17 replies to this topic

[PVMAA]

Hi:

On a couple of client sites I have pages of thumbnails of products and you can click on the images and generate pop-up windows with larger photos and more info. on the individual product. I just want to be sure that the content is spidered like any other page and that good content on those pages is helpful?? Separately should I stop using pop-ups since they are associated with unwanted ads and some people turn the options for pop-ups off in their browsers?

Thanks!

[OldWelshGuy]

Hi PVM,

More and more people are installing toolbars, all of the ones I know of have the pop up stopper active as default.

Apart from that so long as you make sure the script you are using is a standard HREF tag then the spider can follow it. Why not just make it a normal page though? It will be much better IMO as then people landing in it will not be trapped.

I am not 100% on this, as I always have a product page for a product not via a popup. I am assuming you are using a java script that turns off all the browser elements, and presents a limited browser box? I am not sure if this page would open up in a normal browser and look dumb, or not open up at all.

Like I said, If I had 500 individual products, I would want 500 individual pages. Thats just me though. Others will argue differently I expect.

OWG

[chrishirst]

If the popups are triggered by a javascript then they will never be seen by the spiders, if it uses target="_blank" then they will. But if they are crawled and indexed they are very likely to appear "orphaned" in the SERPs.

the discussion on popup pages has been had a few times and there are more cons than pros.

[Jill]

Most pop ups are not able to be spidered.

Jill

[torka]

Pop ups coded this way can be spidered. They're also accessible, and they work -- in the sense that the content of the pop up window will be displayed in the main browser window -- even when JavaScript is disabled or pop up blockers are in place.

HTH!

--Torka

[OldWelshGuy]

That perfect pop up link was the one I was thinking of Torka I couldn't be motivated enough to try and find it on the 3 DVD back ups I have after my system restoe. Well not at short notice anyhow

[balz]

But is this really a pop-up?
To me a pop-up is a window that pops up automatically with no
user interaction on my part except me being (un)lucky to land on
such a page.

What they are describing seems to be a new browser window
albeit smaller than the one underneath it; and can only be
activated by an intentional click from the user.

Personally I like to use these small window boxes for my
page-specific FAQ's or if I want to display a quicktime movie.

Pesonally I think each product should have its own page.
But if there is additional information you need to present,
this is an elegant solution that allows them access to the
information without losing the original page they were on
or causing them to have to click back and forth.

b.

[torka]

Balz, that appears to be the definition used by at least some of the pop up blockers, as well, as I've noticed that these "perfect pop ups" don't seem to be blocked by them.

However, there are some folks who consider any new browser window (even those opened by their own mouse click on a link with a target="_blank" attribute) as being "pop ups".

Guess it's sort of like spam. The definition is in the eye of the beholder.

OWG, I keep a printout of the article on file in the desk drawer right behind my desk. It's right next to the print out of the article about the best way to size text using CSS. You may notice I refer others to them both regularly around here. The URL is printed at the bottom of every page.

(Low tech solution, to be sure, but it works...)

--Torka

[PVMAA]

"What they are describing seems to be a new browser window
albeit smaller than the one underneath it; and can only be
activated by an intentional click from the user."

That is what I mean. I use Adobe Golive and a javascript action to create these little windows that come up only of you click in the thumbnail. So maybe "pop-up" is the wrong word to use? The windows do not come up automatically. But do the spiders still not read these?

Thanks!

[torka]

PVMAA, it depends on how the JavaScript calls the new window. Read the article; it describes in detail what the problems are with various methods, and which method you should use if you want the spiders (and anybody without access to javascript, for that matter) to be able to access your content.

Just compare how the method you're using works to the method outlined in the article. If you're doing what they recommend, you'll be okay. If not, then it isn't just the search engines who will have trouble accessing the content in those new windows (think of people who don't have JS enabled in their browsers, for instance...)

--Torka

[PVMAA]

Torka: Thank you! I read the article and will do as you suggest, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't making a semantics error.

[torka]

No problem, PVMAA! As I say, I think "pop ups", like spam, are in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I do refer to the "mini windows" opened via JavaScript as pop ups. I do that to distinguish them from "new windows", which is what I call the things opened with a target="_blank" attribute.

Sounds as though you and I are using similar terminology. But in any case, I think I understood what you were asking, so I guess that's the important part, eh?

--Torka

[DanThies]

I just use the "target=_blank" method for user activated popups, with code in the popup that resizes the window on loading. If you have to throw up some kind of alert, you can do that with a layer, but in general a pop-up that isn't generated by user action is just obnoxious.

[torka]

I totally agree, Dan. The only "pop ups" (or new windows, for that matter) that I ever employ are always called by a user click on a link. Never automatically generated. Those are just plain irritating.

--Torka

[lyn]

I just use the "target=_blank" method for user activated popups, with code in the popup that resizes the window on loading.

I use user-launched pop-ups like Torka's but I haven't switched them over to the "Perfect Pop-up" solution yet.
How do you get the window to resize with the "target=_blank" method?

L.