site map versus index page link

tomynate · 02-22-2006, 07:47 AM

I'm sure this question is answered somewhere in this forum, but have not been able to find it.

I use a shopping cart for my website. I have many product categories. Too many to affectively address on the index page. All my products are html pages and have titles, meta descriptions and key words. My cagtegory pages do not and give me unlimited text. I am still a novice, although I have had a site for 8 years and do not understand what I am saying next. The source code of the category pages is the same as the index page. I am wondering if this means they are read as the same. If I link from the index page to a cagtegory page, does the search engine read it as the same. Can I use the text of the catgegory pages to support key words in the meta tag? I do not have a site map and don't know how to set one up. Do I need a site map with this arrangement? Thanks for any input.

sheepcentral · 03-23-2006, 12:14 PM

Bump, I wondered about this too.

anandnadaar · 03-25-2006, 11:14 AM

I have not seen the site, so what I would tell is just according to the information provided by you.

Well as you said, I think your website should be one of the oldest if you say it has been over 8 years online. I really want mine also to continue so long :P

Yes, Sitemap is one of the features that was ignored for some time.. but ever since Google came up with its own Sitemap features, people started to maintain the Sitemap again. Your site needs to be Search engine friendly, not Compulsory though.

I dont think having couple of pages that are linked together with same titles coould be considered as same.. It depends largely on contents.. If you have same contents and same top tags(replica).. then you are at risk of getting one link ignored. Otherwise I think you should be OK if you use similar titles and tags.

I would suggest you to create a sitemap

for more info on how to use it.. read this post
http://www.googlecommunity.com/about10548.html

warzabidul · 03-25-2006, 12:18 PM

Divide your website into topics or fields of interest.

that's what I did with my website. part of it is on the Romans, another about video making, third about tech etc.

tomynate · 03-25-2006, 02:16 PM

Thanks for input. The site is http://grampatom.com .. Since my original post I have added a html site map and a Google xml site map. I am not linking pages together. My site is a shopping cart which has product pages that are html and have their own titles and meta tags. The category and sub category pages are not html. I am linked to them from my index page to help guide visitors to the products. Not all of them have text yet. I am waiting to, hopefully, find out how they are read by Google.

02-22-2006, 07:47 AM	#1 (permalink)
tomynate Noogle Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	site map versus index page link I'm sure this question is answered somewhere in this forum, but have not been able to find it. I use a shopping cart for my website. I have many product categories. Too many to affectively address on the index page. All my products are html pages and have titles, meta descriptions and key words. My cagtegory pages do not and give me unlimited text. I am still a novice, although I have had a site for 8 years and do not understand what I am saying next. The source code of the category pages is the same as the index page. I am wondering if this means they are read as the same. If I link from the index page to a cagtegory page, does the search engine read it as the same. Can I use the text of the catgegory pages to support key words in the meta tag? I do not have a site map and don't know how to set one up. Do I need a site map with this arrangement? Thanks for any input.

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03-23-2006, 12:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
sheepcentral Senior Googler Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 142 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Bump, I wondered about this too.

03-25-2006, 11:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
anandnadaar Googler Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 73 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I have not seen the site, so what I would tell is just according to the information provided by you. Well as you said, I think your website should be one of the oldest if you say it has been over 8 years online. I really want mine also to continue so long :P Yes, Sitemap is one of the features that was ignored for some time.. but ever since Google came up with its own Sitemap features, people started to maintain the Sitemap again. Your site needs to be Search engine friendly, not Compulsory though. I dont think having couple of pages that are linked together with same titles coould be considered as same.. It depends largely on contents.. If you have same contents and same top tags(replica).. then you are at risk of getting one link ignored. Otherwise I think you should be OK if you use similar titles and tags. I would suggest you to create a sitemap for more info on how to use it.. read this post http://www.googlecommunity.com/about10548.html

03-25-2006, 12:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
warzabidul Senior Googler Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 110 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Divide your website into topics or fields of interest. that's what I did with my website. part of it is on the Romans, another about video making, third about tech etc.

03-25-2006, 02:16 PM	#5 (permalink)
tomynate Noogle Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for input. The site is http://grampatom.com .. Since my original post I have added a html site map and a Google xml site map. I am not linking pages together. My site is a shopping cart which has product pages that are html and have their own titles and meta tags. The category and sub category pages are not html. I am linked to them from my index page to help guide visitors to the products. Not all of them have text yet. I am waiting to, hopefully, find out how they are read by Google.

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