Comments on: Making the world (and your site) flat—via a Reverse Proxy http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/ Advanced Search Engine Marketing Tips to Succeed Online Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:12:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Matt http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2831 Matt Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:14:19 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2831 This is actually exactly what Google recommends for getting AJAX and Flash sites indexed. I'm sure that by now they have some method for detecting obvious black hat stuff using this technique, but they are going to have to compromise until they figure out how to deal with rich interfaces. This is actually exactly what Google recommends for getting AJAX and Flash sites indexed. I’m sure that by now they have some method for detecting obvious black hat stuff using this technique, but they are going to have to compromise until they figure out how to deal with rich interfaces.

]]> By: Hamlet Batista http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2487 Hamlet Batista Tue, 25 Sep 2007 22:28:13 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2487 WDN - Thanks for all your comments. I don't have problems with comments with keyword rich names, but I'd appreciate if you ended at least one comment with your real name. It is a little bit awkward to call people by their website names. ;-) WDN - Thanks for all your comments. I don’t have problems with comments with keyword rich names, but I’d appreciate if you ended at least one comment with your real name. It is a little bit awkward to call people by their website names. ;-)

]]> By: Hamlet Batista http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2486 Hamlet Batista Tue, 25 Sep 2007 22:24:30 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2486 David - The difference is that they detect both robots and users clicking from the search results, so they present the 'optimized' content to both. Sorry about the confusion. Adam's comment prompted me to re-read the PA. David - The difference is that they detect both robots and users clicking from the search results, so they present the ‘optimized’ content to both.

Sorry about the confusion. Adam’s comment prompted me to re-read the PA.

]]> By: David Hopkins http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2484 David Hopkins Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:58:08 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2484 This is definitely one to scare away people with low attention spans. So the only difference is that it changes the URLs? This post has got a bit confusing with the conflicts. This is definitely one to scare away people with low attention spans.

So the only difference is that it changes the URLs? This post has got a bit confusing with the conflicts.

]]> By: Hamlet Batista http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2474 Hamlet Batista Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:59:13 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2474 Sam - Thanks for your comment. It is good to disagree every once in a while as it becomes more of a conversation than a speech. You are right. I read the full patent again, more carefully, and found out that they are presenting the same 'optimized' content to the spiders and search engine users. It is not cloaking. I will update the post to reflect this. Thanks. From the patent: <blockquote>19… creating proxy web pages on the proxy website for web pages on the commercial website, each of the proxy web pages including substantially the same information as the corresponding commercial web page, the proxy web pages having a simplified URL and simplified hyperlinks compared to the corresponding commercial web page; adding optimized content to the proxy web pages that is not present on the corresponding commercial web page; serving the proxy web pages including the optimized content to a search engine spider upon request; <b>and serving the proxy web pages including the optimized content to a web browser when the web browser selects the search results listing for the proxy web page from the search engine results page.</b> </blockquote> My initial assumption came from the fact that when you want to present the same content to spiders and users, you don't need to detect spiders. In their case, they only present the 'optimized' content to spiders and users coming from search results, as explained in the claims. This means that users going directly to the site will still see the non-optimized version of the pages. The question is: When Google says don't present different content to users than you present search engines, do they mean search engine users only? Sam - Thanks for your comment. It is good to disagree every once in a while as it becomes more of a conversation than a speech.

You are right. I read the full patent again, more carefully, and found out that they are presenting the same ‘optimized’ content to the spiders and search engine users. It is not cloaking. I will update the post to reflect this. Thanks.

From the patent:

19… creating proxy web pages on the proxy website for web pages on the commercial website, each of the proxy web pages including substantially the same information as the corresponding commercial web page, the proxy web pages having a simplified URL and simplified hyperlinks compared to the corresponding commercial web page; adding optimized content to the proxy web pages that is not present on the corresponding commercial web page; serving the proxy web pages including the optimized content to a search engine spider upon request; and serving the proxy web pages including the optimized content to a web browser when the web browser selects the search results listing for the proxy web page from the search engine results page.

My initial assumption came from the fact that when you want to present the same content to spiders and users, you don’t need to detect spiders. In their case, they only present the ‘optimized’ content to spiders and users coming from search results, as explained in the claims. This means that users going directly to the site will still see the non-optimized version of the pages. The question is: When Google says don’t present different content to users than you present search engines, do they mean search engine users only?

]]> By: Web Design Newcastle http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2472 Web Design Newcastle Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:12:10 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2472 I get what Sam is saying but thats a different impression to the one I got reading the article. Maybe I read it wrong? If it is as Sam points out then I just can't see the point of it - or atleast any ethical reason for it. I get what Sam is saying but thats a different impression to the one I got reading the article. Maybe I read it wrong?

If it is as Sam points out then I just can’t see the point of it - or atleast any ethical reason for it.

]]> By: Sam Daams http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2461 Sam Daams Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:31:27 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2461 I usually agree with your assessments, which is why it's hard for me to understand that you see "additional content and HTML optimization can be added to the proxy web pages that are not included on the corresponding web pages on the commercial site" as cloaking. Only IF what is being shown to the search engine is different than what is being shown to the visitor would this be cloaking. I'm 99.99% sure they intend to do some kind of framing of the original source and rewrite that framed page in such a way that it is better optimized with a better url. But that whole 'new page' would be the same to visitors and search engines so how is this cloaking? Duplicate content it certainly is though and also more likely to cause the original article to be dumped by SE's than other proxy methods used... Either way I don't agree with the method because it is essentially stealing the content and with the way SE's currently work can get the original site penalized but it's still not cloaking :) I usually agree with your assessments, which is why it’s hard for me to understand that you see “additional content and HTML optimization can be added to the proxy web pages that are not included on the corresponding web pages on the commercial site” as cloaking. Only IF what is being shown to the search engine is different than what is being shown to the visitor would this be cloaking. I’m 99.99% sure they intend to do some kind of framing of the original source and rewrite that framed page in such a way that it is better optimized with a better url. But that whole ‘new page’ would be the same to visitors and search engines so how is this cloaking?

Duplicate content it certainly is though and also more likely to cause the original article to be dumped by SE’s than other proxy methods used…

Either way I don’t agree with the method because it is essentially stealing the content and with the way SE’s currently work can get the original site penalized but it’s still not cloaking :)

]]> By: Web Design Newcastle http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2451 Web Design Newcastle Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:01:13 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2007/09/24/making-the-world-and-you-site-flat%e2%80%94via-a-reverse-proxy/#comment-2451 Hehe. This relly is just cloaking using a slightly different method. Redirecting search engines to a proxy site with additional content - who are they kidding? I can't believe this stuff gets patented. Asking Google about this would be interesting but I think I might already know their answer lol. Hehe. This relly is just cloaking using a slightly different method. Redirecting search engines to a proxy site with additional content - who are they kidding? I can’t believe this stuff gets patented.

Asking Google about this would be interesting but I think I might already know their answer lol.

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