Dynamically database generated databases can hinder search engine positioning

Database-Driven Websites - a Dynamic Mistake?

If your business thrives on top search engine positioning, you may be surprised to know that there are website development techniques that hinder search engine spiders from indexing websites.

One of these techniques involves database-driven websites (DDW). These take many forms. If you have an e-commerce website with dozens or thousands of products, it's likely that these are all taken from a database. Many of the do-it-yourself e-commerce systems on the market fall into this category, including Yahoo! Stores.

Database driven websites can prevent search engines from indexing a site because they do not allow search engine spiders to dig deeply into a site through the use of certain characters in the URL. Here's a typical URL for a DDW:

http://r2.us.rmi.yahoo.com/rmi/http://www.domain.com/store/show_products.asp/
rmivars%3ftarget=_top?category=404

The percent character (%) is considered a "stop" character in many of the search engines. If your URL includes a stop character, a crawler-based search engine will not be able to index that particular page. If all of your pages are dynamically generated, your website will not be indexable at all.

This could be trouble for companies that need to have good search engine positioning or who are likely to get good search engine positions because of the fabulous content on their sites. There are many examples of articles and valuable information that will never see the light of day in a search engine because the content on the site is delivered from a database.

The benefits of DDW are several. The ability to make instant updates through a single change to a database file is very appealing. For sites that have lots of products or information that needs to be kept organized, a database is virtually essential. However, it has been our experience that most companies EXPECT their site will have good search engine positioning. Through the improper use of frames or databases, these companies often have their expectations dashed.

There are workarounds for DDW to make them more search engine friendly and if they are incorporated at the beginning of website development, they don't have to be expensive. I would also like to point out that directories (like Yahoo!, Looksmart and others) don't worry about database driven sites as they typically list only the homepage's URL.

Because of the convenience and power of DDW, some developers tend to suggest them to their clients without regard for their marketing requirements in the search engines. When you're considering the development of your website, make sure you discuss your wishes regarding search engine positioning with your developer. Tell them you want a search engine-friendly website. Even better, ask them to tell you what makes a website search engine friendly. If you believe search engines are important to your online success and a developer can't tell you, it's time to talk to someone else.

Contact The Web For Business.com at the following co-ordinates:

4 Conroy Crescent, Thorold, Ontario L2V 4R3
Tel: 905-227-6667
Fax: 905-227-6668
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Developers of The Niagara Guide Network

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