Using Google Sitesearch Options

[FredAt]

I am in the process of putting the finishing touches to a website which I want to get online sometime very soon. One of the final tasks I am dealing with is putting in a good site search facility. My personal inclination has been to create a search page that has precisely the same look and feel as the rest of the site and deliver results using server side scripting. However, I have been told by a number of people that at least for starters it would be a better idea to simply run a Google advanced search query since this is the easiest way of getting their spider to index the site. Is there any mileage in this?

[Randy]

No. It has no positive effect. No negative effect in spidering either, but no positive effect.

For my money, I'd rather have my own site search facility. Not only because I can tweak it to target some pages showing up higher in the results, but because when it's a my own search facility running from my own databse I can then mine the searches being conducted by real people to better optimize my site. IMO too many people take the easy way out and completely ignore this amazingly helpful and free data resource that should tell you exactly what people are looking for and give you tons of 100% free feedback.

[torka]

It's really not that hard to get Google to index your pages.

The major thing that will encourage Google to retain the pages of your site in its main index is for each page to be "important" enough to warrant that indexing. The way for each page of your site to demonstrate it's "importance" is by having links pointing to it from other useful pages. Coincidentally, this is also one of the factors that will help you with rankings in all the search engines (not just Google).

So what I'm saying is, Google will naturally index your pages as you go about the normal course of marketing and promoting your website. Generally speaking, you don't have to go out of your way to get them to index your pages.

Make your decision based on what you think will provide the best experience for your human visitors. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

--Torka (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mf_prop.gif)

[Randy]

Oh and before I forget to mention it, think about the theory they're trying to feed you.

They're saying Google will spider and index pages that they wouldn't otherwise if you use a Google search box. Presumably because these previously UN-indexed pages were now showing up the search results and Google would now know they exist.

But how can this theory make any sense at all? After all, if the pages are not indexed they wouldn't be showing up in any Search Results page --including a Google Site Search-- so there could be no trigger to cause them to be spidered. So their theory is by simply adding a Google Search box to your site is magically going to cause them to index pages that they don't even know exist? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

Gotta love circular logic that completely ignores cause and effect. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif)

[FredAt]

Thank you, all. Pretty much what I had thought but it is always good to verify.