Scared about redirecting

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Scared about redirecting

This PHP won't be considered cloaking will it?

Corey

2:20 pm on May 25, 2007 (gmt 0)

I'm working with a developer to move from a static site to a PHP CMS site for a major client. He's recommending using PHP script to "redirect" in order to use certain templates in certain scenarios.

As an SEO, I can't help but get nervous when I hear the word "redirect". I want to make sure "Big G" doesn't think that I'm cloaking, redirecting, or anything even like that. This is a big client and I need to stay as white hat as possible with it.

The script he is planning on using is something like...

<?php header("Location:other-page.php");?>
<!DOCTYPE.....>
<html>
...

Can someone confirm for this "nervous SEO" that I should not be concerned? This is normal operation and should not get us in trouble, should it?

Corey

jatar_k

4:27 pm on May 25, 2007 (gmt 0)

I'm not sure I understand what he actually wants to use a redirect for.

can you flush out the logic of using a redirect and what exactly he is using it for?

joelgreen

5:46 pm on May 25, 2007 (gmt 0)

As far as I know, header("Location....") is a 302 redirect (temporal), while Google likes permanent redirects. The script should send correct header. But i'm not 100% sure :)

But it all depends on what you are trying to achieve.

Corey

11:57 am on May 31, 2007 (gmt 0)

The site is templated and most pages use the same template. However, a few non-standard pages use their own templates and therefore need their own page – thus the redirect. This is necessary because the meta tags and URL parameter defining page links for all pages live in the database and assumes all pages use the same template. For those non-standard pages, the original template pages is loaded, then redirected to the custom page while maintaining the URL parameter and thus the meta tags and page identifier.

Any thoughts on if this could get us in trouble with the SEs?

Habtom

12:01 pm on May 31, 2007 (gmt 0)

I kept on wondering if your site was HTML (completely static) what are we redirecting here, from a new page to a new page.

This can't run on static pages, can it?

<?php header("Location:other-page.php");?>
<!DOCTYPE.....>
<html>
...

Hab

[edited by: eelixduppy at 12:56 pm (utc) on May 31, 2007]
[edit reason] disabled smile face [/edit]

jatar_k

1:18 pm on May 31, 2007 (gmt 0)

I don't see the need for the redirect really, sounds like spaghetti logic a bit

if you are including the template why not just include the custom template for those few pages

Having a redirect is the wrong way to do it, it is not a temporary or permanent move, you are just using the redirect as part of your normal site function, which would be incorrect.