Issues optimizing commerce site that requires login

[grant]

I am trying to optimize a diverse (everything from electronics to chocolates) commerce site that requires login.

Since the "real" product pages that members see requires logging in, the client created pages with "quick" product descriptions that robots can find. These pages are about 4 clicks in (site map > products page > product category list > product detail page) and have lost 4 PR points from the homepage.

I am considering the following architectural options:

1. Make the "quick" product descriptions no more than 2 clicks off home page, and increase content pertaining to each product.

2. Make "member" product pages accessible to public, require login only when user adds to shopping cart.

For both options above, I will urge the client to keep creating useful content for all products.

I'd like to hear feedback on my ideas, and any other solutions.

About 90% of the links on this site pop up a new browser that begins the registration process, and I'm wondering if these links might have other implications. Lastly, these "category" links are on every page, which seems to confuse the theme of each page. For instance, the product page for a DVD player has links for coffee, flowers, etc. on one side of the page.

[Brett_Tabke]

That sounds like a good plan. Keep the good content as close too root as possible, while providing deep content at the same time.

Lastly, I have no idea why you would want you members to login. The one study I have seen, has shown logins will cut 50% off your bottom line.

[nippi]

I add a request to log in the first add to cart, which then does not fire after logging in.

Whole site is crawled

[BigDave]

Only have them login when they absolutely have to. That would be when they want to check out, or if the want to retrieve a previous shopping cart or wish list.

If I am going around a site looking to see if they have everything that I am looking for, I am likely to add to the shopping cart till I see that they have most of what I want.

Registering or logging in is a real PITA that is likely to lose you a lot of viewers before they get to the point where they have enough invested to be willing to bother.

[grant]

Hi guys,

I recognize that nobody wants to login, and I appreciate that feedback, but please note that I was hired to increase the SERPs. I agree that logging in is a pain, but let's please bury this part of the discussion and focus on how a site like this can be optimized for better SERPs.

Thanks!

[BigDave]

Okay, my advice still holds in relation to improving your ranking. You want to have all your good information available to the public (which includes googlebot).

It will make both the spiders and your users happier.

The one thing you should absolutely NOT do is to allow googlebot to crawl the pages that require a login. When a user clicks on a link expecting information, and gets a login screen, it just annoys the user, which will make google unhappy.

[grant]

The one thing you should absolutely NOT do is to allow googlebot to crawl the pages that require a login.

Hey BigDave -- that's exactly what I'm thinking about. If Google REPEATEDELY hits login screens (in new browsers, "oh, quit it!"), is this going to be a penalty of sorts? When you say they "won't like it", I'm trying to get a handle on what, exactly, this might mean.

Thanks!

[BigDave]

I have never known those pages to last, and I am glad for it. As a searcher, I do not want a login screen. I hit the back button, and if I am especially annoyed I fill out the "are you satisfied with the results" form.

[lazurus]

Log in! Why? That is like a department store having all that enter fill out a form.

Oops, scratch that just saw you second post ;o)

The one thing you should absolutely NOT do is to allow googlebot to crawl the pages that require a login.

That logic escapes me. Better to have *some* find you and log in than never be found at all.