Response.Redirect and SEO

Response.Redirect and SEO (Full Version)

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kt -> Response.Redirect and SEO (5/14/2006 17:55:21)
Apologies if this has been covered before, but I can't find a reference to it. I want to track clicks on external lnks by sending to a file on my site, then redirecting to the URL, for example: <a href="mystatspage.asp?url=http://www.anothersite.com">link</a> mystatspage.asp will collect the info I want to collect into a database then redirect to the external site. My question relates to SEO issues with this. Is it bad or unadvisable? Do Google or others frown on it? I remember reading posts that say Google et al don't look kindly on this, but then I see the method employed on many sites - is it really that simple or are they doing something else that I should know about from an SEO point of view? Many thanks kt

Kitka -> RE: Response.Redirect and SEO (5/14/2006 18:56:33)
I employ a similar method but using PHP on one site. Except my script uses an ID rather than the actual destination URI. I haven't noticed any problem with Google etc, but I have disallowed indexing of the stats page via robots.txt and, for added peace-of-mind, use "rel=nofollow" in every URI leading to the stat page. I don't see how you can be penalised for linking to a page within your own site, that you specifically bar from being indexed. However, I'd love to hear from others who are far more knowledgeable about SEO than I am.

bigtime -> RE: Response.Redirect and SEO (5/15/2006 10:49:53)
One piece of advice when doing this (as I made a very big mistake and was booted from Google for 30 days). I also was tracking the hits to links on my site using the same methodology. I got tired of seeing the Search engine bots and mail harvesters IP addresses coming up in my database. So I decided to make a little script that if it is one of the search engine/mail harvester bots (by IP Address), just skip writing to the datatabase and redirect to the page. BIG MISTAKE - Google thought I was pulling a BMW and took my site off their results for a month. I've since went back just keeping track of everything, then a redirect and have not had any problems with any of the Search Engines since then (Back to number one on my selected key phrases). If you are going to do this, keep track of all hits (including harvesters and bots). You can always separate them out in your results when you want.

kt -> RE: Response.Redirect and SEO (5/15/2006 16:46:04)
Thanks both for the advice. Just to be clear bigtime: 1 Are you also advising not to put rel=nofollow on the links to the stats page? 2 Are you saying that it's okay to write all the ip addresses to the database, as long as you write all of them and don't try to exclude writing if they're saerch engines? thanks, kt

kt -> RE: Response.Redirect and SEO (5/15/2006 18:16:08)
One more question, perhaps an obvious one, but it's late... If I bar the stats page in robots.txt, does that mean that robots will follow the links but then stop as soon as they realise that the link takes them to a barred page, thus never reaching the portion of code in the page that says "Response.Redirect"? thanks again, kt

bigtime -> RE: Response.Redirect and SEO (5/16/2006 8:29:19)

kt,
Below is an example of the code I used. Notice the commented out sections starting with the "Case". When I got into trouble, was when these were not commented out. Of course, now that code doesn't even appear on my new page, but I kept this copy as an example of what NOT to do.
Basically I looked for the beginning of the IP addresses that I knew were obvious bots and just redirected to the page rather than write to the database (big No No).

<%
Request.QueryString("Homepage")
   URL=Request.QueryString("Homepage")

' IF request.servervariables("REMOTE_ADDR") > "" THEN
' myTempArray = split(request.servervariables("REMOTE_ADDR"),".")

' SELECT CASE (myTempArray(0) & "." & myTempArray(1))

' CASE "66.196","68.142","216.117","65.54","212.227","216.52","66.34","203.252","65.19","69.89","66.191","146.94","193.77","68.95","69.57","81.196","68.51","206.225","68.14","67.159","210.177"
' Response.redirect(url)
' END SELECT
' END IF

Dim oConn, oRs
Dim mySQL, connectstr
Dim db_name, db_username, db_userpassword
Dim db_server

db_server = "********"
db_name = "******"
db_username = "******"
db_userpassword = "******"


connectstr = "Driver={MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver};SERVER=" & db_server & ";DATABASE=" & db_name & ";UID=" & db_username & ";PWD=" & db_userpassword

Set oConn = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
oConn.Open connectstr
	
	
	mySQL= "INSERT INTO Redirect "
    mySQL= mySQL & "(URL,IPADD,DTIME) "
	mySQL= mySQL & "VALUES ('" & Request.QueryString("Homepage") & "','" 
    mySQL= mySQL & Request.servervariables("REMOTE_HOST") & "','"
    mySQL= mySQL & dateadd("H",+2,now()) & "')"
    
	Set oRS = oConn.Execute(mySQL)
	
	
	Set oRs = nothing
    Set oConn = nothing

  
 
    
Response.Redirect URL

%>

Since I have changed the code, I have had no issues with the search engines, in fact my rating is the highest it has ever been for my key phrase searches. But that is this week's algorithm. :)

As for your other questions, I am no SEO expert by far...unfortunately I can only tell you what I did wrong. Maybe one of the experts on this site can give you more information on these questions.

Reflect -> RE: Response.Redirect and SEO (5/22/2006 10:51:20)
More generalized answer.... quote: My question relates to SEO issues with this. Is it bad or unadvisable? Do Google or others frown on it? I use redirects through my cgi-bin directory for any clicks I do NOT want the bot to follow. It has never hurt my rankings. quote: I haven't noticed any problem with Google etc, but I have disallowed indexing of the stats page via robots.txt I do the exact same thing. quote: Are you also advising not to put rel=nofollow on the links to the stats page? I thought that was primarily for links off site. quote: Are you saying that it's okay to write all the ip addresses to the database, as long as you write all of them and don't try to exclude writing if they're saerch engines? This one makes no sense, I'm sorry. You have obscured the link so it can not be traced/followed by the bot. How would it know? Even if you did not block it how would it know? quote: If I bar the stats page in robots.txt, does that mean that robots will follow the links but then stop as soon as they realize that the link takes them to a barred page, thus never reaching the portion of code in the page that says "Response.Redirect"? Correct. Take care, Brian

kt -> RE: Response.Redirect and SEO (5/30/2006 6:03:19)
Thanks everyone for the help on this one kt

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