Is it an illegal looping link and will Google Penalize

[robert89]

Looking for thoughts on the following scenario.

Scenario
bob.ca has a number of databases hosted on jane.ca. There are hundereds of links from pages on bob.ca to pages on jane.ca. The urls of the links allow pages to be dynamically generated. That is, when a link at bob.ca is clicked page

http://www.jane.ca/xxx.htm

will be displayed.

I have just discovered that using the url

http://www.jane.ca

without a page name sends the visitor to

http://www.bob.ca/databasepage.htm.

If you click on a link on this page say:

http://www.jane.ca/database_one.htm

a database search for opens on the jane.ca site.

I am thinking that a loop has been inadvertently set up here and google might interpret this as mirror or something else it doesn't like.

Am I okay with senario or should I be having the default page of jane.ca set to a page on the jane.ca site?

Thoughts appreciated.

Bob

 

[ChrisHirst]

If I understood the convoluted explanation correctly you need to implement a 301 redirect for whatever is going to the wrong place.

it won't matter for SEs other than you may be splitting your linkpop efforts.

To give any better advice would need real URIs so the response code could be checked for the instances that are going astray.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Woo Hoo! the cobblers kids get new shoes.
People Counting Systems

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[robert89]

Hi Chirs,
Ya, it's convoluted alright. If you think it's convoluted, imagine what the SEs think.

This particular setup is a result of outsourcing. Our company relies on a second company for database products. The supplier manages a number of our databases at jane.ca. The default page for jane.ca has been set to

http://www.bob.ca/databasepage.htm.

but the links on

http://www.bob.ca/databasepage.htm

take the visitor back to pages on jane.ca.

It seemed to me that if links at bob.ca pointed to jane.ca and links at jane.ca pointed back to pages on bob.ca that we would have a nice reciprical link relationship here. But the way it's currenlty set suggests that we may be upsetting SEs.

Sorry I can't provide the url.

Bob

 

[ChrisHunt]

Sorry I can't provide the url.

Then we're gonna struggle to provide you with an answer.

If the URLs are top secret, why do you care about SEO? Those naughty search engines might start telling people about your sites...

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd

 

[robert89]

Thanks Chris. I'll look else where for the answer. Bye, the bye, the url is not top secret. I work for an organization where brand is everything, and mostly built on preception, preception, perception.

Bob

 

[ChrisHirst]

if there are no links to bob.ca then there is no problem

if there are, it maybe that bob.ca will appear in the SERps instead of jane.ca.

either way it's not a real big deal.
Duplicated content is simply filtered out eventually.
Cross linked networks are not a real problem UNLESS they are the only links a site/network has.

There is a lot of garbage around regarding SEs and sorting the good from the crap takes a bit of doing.
There is only one simple thing to consider and if you are not actively attempting to subvert the ranking algo the chances of a penalty are somewhere between slim and none.


Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Woo Hoo! the cobblers kids get new shoes.
People Counting Systems

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[robert89]

Thanks Chris.