Barry stumbled across a thread over at the Google Webmster Help Group and simplified all of the information from the thread in an easy to follow post at Search Engine Roundtable.
- JavaScript-Only Navigation: This tactic does not fool or confuse search engines, so it likely won’t hurt you in your rankings but from an “accessibility perspective.”
- CSS-Enhanced Navigation: As long as you do not have “intent to deceive search engines,” then you should be fine. On the accessibility front, it is a win-win, “since it degrades gracefully as JavaScript and CSS support are removed.”
- Hidden Links via Positioning/Color, for Design/Accessibility: This method can bring you “dangerously close to a grey area.” Don’t use this method.
- Hidden Links with No Mention of Accessibility or User Value: These links are only intended for bots to see as attempt to deceive search engines. [Meaning it's going to get you banned or in big trouble with Google]
This is a basic take-away, Barry’s post goes more in-depth.
Funny that a company which is developing a search for “accessible” sites (http://labs.google.com/accessible/) would penalize sites for using techniques specifically intended to make those sites accessible. I have to question whether (taking into account good web design and development practices) it is good advice to sacrifice accessibility for the mere possibility of search engine penalties.
I would’nt be suprised it Google was able to crawl javascript links.
During this week I was wondering how to give links to my user but not for Google.
Instead a javascript I was triying to use a flash menu (in order to control my linkjuice without using a rel=’nofollow’)… any idea will be welcome!