Forum Moderators: open
I'm doing development work for a DB-driven site and we're currently discussing how to get into Google, since content is normally available to registered users only.
The obvious solution is to make things available to the Googlebot but require registration to view the articles. Now, this is quite obviously cloaking and arguably in the "sneaky" category.
I'm thinking we will need to make that content available to unregistered users.
OK, now for the non-obvious part.
I've come across a lot of news / review sites lately during searches that are doing exactly that: you get the article text on Google, and in the cache if there is one, but if you click the link you have to register (and in some cases even pay) in order to read what Google was allowed to read for free.
With Google News I know they allow that (though I'm not sure whether they do it through partnerships or just so) - but it strikes me as contradictory to the search engine guidelines.
Since it's obviously being done a lot, is there some way in which it's allowed or tolerated, or is this more likely just a case of Google not getting around to punishing the sites?
We're not in Google at all right now (all our content being at least semi-"private") and I don't want us to get banned or punished out of the gate. On the other hand, there is a desire to keep the registration requirement on that content.
The only compromise I can think of off hand is to show *part* of the content and a register link to see the rest, and then show the same thing to Google and to unregistered users coming from a link.
Can somebody with more experience please give me a nudge with the Clue Stick?
Thanks.
