We all want our websites to be fun and exciting and do all the greatest things that technology allows, but if you are trying to get people to find your website on all the search engines, you might want to resist some of the bells and whistles and stick with straight HTML, because tools like JavaScript and SEO just don’t mix.
If you are thinking about using JavaScript and SEO is important to you (which it should be), then you need to follow these simple rules about usage and placement of JavaScript within your site:
1. Keep your JavaScript in files outside of your primary pages. Your HTML pages can link to them, but you don’t want them hidden within your HTML. They will prevent the search engines from crawling your web site further.
2. If you have to use JavaScript, keep it short and simple. Don’t use it for navigation, or the search engines will not be able to get to all of your pages. Of course, you should have a “sitemap” file on your server, so that it can be fully crawled, just in case.
3. Do not use JavaScript to rotate your content. The search engines need to see static content in its normal state or it won’t read it. If your content is brought into your site through JavaScript, there is a chance it won’t be read at all.
JavaScript and SEO, or Flash technology and SEO for that matter, are not good mixes. You can use JavaScript, but it should be supplemental to a basic site and not part of the core structure or navigation. Search engines, in general, have a hard time navigating through JavaScript and you may find that your site is never listed because the search engines just spit it out every time they come across your code.
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