New changes in the GOOGLEBOT: Now following JavaScript links?

orvn · 11-09-2010, 11:47 AM

So as of August, it appears Google's made some changes to its crawlers' protocols.

This has always been the way I understood bots handle JavaScript:

- Bots are busy entities.
- They don't like to waste their time on javascript.
- What happens if a javascript enabled bot hits an unresponsive script?
- They'll wait for a timeout.
- This can be extremely detrimental to efficiency, so the bots just surf with javascript turned off.

I'm getting freshly published information from all over the internet about how Google seems to:
1) examine the javascript
2) determine any links
3) determine if the links are worth following
4) if yes, mark for following
5) else ignore and carry on

Check this out:
SEOmoz | YOUmoz - New Reality: Google Follows Links in JavaScript.

Just want to get your thoughts on this development and confirmation that it is indeed new.

dburk · 11-09-2010, 12:48 PM

Hi orvn,

This is not new, look at the published date of that article. Google has been doing this for several years.

yukon · 11-09-2010, 12:49 PM

IMO, Google won't follow a javascript link.

At least not the javascript code I use.

BTW, that article link you posted is from August 7th, 2008

jazbo · 11-09-2010, 01:48 PM

LMAO! When I read this I thought "eh? Google has followed js for years".

Then I saw the date of the SEO moz post linked to.

Epic fail old chap.

orvn · 11-09-2010, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yukon

BTW, that article link you posted is from August 7th, 2008

lol OOPS, FAIL.
I swear I read 2010 for some reason. I had the notion embedded into my head that this article was written early August, 2010.

My mistake everyone,
Carry on.

biggame5 · 11-09-2010, 02:30 PM

No worries we all make mistakes.

11-09-2010, 11:47 AM	#1
orvn Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 756 Thanks: 86 Thanked 178 Times in 102 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	New changes in the GOOGLEBOT: Now following JavaScript links? So as of August, it appears Google's made some changes to its crawlers' protocols. This has always been the way I understood bots handle JavaScript: - Bots are busy entities. - They don't like to waste their time on javascript. - What happens if a javascript enabled bot hits an unresponsive script? - They'll wait for a timeout. - This can be extremely detrimental to efficiency, so the bots just surf with javascript turned off. I'm getting freshly published information from all over the internet about how Google seems to: 1) examine the javascript 2) determine any links 3) determine if the links are worth following 4) if yes, mark for following 5) else ignore and carry on Check this out: SEOmoz \| YOUmoz - New Reality: Google Follows Links in JavaScript. Just want to get your thoughts on this development and confirmation that it is indeed new.
	✄- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Orun Kabir Programming, security, design, writing, semantic web. SEO Jedi. [@orvn] [linkedin] [klout]

11-09-2010, 12:48 PM	#2
dburk Senior Warrior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 4,643 Thanks: 162 Thanked 671 Times in 581 Posts Contact Info	Re: New changes in the GOOGLEBOT: Now following JavaScript links? Hi orvn, This is not new, look at the published date of that article. Google has been doing this for several years.
	Don Burk * Get Results - Outsource Your PPC Management * Get a Keyword Domain Name - www.SeriousNames.com

11-09-2010, 12:49 PM	#3
yukon SEO Strategist War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 6,532 Thanks: 355 Thanked 1,992 Times in 1,273 Posts	Re: New changes in the GOOGLEBOT: Now following JavaScript links? IMO, Google won't follow a javascript link. At least not the javascript code I use. BTW, that article link you posted is from August 7th, 2008
	- SEO Strategist -

11-09-2010, 01:48 PM	#4
jazbo Systematic Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Norfolk, England. Posts: 1,911 Blog Entries: 9 Thanks: 35 Thanked 296 Times in 218 Posts Social Networking	Re: New changes in the GOOGLEBOT: Now following JavaScript links? LMAO! When I read this I thought "eh? Google has followed js for years". Then I saw the date of the SEO moz post linked to. Epic fail old chap.

11-09-2010, 02:30 PM	#6
biggame5 Active Warrior Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 89 Thanks: 9 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: New changes in the GOOGLEBOT: Now following JavaScript links? No worries we all make mistakes.
	I WRITE QUALITY SEO ARTICLES ANY NICHE! http://www.bettinghuge.com http://www.aceraspireblack.com http://www.softwareandservices.org