Dynamic sites require highly specialized search engine marketing strategies that differ from those used for static sites. It’s still hard to get dynamic sites indexed unless they’re properly optimized. While search engines say they now index dynamic sites, and they do, many times it doesn’t happen without a little help. And certainly the positioning of pages is another issue altogether.
There are a number of strategies that can be used to convert your dynamic URLs into search engine-friendly URLs. Before we get into that, let’s look at how the dynamic databases used by ecommerce sites and other large sites are created, and why they’re hard to index.
What Keeps Dynamic Sites Hidden?
Dynamic pages are created on the fly with technology such as ASP, Cold Fusion, Perl and the like. These pages function well for users who visit the site, but they don’t work well for search engine crawlers.
Why? Because dynamically generated pages don’t actually exist until a user selects the variable(s) that generate them. A search engine spider can’t select variables, so the pages don’t get generated -– and can’t be indexed.
The big problem is that crawlers such as Google can’t read the entire dynamic database of URLs, which either contain a query string (?) or other database characters (#&*!%) known to be spider traps. Because search crawlers have problems reading deep into a dynamic database, they’ve been programmed to detect and ignore many dynamic URLs.
We recently increased a client’s search engine potential from 6 to 659 pages. Considering that Google saw only half-a-dozen pages originally, we think hundreds of optimized pages will significantly increase our client’s search engine visibility.
Many sites do use Alexa stats when evaluating the quality of a link before deciding to form a link partnership—especially if they are buying links.
And, yes, caution is the watchword because it is relatively easy to manipulate Alexa stats. We know of instances where groups of people have installed Alexa toolbars with the intention of regularly browsing specific sites for the sole purpose of artificially improving Alexa ranking. Let the buyer beware.
Regardless, even though Alexa stats are easily manipulated and frequently inaccurate, many people still use them because there aren’t many other (free) ways to determine the level of traffic a site is getting.
However, if you’re going to be shelling out a lot of money for a paid link, it’s smart to look at server logs from the linking site for proof a page or site is really getting the amount of traffic they’re claiming. Don’t just depend on their Alexa rank.
Rightwaysolution is a leading web & software development company provides PHP, ASP.NET, Flex, Air, Ruby on Rails (ROR), CakePHP web and application development.
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