Why is JavaScript such an issue for SEO?
It is inevitable for the Information Age and its overwhelming amount of Internet content to become a way of our everyday lives. The things we wish to know, understand, research or clarify are only a few keystrokes away. Because the world of technology is always changing one issue continues to be problematic; the use of newer java scripted websites and the concept of search engine optimization (“SEO”). Javascript is simply web coding that allows an internet site to effectively interact with the user. The problem between Javascript and optimizing a website for use with search engines is similar to that of a word (or typed) document vs. a pdf. A word document is simply a piece of paper with individually recognized words on it. Each word is in and of itself a single entity and therefore the computer recognizes them. PDF documents on the other hand are recognized as a whole. Although there is software available to convert a pdf into a more searchable document, it’s not an automatic process.
This concept is the same for Java scripted websites. Search engines are implemented and designed to work with papers and documents, not applications and programs. Search engine crawlers download the HTML from a website and pulls out the portions that match what a searcher is looking for. If the information is coded within an application, the crawler is not able to recognize it as text and by-passes it.
There are solutions available to assist in creating a cohesive working relationship between Javascript and search engines allowing the bot to easily maneuver through a java scripted page such as site maps, HTML Snap shots or a PhantomJS web kits. As with every other technology geared ideal, multiple solutions will arise to combat this issue in the months to come.
