6 replies to this topic

[Jodi]

Hi guys. I'm hoping one or more of you can make some suggestions here. I'm working with a company that has a large, dynamically generated website with a whole bunch of .NET code at the top of every page (it literally takes up 10 lines or more of space at the top of every page, though invisibly to visitors - visible through "view page source"). I've had decent success with getting their site some more visibility so far, but I can't help but feel that if supressed that code somehow, they would improve their standings LOTS.

Their IT folks are reluctant to change anything, and so I'm wondering if there's a simple solution, causing them a minimum of fuss, that might take care of this problem? Have any of you run across it before?

Your suggestions and opinions would be greatly appreciated!

All the best,

--Jodi

[jbelle]

This issue was touched on in the Adventive I-Search list:

http://list.adventiv...-SEARCH&P=R1342

and

http://list.adventiv...-SEARCH&P=R1678

See the .Net thread at the top of each digest.

I haven't worked much with .Net, so I unfortunately can't provide any other insight!

HTH!
<edit> Oh, and hey, this thread here from yesterday! </edit>

Edited by jbelle, 04 August 2003 - 11:52 AM.

[Jill]

From what I understand, search engine spiders simply ignore code that is not relevant to them. That includes java script code in the head, css, etc.

Jill

[Jodi]

Thanks for the information, jbelle. Hmm... Doesn't sound like there's much I can do until Google figures out how to index such pages.

Jill, it does look like more is happening than simply the addition of code in the header. In fact, it looks as if inner pages may return "500 Internal Errors" due to the use of .NET (when and if they are indexed) - but since this client of mine has no intention of changing things any time soon, I guess I'll just have to work with what I have and do the best I can for them.

Luckily, this particular client *does* have a great deal of actual useful and informative content about their products within their site. That makes my job TONS easier.

All the best,

--Jodi

[Mel]

Hi Jodi;
If all that code (10- 15 lines?) in the head of the .aspx pages is what I think it is, its probably the code used to save the page state from one page to the next enabling the tracking of visitors, shopping cart state etc.

If you don't need that sort of utility on your site you can disable the generation of all that code with a simple command but at the moment I can't recall the syntax.

[Jodi]

Hi Mel. The problem is that the site IS an ecommerce site. It definitely does sell something - though obviously, the index page of the site doesn't have things on it that one can buy right from the start or anything. A link or two and you find it though. I am suspecting that they *do* want to track the movements of their visitors, so it doesn't look like there's much I can do. :-/ Thanks for your reply though!

All the best,

--Jodi

[Mel]

Hi Jodi:
Well I can sympathize with you since I expect to be doing exactly the same thing in a couple of weeks - i.e. trying to clean up a large site that has been converted to .NET asp.

Keep in touch and lets see how it goes.