Framed Site or Not

[webdude]

I have a site that is framed that had a PR5. It was popping up #1 for 5 key phrases for the past year. Suddenly it dropped to page 11 when searching these phrases, but the wierd thing is that I can't find the main page anywhere in google. All the individual pages are showing up (ie pages that are loaded into the frame), but the index page is gone.

Would it be worth it to get rid of the frames and go to a non-framed site?

If I load the site as
[mysite.com...]
I get a PR5

If I load the site as
[mysite.com...]
I get bar greyed out

If I load the site as
[mysite.com...]
I get a PR2

If I load the site as
[mysite.com...]
I get bar greyed out

Why would the main index.html be greyed out?

[lazerzubb]

Don't trust the toolbar to much, it can play with you, i think the times you can avoid frames try to do it.

[ciml]

If you search for site:yourdomain.com -xyzmadeupword (where xyzmadeupword does not appear on your pages) in www-fi.google.com and then append &filter=0 to the search URL, you should be able to see which of those URLs are in Google with real PageRank, and which haven't been found by Google (or were found and merged with the main one).

I agree with lazerzubb, you're better off avoiding frames.

[jaffstar]

Webdude,

I am finding that the top 3 positions (where I used to be) are held with sites with frames. I am contemplating adding frames to my site.

Basically no-one is getting found, I would wait it out until the dust settles.

[savegrace]

WebDude,

Try updating the pages and upload to your site. You should get the ranks back in a day.

[outrun]

I had to do a webpage that the client wanted frames for and didnt want to do otherwise, All its internal pages and even the framset rank very well, and they have stayed strong even with the two updates hassles that a lot of people have been having. I dont like frames but if for some reason there is no other way I always make sure that you have adequate navigation links on the child pages and none abused <noframe> tags.

regards,
Mark

[doc_z]

.. but the wierd thing is that I can't find the main page anywhere in google ..

For me it seems that this problem isn't caused by the frames. Many people have a problem with their main page after the Dominic, respectively, Esmeralda update.

Why would the main index.html be greyed out?

Apart from the fact that ToolbarPR is in flux and problems with the shown value, a reason might be that all links (internal and external) are pointing to www.mysite.com (mysite.com).

[webdude]

Okay, I did the search you suggested (site:yourdomain.com -xyzmadeupword) and it appears that all my pages are there. Wierd though how most of the pages are from the frames and mysite.com falls in the middle of the pack, even though its PR5 and the other pages are lower. I guess the PR means pretty much nothing because Google does not seem to be following its own ranking.

But still, I now have conflicting views of frames. Some say no, some say yes. The site only has around 20 html pages with product searches and basket so it would not be a big deal to change. Maybe I will wait and see if the site will pop to #1 again.

[newriver1]

If at all possible don't use frames.

[DavidT]

I know this debate has been done to death but........ In Google, at any rate, I cannot see any disadvantage to using frames.

My index frameset page ranks so well it surprises even me with Google seeming to give full weight to the non-frames area. This is GOLD in seo terms.