Java Menu & SERPs

[pchristensen]

Presently, I am running a site with a Java menuing system where all my deep links reside. When I run any one of the SIM SPIDER programs, they do not pick up the links. I am now considering dropping the Java menu in favor of straight HTML links, but it will come at a significant re-design. I probably have 100+ pages alone in mulitple levels within the Java menu.

Question: Despite the work involved, is it worth it in the long run to change the Java menu to basic HTML links, or am I OKay to leave it at alone...and eventually the spiders will find the links?

Paul

[jatar_k]

Firstly are we talking java or javascript?

Either way, regardless of the amount of work, static html links are the only way to go.

[Toasted]

Just add a sitemap page (linked from the home page with a text link - better to link to it from all pages).

The sitemap will have all your links as normal text links and allow the SE spiders to find all your pages. You can then keep the rest of your menu structure as you have now.

[pchristensen]

That's a relief. So, it appears I can keep the Java script menu intact and add a straight HTML Site Map link which then points to a newly created Site Map page...complete with all 150+ links or...I suppose I can break those down into reaonably-sized groups.

Final question: If I can get most of the links on a single page at the first level from the index page, would that be preferred (from a SERP perspective), than breaking up the Site Map into multiple layers based upon various categories? Or, will the spiders see nothing but a gazillion links on the Site Map page and think its a bunch of spam?

Thanks for the replies!

-Paul

[skipfactor]

So, it appears I can keep the Java script menu intact and add a straight HTML Site Map link which then points to a newly created Site Map page...complete with all 150+ links or...I suppose I can break those down into reaonably-sized groups.

If it were me, I'd ditch the JS menu and try to build a one page sitemap.

[dandaman]

So, it appears I can keep the Java script menu intact and add a straight HTML Site Map link which then points to a newly created Site Map page...complete with all 150+ links or...I suppose I can break those down into reaonably-sized groups.

I strongly disagree. Not having a "balanced" amount of links on "the pages" themselves throws away the overall ability to let PR flow through your site, link text contextualty and many more of the most successful concepts of page optimisation. One single site map just is not good enough to do this job.

That doesnt, however, mean that I recommend to have all 150+ links ever-present on all pages (as href links that is). On the contrary. We all would like to push our so-and-so-many URLs upfront and let them have a direct homepage link, but 150 could be risky, really.

There is a way of having a javascript/dhtml menu still, if it gets re-designed to feature <div id=value> tags and plain ol' normal href links within. That works just as good as static href links do.

[gregh]

i've had bad luck with java menus in the past. to overcome that here is what i did on one of my sites.

I simply put a row of links at the bottom of the site, before the footer. and within each page of the site i make sure the navigation between all the subpages is very well.

so for example, i'll have a link to my pricing page, in the pricing page i have web pricing, seo pricing, and graphic pricing, and several categories below that. just make sure the flow between those is very well, i prefer using a side table with the different sub sections.

that way i can continue to use the javascript menu at the top. and the search engines can flow through my site well, and the PR gets exchanged evenly.