Client requests changing from HTML submit to Javascript submit for SEO?

[s0c0]

I have a client requesting that I change all his froms from an HTML based submit input type, to a javascript based submit button.  Here is the difference in case you are confused:

 

<form name="frm" method="post" action="somepage.php">
<input type="submit" value="submit" name="submit" />
</form>

 

 

<form name="frm">
<input type="button" value="submit" name="submit" onclick="document.form.frm.submit()" />
</form>

 

He says there is an SEO benefit to this cause the form looks like duplicate content the way it is currently setup (the form is included on virtually every single page on the site).  I told him I don't see how this will make a difference.  Am I incorrect?  If so why?

[waynew]

I don't think that this will change anything. As far as I am aware, content != HTML. Therefore, not duplicate content. Duplicate content has to be pretty severe to actually harm you. Same desc, title, body etc.

[dropfaith]

agreed content pwns html in the seo world  but doing as your client wants makes you money and keeps them happy,

 

i would explain to them that this makes no seo difference what so ever but if they really want you to do it it shouldnt be more then a 10 second edit cause smart coding says a form on every page is included from a php include or asp if you roll that way

 

 

ps the html used there and the js used would not effect this at all the name of the form is the more important thing to seo not the submit button

 

so blegh your customer is wrong

[s0c0]

Yeah I use an include.  I advised him to go with an iframe instead since google will not look at an iframe.  Yes it's pretty severe the form appears on over 50,000 pages.

[nrg_alpha]

s0c0, your client is seriously misinformed.

 

Search engine spiders are unable to read and execute javascript. If by chance your content within your site is not accessible without Javascript, your client's page would not be properly indexed.

 

And to echo what others have said, the idea of duplication for the enhancement of SEO rankings is false. As already mentioned, it can really backfire. I wouldn't be surprised if such tactics constitues 'black hat methodologies'. Avoid the idea altogether.

[Daniel0]

Search engine spiders are unable to read and execute javascript. If by chance your content within your site is not accessible without Javascript, your client's page would not be properly indexed.

 

That is the basic gist of the client's request, i.e. that you will not have the same content both after and before the form is submitted. The client is trying to prevent it from submitting the forms.

 

However, spiders do not submit forms at all nor send any POST requests.

 

And to echo what others have said, the idea of duplication for the enhancement of SEO rankings is false. As already mentioned, it can really backfire. I wouldn't be surprised if such tactics constitues 'black hat methodologies'. Avoid the idea altogether.

 

I think you misread the post. His client is trying to prevent content duplication because it can have a negative impact on the ranking. The thing is just that it never was an issue to begin with.

[nrg_alpha]

I think you misread the post. His client is trying to prevent content duplication because it can have a negative impact on the ranking. The thing is just that it never was an issue to begin with.

 

You're right... I have been misreading things as of late. I have to slow down a bit here.

[atticus]

I don't think that this will change anything. As far as I am aware, content != HTML. Therefore, not duplicate content. Duplicate content has to be pretty severe to actually harm you. Same desc, title, body etc.

 

Very true. Recently, and I can not find the blog write now on Google Blogs, but Google basically said that a small percentage of duplicate content is ok. I mean after all, what if you are reviewing an article or quoting a famous quote, does that mean that Google is going to ban you. Definitely not.