Google Indexes AJAX and Javascript Comments

Google Indexes AJAX And Javascript Comments

By Sarah Lokitis
Expert Author
Article Date: 2012-01-05

If you use the Facebook Comment Box for your website, your readers' content may now affect your Google PageRank. This is big news because Google is indexing the AJAX or JavaScript code on your website, which previously wasn't picked up by search engines. SEOs may reconsider their earlier advice to avoid these services as indexed comments will provide fresh content appeasing Google's algorithm changes, such as query deserves freshness (QDF).

Near the end of 2011, Google began indexing Facebook comments posted on third-party websites. This means Google is beginning to index AJAX and JavaScript content, which previously would not appear in SERPs. Now that comments are being crawled and ranked in Google search results, the bells and whistles (and easier user participation) that Javascript and AJAX offers can be utilized.

As the Matt Cutts' tweet below explains, Google is now getting better at seeing the content behind more of your AJAX or Javascript code. The potential for this trend to continue is great and those AJAX or Javascript based websites may get more opportunities for their content to be indexed. We will just have to wait and see.

If you use the Facebook Comments Box, Disqus, Intense Debate or another dynamic comment service, I'd love to hear your experience with Google indexing your content.

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About the Author:
Sarah serves as a Social Media Specialist at Search Mojo helping clients use social media for SEO. She joined Search Mojo in February 2011 as a Junior Account Manager, managing both PPC and SEO accounts, and transitioned to the world of social media and SEO in July 2011. Sarah discovered her interest in search marketing and social media in a web communication class in college and as a marketing communications intern at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Sarah is a Certified Google AdWords Professional. Find her on Twitter @Lokitis.