Reviewed Search Engine Optimization Articles By Members

Dynamic Solutions for Dynamic URLs on Data Driven Sites

By Terry Van Horne AKA Webmaster T

As a web developer and programmer I have been building and optimizing dynamic sites for the past 4 years. I knew going in that there were some problems with optimization of database driven sites. The first step in programming a solution is identifying the problems you'll encounter implementing the solution. A major problem for dynamic sites is search engine visibility.

Search engine visibility or the degree and depth a spider crawls a site is crucial to all organic SEO campaigns. On static websites this can be controlled through document structure/design, link hierarchy/structure and site architecture. Dynamic sites provide challenges to link structure because some search engine's crawlers do not follow dynamic urls (www.site.com/followme.asp?dynamic=maybe).

The querystring (?dynamic=maybe) is the cause of the indexing problem. The engines affected are primarily AltaVista and Inktomi (Slurp). The others have less problems but can still be troublesome.
Other querystring problems:

1. Google Guy, a representative of Google Inc, has stated there is a problem with sessionID's in querystrings. Avoid using ID for the name in the parameter and use alphanumeric vales if at all possible particularly if the platform is NT. Strictly numeric values can have characteristics associated with SessionID's. NT server uses a numeric value for SessionID's (usually 6+ digits). Combining ID and a numeric value is riskier then ?NUM=1234. PHP is alphanumeric so it is possible a numeric value may be safer. At the very least Avoid using ID as a parameter name. Since Sessions are often used to provide dynamic content other search engines besides Google likely also are wary of urls containing them.
2. 2Avoid using more than 3 parameters
3. Querystrings are often used to maintain state so for a shopping cart the best solution includes a way to maintain state without the querystring.

3.Maintaining State Without Querystrings:
At first this seemed like a daunting task. The ultimate answer was staring me in the face for some time before it came to me. Cookies are a part of the solution but because they are dependent on user settings it is advised to include an alternate tracking method. The method I developed does use parameters, however, search engines or users have to execute a form in order to invoke parameters in the url. If cookies are enabled (search engines aren't cookie enabled) then the session is tracked in NT sessions (phantom cookies) so no parameters are used to maintain state.

2.Number of Parameters in Querystring:
I do use parameters, however, I also use them to steer engines since I use the static .asp pages for sub categories. Since this is "redundant" not "duplicate" content engines which don't like parameters won't follow them but since there is a static page with the same information formatted differently it isn't crucial to visibility.

1.Removing the Querystring:
The best answer to the querystring challenge is to remove it by programming the site using either a server or programmed solution to provide the parameters (?name=value) in the querystring to the program and ultimately the database. The usability gains accrued to users by removing querystrings is a benefit that should be included in your solutions value. Removing querystrings provides an easier url for a user to remember.

One workaround I read about uses a sitemap to link to static pages built from the dynamic pages. Though an easy do for a small site I immediately dismissed this as a workaround, not a solution, no point in making a dynamic site static it seemed to me this just defeated the purpose for it being data driven in the first place. IMO, it also has huge scalability issues. After all, total visibility is the goal, so a sitemap(s) with 3500 links isn't going to be very effective inducing full indexing. Not to mention I'm not a big believer in the sitemap strategy even for static sites. Just seems like another workaround rather then a structured solution.

I didn't go for a server based solution because I was concerned about the associated server load. Pathinfo (www.site.com/followme.asp/dynamic/tough) was very interesting, more so if it was a Perl solution, VbScript is pretty verbose and its pathinfo methods looked kludgy to me, but then again, most MS methods look kludgy to me;). Other notable server solution is mod rewrite on UNIX and either a component or (comparable NT service for mod re-write see asp 101)

The first solution I wrote was in Perl using SSI to embed the database parameters. The pages had static names (page.shtml)which was the ultimate goal for this solution. This worked well but was eventually re-programmed as an .asp solution using embeded database calls in the page. To spiders the site appears static. I advised a client to implement the embedded sql queries on a ColdFusion site with instant success. The site went from 100 pages in Google to over 5,000 in less then 6 weeks! The success is also partially due to the site having a Pr5 for the entry page.

Whenever I'm providing a solution I determine benefits to cost. Sometimes it is more cost effective to look at a solution other than a programmatic solution. It is often effective to look beyond just what you can "personally" provide.

http://www.positiontech.com, provides a 1 stop shopping site for Inclusion to all major programs. This may be a more cost effective workaround then implementing any other solution. The only real drawback to Inclusion is internal links aren't followed so it only provides a partial solution to the indexing problem.

Implementing the Inclusion program should include careful targetting of keyword phrases. Optimize as many pages as you can afford to. XML feeds can also be used to leverage the database for more visibility. XML feeds can leverage the programming almost like putting it on steroids with the big caveat being it can be expensive since payment is based on clicks. However, for anyone thinking of cloaking this is far less risky and likely at or about the same cost.

You can see embeded sql code and optimization of a page using includes and database programming

Edited by Robert Gladstein Raisemyrank.com