Searches displaying home page only

Individual pages not good representation

[scriptart]

I would like to know how to have my homepage pop up from search engines that post only certain pages. When the viewer sees them they are not getting the entire site.
What do you think?
Thanks!
scriptart

[lazerzubb]

Not really sure what you are after, you only want the search engine to present the index page?

If so you can use robots.txt or meta noindex tag for that, not sure if that was what you where looking for though.

Welcome to WebmasterWorld

[scriptart]

Not really sure what you are after, you only want the search engine to present the index page?
If so you can use robots.txt or meta noindex tag for that, not sure if that was what you where looking for though.

Welcome to WebmasterWorld

Thanks lazerzubb --- Index page only from searches: Yes that is exactly what I want!
How do I use robots.txt or meta noidex tag? I'll search for that in the meantime. I appreciate knowing it can be done.
Thanks for the reply and the welcome.

[Shak]

taken from Inktomi guidelines:

Q: For style or marketing reasons I want everyone who visits my site to come through the home page. Why is this undesired?

A: Users want the search engine to lead them directly to the relevant content pages; they do not want to click a search result only to discover they must then navigate or "drill down" through that site.

You dont mean something like the above do you, as your questions wasnt too clear?

Shak

[scriptart]

Yes, I am asking a similar question. I hadn't thought of the searchers desire to just find the relevant page so they don't have to drill down through the site. Good info.
I guess the best answer is just to put a link to my home page on all my additional pages. Do you agree?
Thanks!

[chiyo]

yes. thats' what most people do.

when people click on a search engine result they want to be sent to that page, not the index page.

[Shak]

strategic optimisation can make your home page show up for "all" your desired keywords.

just takes a lot of work, or mucho dineros :)

Shak

[edited by: Shak at 3:28 pm (utc) on July 12, 2003]

[scriptart]

Thank you for sharing your expertise and opinions. It is really helpful to know what the standard practice is. I'll go with the link to my home page on each additional page.
No tengo muchos dineros!
Thanks again!

[Robert Charlton]

scriptart - Welcome to WebmasterWorld.

I think you may be asking about how to get search engines to return your frameset and framed page combinations, rather than just returning your framed pages. Is this your question? If it is, the answer and the optimizing considerations are a bit different from the good information you've gotten so far.

With framed pages, there is javascript you can put on the pages to reconstitute the frameset.

See message #21 on this thread:
[webmasterworld.com...]

You can probably find more ways of doing this by using site search, or by searching WebmasterWorld on Google. On Google, the search might be something like:

reconstituting framed page javascript site:webmasterworld.com

Additionally, you should have, at the least, a link back to your home page on each framed page. Unless you use a separate frameset for each framed page (hard to do if you have more than two windows), you will find that framed sites limit greatly the range of terms for which you can optimize.

Also, to optimize the frameset of a framed site, you need to use the noframes tag. Again, use site search or Google to find more information on this.

Whether your site is framed or unframed, keep in mind that the unit of optimization is basically the page, and to optimize a site for a range of terms you want to take advantage of each and every page on the site. You don't want to limit yourself to just your home page.

Your question suggests you have a lot of reading to do. Here's a good thread to start with:

Successful Site in 12 Months for Google Alone
[webmasterworld.com...]

[scriptart]

Thank you, Robert. Yes, I have a lot of reading to do.
Thanks for all the feedback. I am sure to learn something as I search around! I did put links to my index page on each additional page, so searhers have the option to link back once they hit a certain page.
You have all been clear and helpful, even though my initial question wasn't clear. Thanks!
scriptart

[Robert Charlton]

scriptart - You're very welcome. I'm still not sure, though, what your original question was. Are you concerned about framed pages detached from the frameset, or do you just like the idea of people reading your website "in order," starting at the home page?

[scriptart]

My question was about searchers hitting individual pages that just showed them that basic page. The only way they would find my index page was to take it upon themselves to look at the path and figure out my main domain.

I thought I wanted the link to pop over to my index page if I received a hit on an individual page or frame. But then, as I learned, the searcher would not then get the info they had searched for, and then have to "drill down" through my site looking for the info. I agreed with that being a problem, so I opted for placing a home page link on each of my additional pages. This website that I'm working on is pretty simple compared to some, so this was a good resolution.

I think what you shared is good info, as I have a few framed pages that are receiving hits, and there isn't a link to my index page. More to think about.
Thanks, Robert!