YARGH! A useful post from a goofy pirate: Your theme matters.

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  • Chio
    Confirmed User
    • Oct 2002
    • 8002

    #1

    YARGH! A useful post from a goofy pirate: Your theme matters.

    I've never seen anything on this but if you know about this disregard

    I have two similar sites pulling the same feeds, and are roughly the same domains (one is pluralized form of the other) I noticed that one has weird stuff indexed (ie feedlinks, wp login page etc.) and seems to be neglected by google while the other one seems to be indexing fine.

    I had a hunch because of what was being indexed on the one site might have something to do with theme I was using.

    If you use firefox and the webdev plugin you can disable styles and see the page as a spider would.

    Sure enough when I compared the two themes without css styling, one was displaying all the menu stuff up top, while the other one had all the menu stuff at the bottom.

    I am going through a lot of the themes I usually use to see if there are any more that behave like this so I can switch them to the theme that displays the content up top rather than menu stuff.

    Theme designers here, you should check out your templates to see how the content is really displaying.

    I seo'd my hair yesterday and today it's pr7!
    RIP Texas Dreams

    Are you a content producer or program owner sick of tube sites? Contact me on ICQ: 39-183769
  • Chio
    Confirmed User
    • Oct 2002
    • 8002

    #2

    I seo'd my hair yesterday and today it's pr7!
    RIP Texas Dreams

    Are you a content producer or program owner sick of tube sites? Contact me on ICQ: 39-183769

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    • borked
      Totally Borked
      • Feb 2005
      • 6284

      #3
      huh? Why would CSS styling change how a spider sees a page - just use a text browser like Lynx is how I do it. Isn't that how a spider sees things?

      For coding work - hit me up on andy // borkedcoder // com
      (consider figuring out the email as test #1)



      All models are wrong, but some are useful. George E.P. Box. p202

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      • Chio
        Confirmed User
        • Oct 2002
        • 8002

        #4
        Originally posted by borked
        huh? Why would CSS styling change how a spider sees a page - just use a text browser like Lynx is how I do it. Isn't that how a spider sees things?

        I didn't say it was the css silly goose. Disabling the css is the way you can see how the theme is laid out content wise.

        I'll post links to the themes in a minute so you can download them and see for yourself what I mean.

        I seo'd my hair yesterday and today it's pr7!
        RIP Texas Dreams

        Are you a content producer or program owner sick of tube sites? Contact me on ICQ: 39-183769

        Comment

        • borked
          Totally Borked
          • Feb 2005
          • 6284

          #5
          please do, because I'm confused!

          For coding work - hit me up on andy // borkedcoder // com
          (consider figuring out the email as test #1)



          All models are wrong, but some are useful. George E.P. Box. p202

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          • Chio
            Confirmed User
            • Oct 2002
            • 8002

            #6
            the theme with with menu stuff up top was juice 2.0 from themes.wordpress.net

            the other was unsleepable If you have the plugin to disable css just do test run and disable styles right on the test site.

            I seo'd my hair yesterday and today it's pr7!
            RIP Texas Dreams

            Are you a content producer or program owner sick of tube sites? Contact me on ICQ: 39-183769

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            • darksoul
              Confirmed User
              • Apr 2002
              • 4997

              #7
              Originally posted by borked
              huh? Why would CSS styling change how a spider sees a page - just use a text browser like Lynx is how I do it. Isn't that how a spider sees things?
              because you can manipulate the location of a div from css to appear for
              example at the bottom although its listed first in the html page.

              and it doesn't change how a spider sees the page but how you see it
              so while you see it at the bottom its actually first in page
              creating duplicate content pages for spiders
              Last edited by darksoul; 01-19-2007, 04:26 AM.
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              • Chio
                Confirmed User
                • Oct 2002
                • 8002

                #8
                Originally posted by darksoul
                because you can manipulate the location of a div from css to appear for
                example at the bottom although its listed first in the html page.
                Exactly right, but in this case the css has nothing to do with it. It's the theme itself that is causing the problem.
                Last edited by Chio; 01-19-2007, 04:27 AM.

                I seo'd my hair yesterday and today it's pr7!
                RIP Texas Dreams

                Are you a content producer or program owner sick of tube sites? Contact me on ICQ: 39-183769

                Comment

                • borked
                  Totally Borked
                  • Feb 2005
                  • 6284

                  #9
                  Originally posted by darksoul
                  because you can manipulate the location of a div from css to appear for
                  example at the bottom although its listed first in the html page.

                  and it doesn't change how a spider sees the page but how you see it
                  so while you see it at the bottom its actually first in page
                  creating duplicate content pages for spiders
                  I know that, which is why I mentioned a text browser...

                  For coding work - hit me up on andy // borkedcoder // com
                  (consider figuring out the email as test #1)



                  All models are wrong, but some are useful. George E.P. Box. p202

                  Comment

                  • tenderobject
                    Need Designs? 312352846
                    • Dec 2004
                    • 11688

                    #10
                    whats the plugin to disable css chio? this would be a good thread for bloggers


                    NEED DESIGNS?!?

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                    • darksoul
                      Confirmed User
                      • Apr 2002
                      • 4997

                      #11
                      Originally posted by borked
                      I know that, which is why I mentioned a text browser...
                      ya, but most browse from windows and never heard of a text browser
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                      • Chio
                        Confirmed User
                        • Oct 2002
                        • 8002

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Chio
                        Exactly right, but in this case the css has nothing to do with it. It's the theme itself that is causing the problem.
                        oops darksoul replied before your edit. If borked goes and does the test run he'll see what I mean.


                        Borked css had nothing to do with the post. I was just saying how disabling css would show the way the theme's divs are laid out and thus how a search engine would see the page.

                        Themes that are behaving like this would be very easy to fix by just rearranging the divs in the templates. The css regardless of how the divs are laid out will display the page correctly.

                        I seo'd my hair yesterday and today it's pr7!
                        RIP Texas Dreams

                        Are you a content producer or program owner sick of tube sites? Contact me on ICQ: 39-183769

                        Comment

                        • Chio
                          Confirmed User
                          • Oct 2002
                          • 8002

                          #13
                          Originally posted by tenderobject
                          whats the plugin to disable css chio? this would be a good thread for bloggers
                          It's the webdeveloper plugin for Firefox. Get it here: http://chrispederick.com/work/webdeveloper/

                          I seo'd my hair yesterday and today it's pr7!
                          RIP Texas Dreams

                          Are you a content producer or program owner sick of tube sites? Contact me on ICQ: 39-183769

                          Comment

                          • StuartD
                            Sofa King Band
                            • Jul 2002
                            • 29903

                            #14
                            Originally posted by borked
                            huh? Why would CSS styling change how a spider sees a page - just use a text browser like Lynx is how I do it. Isn't that how a spider sees things?
                            http://www.ratemypaysite.com/ -> with css
                            http://www.ratemypaysite.com/?nocss=1 -> without css

                            See how the links and ads and other such info show at the bottom without the CSS? The main text/description gets pushed to the top, as far as the google spider sees it.
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                            • borked
                              Totally Borked
                              • Feb 2005
                              • 6284

                              #15
                              I see it - very interesting, because in a text browser, they both show the menus at teh top, yet disabling css shows a different picture...

                              For coding work - hit me up on andy // borkedcoder // com
                              (consider figuring out the email as test #1)



                              All models are wrong, but some are useful. George E.P. Box. p202

                              Comment

                              • Chio
                                Confirmed User
                                • Oct 2002
                                • 8002

                                #16
                                Originally posted by borked
                                I see it - very interesting, because in a text browser, they both show the menus at teh top, yet disabling css shows a different picture...
                                Hmm that is weird. I checked with the google cache of those pages and see the layout as I did by disabling css so I think that's what matters. Strange though, are you using lynx?

                                I seo'd my hair yesterday and today it's pr7!
                                RIP Texas Dreams

                                Are you a content producer or program owner sick of tube sites? Contact me on ICQ: 39-183769

                                Comment

                                • borked
                                  Totally Borked
                                  • Feb 2005
                                  • 6284

                                  #17
                                  Originally posted by StuartD
                                  http://www.ratemypaysite.com/ -> with css
                                  http://www.ratemypaysite.com/?nocss=1 -> without css

                                  See how the links and ads and other such info show at the bottom without the CSS? The main text/description gets pushed to the top, as far as the google spider sees it.
                                  yeah, but in a text browser, both sites show content at top...
                                  the WP themes though show a different story - both themes in a text browser show links at top, though without CSS, only one has links at top.

                                  For coding work - hit me up on andy // borkedcoder // com
                                  (consider figuring out the email as test #1)



                                  All models are wrong, but some are useful. George E.P. Box. p202

                                  Comment

                                  • karlm
                                    Confirmed User
                                    • Jun 2004
                                    • 4194

                                    #18
                                    Wow great spot

                                    Just one Q

                                    Coudl you get penalized by google for changing a theme cos wouldnt it be changing alot of pages all in one go
                                    ICQ 584665926

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                                    • borked
                                      Totally Borked
                                      • Feb 2005
                                      • 6284

                                      #19
                                      Originally posted by Chio
                                      Hmm that is weird. I checked with the google cache of those pages and see the layout as I did by disabling css so I think that's what matters. Strange though, are you using lynx?
                                      It is weird! yes, I'm using lynx

                                      For coding work - hit me up on andy // borkedcoder // com
                                      (consider figuring out the email as test #1)



                                      All models are wrong, but some are useful. George E.P. Box. p202

                                      Comment

                                      • StuartD
                                        Sofa King Band
                                        • Jul 2002
                                        • 29903

                                        #20
                                        Originally posted by karlm
                                        Wow great spot

                                        Just one Q

                                        Coudl you get penalized by google for changing a theme cos wouldnt it be changing alot of pages all in one go
                                        http://www.csszengarden.com/

                                        It doesn't get penalized and it has a TON of themes. Try some of them. They're quite amazing.
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                                        • darksoul
                                          Confirmed User
                                          • Apr 2002
                                          • 4997

                                          #21
                                          Originally posted by karlm
                                          Wow great spot

                                          Just one Q

                                          Coudl you get penalized by google for changing a theme cos wouldnt it be changing alot of pages all in one go
                                          no.
                                          changing html doesn't count
                                          1337 5y54|)m1n: 157717888
                                          BM-2cUBw4B2fgiYAfjkE7JvWaJMiUXD96n9tN
                                          Cambooth

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                                          • Chio
                                            Confirmed User
                                            • Oct 2002
                                            • 8002

                                            #22
                                            Originally posted by karlm
                                            Wow great spot

                                            Just one Q

                                            Coudl you get penalized by google for changing a theme cos wouldnt it be changing alot of pages all in one go
                                            Not sure on that but in this case I think it can only help as it seemed google was having a hard time because of the theme.

                                            I have noticed weird things with themes a lot lately though. I had a site that ranked number 1 for a phrase that was very important to me. When I changed one of my other sites theme, the #1 rank site got pushed down about 3 results, while one of the sites that was responsible for the #1 ranking became #1. Not a huge problem because one of my sites is still number one, but I would prefer it be the actual site, not the one with the bliggo ad about it. I changed the themes back so I hope that'll make a difference.
                                            Last edited by Chio; 01-19-2007, 04:54 AM.

                                            I seo'd my hair yesterday and today it's pr7!
                                            RIP Texas Dreams

                                            Are you a content producer or program owner sick of tube sites? Contact me on ICQ: 39-183769

                                            Comment

                                            • nico-t
                                              emperor of my world
                                              • Aug 2004
                                              • 29901

                                              #23
                                              Originally posted by Chio
                                              I didn't say it was the css silly goose. Disabling the css is the way you can see how the theme is laid out content wise.

                                              I'll post links to the themes in a minute so you can download them and see for yourself what I mean.
                                              f youre talking about wordpress its just the way the php files are 'stacked' into the index.php file so a simple 'view source' would give the same info..

                                              Comment

                                              • free4porn
                                                Confirmed User
                                                • Jun 2005
                                                • 4654

                                                #24
                                                bumped
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                                                • yys
                                                  Confirmed User
                                                  • Aug 2001
                                                  • 1922

                                                  #25
                                                  I don't have the plugin installed. This site should work for others without firefox or the plugin.


                                                  http://www.seo-browser.com

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                                                  • borked
                                                    Totally Borked
                                                    • Feb 2005
                                                    • 6284

                                                    #26
                                                    Originally posted by yys
                                                    I don't have the plugin installed. This site should work for others without firefox or the plugin.
                                                    rtfp idiot

                                                    For coding work - hit me up on andy // borkedcoder // com
                                                    (consider figuring out the email as test #1)



                                                    All models are wrong, but some are useful. George E.P. Box. p202

                                                    Comment

                                                    • yys
                                                      Confirmed User
                                                      • Aug 2001
                                                      • 1922

                                                      #27
                                                      Originally posted by borked
                                                      rtfp idiot
                                                      I'm an idiot for misunderstanding what he was talking about?

                                                      You go sparky.

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                                                      • Chio
                                                        Confirmed User
                                                        • Oct 2002
                                                        • 8002

                                                        #28
                                                        That seo browser link is cool.

                                                        I seo'd my hair yesterday and today it's pr7!
                                                        RIP Texas Dreams

                                                        Are you a content producer or program owner sick of tube sites? Contact me on ICQ: 39-183769

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