Google's Bot?

[Anne Troy]

We noticed today an inordinate number of "guests" showing up on the board. So many that our "current users online" number jumped from about 17 or so to 27. When checking the IP, they all had the same first 3 parts, so we checked it out, and it was Google. Hopefully, we'll start showing up a little higher in their searches!

[JackInTheUK]

Anne

Sounds like you have been spidered?

Jack

[Anne Troy]

Yep!

[Jacob Hilderbrand]

Excellent :)

[SJ McAbney]

Can I suggest adding alt tags to the images on the home page to increase the Google PageRank even more?

Also, why is there a link to the home page on the home page :confused:

[Anne Troy]

Ab:
Don't know what you mean by alt tags.
As for the menu...I want the menu to look the same on every page.

[SJ McAbney]

Certain browsers can't display pictures and some people set their browsers not to show pictures. So, the alt tag is used to display some text on the occasion that the picture can't be shown. Google, when sorting the best sites to the top and chucking the garbage to the bottom awards sites favourably that make use of the alt tag. Likewise with meaningful page titles, meaningful link titles, good word choice in header tags, etc.

[Zack Barresse]

I agree with Abu on the Alt tags. But I've become lazy and haven't checked. But I think it's a great idea. :)



As for the menu...I want the menu to look the same on every page.


Agreed, except the link to the home page, on the home page, as Abu pointed out. That's just silly :rofl It needs to be there, but just w/o a hyperlink, imho.

[Anne Troy]

So...y'all want me to remove the hyperlink from each page's button...
See? Then I can't copy the menu and paste it to a new page. I've gotta worry about hyperlinks. You guys are a pain in the frontpage. LOL! Okay. I will do that.

But I still don't know how to make alt tags. If someone can give me an example, I'll be happy... unless someone else wants the WHOLE web in FrontPage? Hee hee...

[SJ McAbney]

If using FrontPage, right click on the image in the WYSIWYG editor and select properties. I think it's on the second tab under Alternative Text.

In Dreamweaver the alt text is in the image propery box that's typically at the bottom of the screen.

[SJ McAbney]

Google likes Site Maps too. ;)

[Anne Troy]

Okay. All but the site map done, I think. Will you check it, Ab?
And I'm not sure how to do the site map so it doesn't look ridiculous.

[mark007]

I don't have a problem with the Home button existing on the home page - many sites do this.

Format for alt attrivutes is:

<img src="mypic.jpg" alt="This is a pic of something">

[Zack Barresse]

You know, as being self-taught in everything that I do, sometimes my questions come late in the game and seem rather basic. Ok, so I'm sure all of my questions seem basic to everyone, but I gotta ask. Here's another one of those questions:

What does this mean?


Anne

Sounds like you have been spidered?

Jack


I'm not familiar with the term 'spidered'. Is this a good thing? Cause it sounds bad, as I hate spiders. So somebody please quench my fears and set me at ease. ;)

[Anne Troy]

Hee hee...
I can't say that I have a technical definition, and it's not a stupid question 'cause I just learned the answer to that myself not long ago...

They're just going through our site with a bot. Go to our "who's online" page. Scroll to the bottom. Choose User Agent = Yes, and then hit Display. Look carefullly at the window where just the IP addresses used to be, and you'll see something like this in a lot of them:

64.68.82.135
Googlebot/2.1
(+http://www.googlebot.com/bot.html)

Only us admins can see that info, I believe.

[JackInTheUK]

Hi buddy its Jack ?spidered?

OK google is not just a search engine like any other it runs in extreme complex fashion of operation from many not one data sets and application running front and back, very cleaver that?s why IMO the worlds leader, ok spiders, are a nick name that?s now stuck from a search engine searching the web for sites / pages to register into its data base[s] the kits used rips data nd adds to that data set subject to conditions, ie its told to look for Jack some time it will fine me !!! also they are told to grap all, now the kit used way back early doors was dubbed spider as that what it did crawled over the invisible side of the net to look ? link ? record ? site information to its data banks, the term stuck and so now if google visits your site you have been spidered, its spun a web to you to trap your pages and come back for the later taking chucks each visit, thus spiders web = spidered.

Hope that add to your knowledge in simple terms, ive missed loads out, nowadays you can pay to be spidered.

OK Admins can see this only, that?s incorrect or how would Jack know of this actions unless I can be very lucky at guessing and so say that the readership / on line is high due to this Jack would see as offensive and rude, so the knowledge must have been there to make such a clams. Sure I have run OzGrid with Dave for a over a year I know exactly what in looking at on the front end most forums run the same basic way just how they run and the bells whistles and structure / look is different even programmed language but they are very closely related they have to be they do the same thing so I guess I can see what many cant just by that knowledge from doing the job. Most techi stuff is not so complex once you have done it, its more a thought process, thus I did here, have a sniff around and thus my answer.

Hope you enjoyed the explain, Jack as many have guess is a mine filed for loads of stuff like this just most are not rally interested.

Have fun

Jack

[JackInTheUK]

Anne

RE: Go to our "who's online" page.

Dunno if that?s true Anne I think your find that Google has spidered quite a bit more than that for you, gota be good news

Jack

[Zack Barresse]

... Jack as many have guess is a mine filed for loads of stuff like this just most are not rally interested.

Have fun

Jack



I wouldn't say that Jack! Thank you for the excellent explanation! :ipray: Sounds like a good thing then, getting the word out and all.

Take care! :)

[Anne Troy]

Wow. Dave Hawley was kind enough to send me an email (since he'd been watching it, and frankly, I forgot all about that stuff) to let us know that we're ranking 5 of 10 on Google on our home page. I understand that's pretty good. I couldn't find any better explanation: http://101topranking.com/google_page_rank.htm

[cmpgeek]

You know, as being self-taught in everything that I do, sometimes my questions come late in the game and seem rather basic. Ok, so I'm sure all of my questions seem basic to everyone, but I gotta ask. Here's another one of those questions:

I'm not familiar with the term 'spidered'. Is this a good thing? Cause it sounds bad, as I hate spiders. So somebody please quench my fears and set me at ease. ;)
it looks like we have some things in common firefytr...
95% of everything i know about PCs has been by my own trial and error...
and we feel the same about not only the spidered comment, but about spiders in general LOL

(actually i had already asked about the comment when i saw your post so i turned around and deleted mine lol)..

it is nice to know i am in good company :)