Search Engines Reading menu_data.js

Poster: djfreak
Dated: Thursday August 5 2004 - 20:21:33 BST

Hello to all

We have a drop down menu on our radio page which is becoming long and contains many important keywords which we need for robots.txt or whatever other methods Google uses for placement to read.

Does anyone know how to get google to recognize the text in the menu_data.js file?

Thanks in advance for any help.

-E

Poster: John
Dated: Thursday August 5 2004 - 20:43:32 BST

I don't think the engines understand how to read that stuff. What most folks do is create a second menu inside noscript tags. This actually does 2 things - let's the engines follow your site links, and also has a menu at the ready for those people who have disabled JS.

OK

Poster: djfreak
Dated: Thursday August 5 2004 - 21:01:51 BST

I think I see what you're saying John.

A couple of questions:

1. Where do I put the noscript tags? At the beginning of the menu code or at the end?

2. I know very little about javascript, what do noscript tags look like?

3. Do I paste the entire menu_data.js code into the noscript tags or just the parts with the keyword?

Thanks very much for your help John.

-E

Poster: John
Dated: Thursday August 5 2004 - 21:14:03 BST

Noscript has nothing to do with JS, other than whatever is inside the tags is run if JS is not present. They are standard HTML tags. Just put them in your code where needed per your design...

<noscript>
alternate menu code here (not the aI stuff, just plain HTML)
</noscript>

If JS is active the above will be ignored by the browser.

OK Got it

Poster: djfreak
Dated: Thursday August 5 2004 - 21:32:11 BST

Got it.

The only thing I don't understand is how do I express my menu_data.js file in HTML form?

Thanks again John.

-E

Poster: John
Dated: Thursday August 5 2004 - 21:44:26 BST

First off, you must upgrade. You're running 5.04, current is 5.39. Only the most current version is supported.

Also, the menu needs to be licensed since your page appears to be commercial.

Again, you do not express the _data file in any way in the noscript tags. Just the links that would make up a replacement menu if JS is not active on a site. You already have an example at the bottom of your page for the JS counter...

Just build some HTML links for your menu system.

Poster: djfreak
Dated: Thursday August 5 2004 - 22:16:59 BST

Hey John


"Also, the menu needs to be licensed since your page appears to be commercial."

I assume you are referring to the 500 pound Corporate License. First, we are not a corporation. And, the portion of our site which uses the menu does not sell anything. The one page on our site which sells music does not involve the use of the Melonic menu in any way. Also, we do not sell or pay for any ad space so I think that we are exempt for those reasons. If we use the Melonic menu to sell anything I will happily pay for the corporate license.

Thanks for the upgrade tip I will do that right away.

And thanks for the code clarification. That's very funny. I knew I'd seen that noscript tag somewhere. That will be very easy to code.

Thanks again for the help.

-E

Poster: fredlongworthhighschool
Dated: Friday August 6 2004 - 9:21:30 BST

I may be wrong here, but I would have thought the £24.99 Professional DHTML Menu License would apply here.

Poster: John
Dated: Saturday August 7 2004 - 1:55:35 BST


Agreed.

Poster: kevin3442
Dated: Wednesday August 11 2004 - 4:25:27 BST


Also agreed.

HEY ANDY... I like the new Avatar! I hope the change doesn't reflect a recent change in your general attitude toward life

On the general topic of search engine placement for sites using a Milonic menu, a good article can be found here.

Cheers,

Kevin