Tables and JavaScript

Effects on spiders

[Strange]

I was wondering how much tables and javascripts effect how spiders, specifically googlebot, read a site. It was my understanding that the effect on positioning was neglegible, but I have heard a few different things recently and I am second guessing a little bit.

[korkus2000]

They can't read javascript and tables just add to the bulk. I have not seen problems with excessively nested tables either. I have seen pages with 8 - 10 nests deep still get links and content spidered. If you are using JS for links they won't follow them.

[jpjones]

Spiders should read your site top down looking only for content. Any tables and javascript are ignored as being unwanted "noise".

Taking this on board - As far as I know (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), but Googlebot in particular reads the first 101k of a site only. Therefore all Javascript code should be held in an external file, or at the bottom of the webpage.
I don't know off the top of my head the page size limits of any other spiders.

[lachtzu]

2 questions re. previous posts:
1 - so if a site has a whole lot of javascript pop-up windows containing keywords, etc., then Googlebot and other spiders won't find them because the links are javascript - i.e. they should be re-done as html links?
&
2 - is the 101K limit for Googlebot for the entire site, or per each unique page on the site?

[jpjones]

if a site has a whole lot of javascript pop-up windows containing keywords, etc., then Googlebot and other spiders won't find them because the links are javascript - i.e. they should be re-done as html links?

I've not seen any evidence that content from pop-up windows will be spidered if you're using JavaScript to create the pop-up. Hence, if you want google to spider this content, then either:

Create a sitemap page and ensure there are links to these pages,

or

Change your links to standard html links.

is the 101K limit for Googlebot for the entire site, or per each unique page on the site?

It's a per-page limit.

JP