I-Search Discussion List
"Understanding Internet search technology."
List Moderator: Marshall D. Simmonds
E-Mail i-search@mmgco.com
DATE 7/27/99 Issue #144
"Changing menu links effect on SE rank"
~Rod Aries
From: "Rod Aries" <netsavings@home.com>
Subject: Re: changing menu links effect on SE rank
Susan,
Subject: Pop-Up Menus
Currently, my site navigation is accomplished via standard links (no image maps or frames). I'm going to change over to pop-up menus (drop menus) in the near future based on user input. My positioning in the SE's is very good and I want to make sure I don't, unknowingly, make this change only to find out I've impacted my position. Do site navigation pop-up menus impact the way a search engine indexes your site?
Well, two perspectives... and a work-around.
1. search engines search for words, not Java, not images... so if you lose words, valuable keywords from your site, you are diluting your keyword relevancy and density; and that is a problem
2. if you are currently ranked, don't touch that dial... once the date and/or file size changes for a web page, you are open to be re-indexed with whatever the current algorithm is - and it is likely you will drop. Even a simple change like "copyright 1998" to "copyright 1999," the file character size count is the same, but the date of the file has changed, so you are open to being re-indexed.
A possible solution: mirror your site. In example, if your site extensions are all *.htm, create a mirror - with your new drop downs, using *.html, then - obviously - submit all the new *.html pages and keep the old *.htm pages around for awhile. In this way you have a transition period until you can get your new pages ranked :)
At your service,
Rod Aries, How To Internet Your Business Our last two clients had over 600 top 20 rankings for their keywords... yep, 600+
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