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  • Mr Fred!
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Iframe redirecting
« on: March 13, 2007, 03:12:35 PM »
Search engines do see the the text page that loads in an iframe. The key is getting people that click those base pages back to the main interface quickly. That's when either a redirect script or a quick "HOME" text link will save the day. The link needs to be before the text or you could lose your surfer because they are looking at something pretty bland and out of context.

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  • Sami
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Re: Iframe redirecting
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2007, 04:18:28 PM »
I have a code that forces your page to ONLY load from a specific page...it checks where you came from and sends you to the specific page to reload. 
-Samantha
TNG: "Sometimes, you can make no mistakes, do everything right, and still lose" - Capt Picard to Data
(:turtle: In memory of Turtle: May 22, 1944 - Nov 24, 2007  GURU, mentor, and really nice guy! :turtleleft: )

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  • Mr Fred!
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Re: Iframe redirecting
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2007, 02:18:41 PM »
Post that. I'll use it.  ;)

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  • Sami
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Re: Iframe redirecting
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2007, 06:13:54 PM »
Visit this page to TEST the code.  When you click the link to see my cantgethere.htm page, you are FORCED to the main page of that subdirectory instead.  From that main page, you can access the page through an iframe.  http://www.samisite.com/iframephotos/
On that main page, look to the left side, to a link called can't get there amd that will allow you to see the code I used to force that specific reload.

HOWEVER.... That might be a problem for search engines and should probably be used only on pages that you don't want to have spidered. 

I have used the code a few times with success, but for content that I did not need Google and others to rank.
Most of MY iframe content has a WARNING at the bottom:
IMPORTANT!!  This page is part of a tutorial. If a search engine sent you to a plain gray page with no header, CLICK HERE!
I allow that so Google and others WILL find the content and send people.
-Samantha
TNG: "Sometimes, you can make no mistakes, do everything right, and still lose" - Capt Picard to Data
(:turtle: In memory of Turtle: May 22, 1944 - Nov 24, 2007  GURU, mentor, and really nice guy! :turtleleft: )

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Re: Iframe redirecting
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2007, 06:27:29 PM »
Sami:

Hi!  Are you saying that google can't read an iframe...

HOWEVER.... That might be a problem for search engines and should probably be used only on pages that you don't want to have spidered. 

I have a entire website made of iframes...
http://www.bighousedaddy.com/journals.htm

No wonder I never see these page listed in google.
Thanx for the tip... I need to get it corrected.

Ken aka Bighousedaddy <><
God has a bigger purpose for your life than your biggest problem
<>< Bighousedaddy

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  • Sami
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Re: Iframe redirecting
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2007, 07:09:36 PM »
(split the topic so the iframe info is under IFRAME section for better searching later)

Iframes have 2 components:
1- main page with a window cut into it.  Basically an "inset frame" or "inline frame" (IFRAME)
2- the content page.  This page is not designed to stand on it's own...usually has less structure (no header, links, etc) because all of that is provided on the main page.

To the human visitor, it appears the content is all on one page.
To the COMPUTER visitor (Google, Yahoo) you have 2 separate pages.
The search engine WILL follow the iframe code on the main page to find the content page!
Both of those pages will be seen by the search engine.
Both of them may show up in your search results.
Each will be treated by the search engine separately for contents (text, information, links, incoming links, etc) and will be ranked separately.

You can do one of two things:
1 - Allow the search engine to find the content pages and let them index the page and follow links from that page to other pages.  This option will cause a few of your visitors to arrive at your site on an INCOMPLETE page that has no headers, links, etc. But gives your site a larger presence on the web.  And you should place a warning on the page that the page is designed to be seen from this page: http:  and provide a link so the visitor will be able to view it properly.  I ALLOW my iframe tutorial pages (and all the content pages) to be searched/indexed by google. I allow my visitors to arrive at a bare bones content page sometimes.

Example: 
- If you search google for iframe tutorials, I am #2 out of more than a 1.2 million pages (not too shabby :D) and that takes you to the main iframe tutorial on samisite.com!
- If you search static iframe, my main iframe tutorial comes up #1 out of 674 thousand, and one of my IFRAME CONTENT PAGES shows up in #2 place.  FINE BY ME if the visitor goes to the non-framed page!


2 - FORCE A REDIRECT to the main page.  Search engines are not happy with these because they want to walk from page to page to page to page.  They do not like to be redirected. When the redirect code is used on a content page, NONE OF THE CONTENT will be seen by the search engine spider.  Before it can gather your bits of wisdom on that page, it is sent back to the main page again, right back to where it came from.  From the HUMAN visitor standpoint, that's not a bad thing.  But from a computer side, it is.  SO....I was merely pointing out that if you have information showing in the iframe that does not need to be indexed by google and others, use a redirect!  This is perfect for changing information (schedules, daily quotes, etc) that you don't care if google ever reads it.  But if the main MEAT of the site is in an iframe, DON'T use a REDIRECT.


Let me be clear...I have pages on my sites that utilize iframes and those pages get some good rankings!  The key is that you need to have more than just a menu on the main page. And provide a way for your visitor to get to the RIGHT "framed" environment.

I personally am not a fan of an ALL IFRAME site. Fred does it all the time.  Personal choice.

I also do not care for ALL FRAMED site.  Yes, some of my pages use FRAMES.  But they are harder on SEO (for the same reason as above) so I use them when necessary and use non-framed pages for MOST of the sites! At least when it comes to CSB, we have FAR BETTER RESULTS for framed sites than many other site builders...Check out what I mean here.

Just as long as you understand HOW it is seen by the search engines and can work with that, it goes back to personal choice.

Remember that your MAIN PAGE and YOUR CONTENT page need to have some text not just links.
You must remember you are building the FRONT and the BACK of your site at the same time.
Feed the HUMAN VISITORS VISUALLY in the front and the computer visitors with TEXT (content, verbiage) from the back. If the search engine only sees some pictures and links on a page (a frame for another page) it will not be highly ranked because it has nothing to offer, unless you have thousands of incoming links of good quality.

« Last Edit: March 15, 2007, 07:26:22 PM by Samrc »
-Samantha
TNG: "Sometimes, you can make no mistakes, do everything right, and still lose" - Capt Picard to Data
(:turtle: In memory of Turtle: May 22, 1944 - Nov 24, 2007  GURU, mentor, and really nice guy! :turtleleft: )

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Re: Iframe redirecting
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2007, 07:55:35 PM »
Thanx Sami... I get it now.... I need to correct a couple of things.  Making an all iframes site was fun and a challenging, but it has a down side.

You are always so helpful... If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have tired most of the, "tricks of the trade so to speak", on my site.

Ken aka Bighousedaddy <><
God has a bigger purpose for your life than your biggest problem
<>< Bighousedaddy