Tracking users through Gateway Pages

[caragh]

I am trying to find a way to track users from search enines, (both organic and paid submissions) into various purchase pages on a site. My problem is the site I want to track on has an age verification page, where the user needs to select d.o.b ect before entry.

Any ideas?

[panic]

Doorways will hurt you in the long run. They might wind up getting you banned (even if you're doing PFI). My suggestion : stay away from them.

-panic

[caragh]

unfortunately our client requires a gateway page as they are an alcohol brand. They have to have an age verification page on their site.

This is a huge problem as it also stopping search engines from indexing the website.

Any further ideas?

[bcc1234]

Cloak your pages to let spiders through and use cookies to track your visitors as they pass through the third-party pages.

[caragh]

Thanks, the cookies idea is perfect. Can't use cloaking the client does not want any covert methods that are Google unfriendly used.

[bcc1234]

any covert methods that are Google unfriendly used

Explain to him that cloaking is not a bad thing in itself.

[Receptional]

You can also use cookies to dispense with the doorway pages.

If the page starts to load and no cookie confirming age exists, then they get sent to a page requiring them to both confirm their age and switch on cookies if not present.

That way the client is happy and so are the engines. Only thing is that you will need to ensure that the spiders don't get "bounced" which should be pretty easy if you just have a "if cookie then javascript" kinda message, but then keep the rest of the page text rich.

Dixon.

[panic]

Cloak your pages to let spiders through...

Yeah... that works until Google or Inktomi (or any of the other engines, for that matter) find out that you're cloaking. Once you cloak, you're done for.

-p

[bcc1234]

EL-OH-EL.