6 replies to this topic

[suzstephens]

I'm unsure of the best place to post this question, so I'll throw it in here and see what happens.

I've begun adding a widget-like thing to my non-Wordpress sites that includes Facebook like, Google+ plus, Twitter share and "Share" badges.

My clients like them, but they drive me nuts because they slow down page load time so much. So I wonder how important such things as Facebook "likes" really are? And do they really need to be on all pages as opposed to just the home page?

[Jill]

Badges to like the page/article that the badge is on? Or those to follow the person/company on social media?

They are different things. The like type of buttons need only be on informational articles/posts so that they can easily be liked and tweeted by fans. The ones to follow you probably should be on every page.

They needn't slow down the page though. Those services that have like 5 different buttons all in one seem to slow things down, but if you just use the basic code for twitter/fb etc. it shouldn't be slow from what I've seen.

[suzstephens]

Jill, I was referring to badges to "like" the page, similar to the 5 buttons all in one that you mentioned. In my situation, these are all real estate agents' sites. Because of the way the CMS works, I have only the option of adding them to the home page layout and/or interior page layouts. I can't do them on a page by page basis.

While I suppose they share button links may be useful for example, when someone wants to email a listing to a spouse. But I wonder if the noticeable slow-down outweighs the SEO value of having the badges on all pages as opposed to just the home page.

The whole social metrics thing is so new that I have no grasp of it. Does anyone?

Edited by suzstephens, 14 June 2012 - 10:06 AM.

[Jill]

I would say they're not necessary the way you're using them. *Unless you're seeing them getting used.

People don't typically "like" a page within a website, they like articles, blog posts, etc.

[suzstephens]

Thanks Jill. I think I might leave them on the home page and remove them from inside pages.

BTW, some of the Realtors have already figured out a way to spam "likes" and "pluses" so I suspect that Google will eventually devalue them.

[Jill]

BTW, some of the Realtors have already figured out a way to spam "likes" and "pluses" so I suspect that Google will eventually devalue them.

Google is smart enough to only devalue the spammy likes, etc. It's easy enough to know the difference.

[bloghands]

It sounds like a problem with the widget you are using. I typically recommend addthis.com as it seems to have a very low impact on load times.