Javascript Redirects = Risky Business
I've run across a few Javascript redirects lately, so I thought I would share a quick reminder with everyone.
If you use a Javascript redirect vs. a 301or 302, don't forget that search engines generally cannot access Javascript, so it's likely that the search engine spider will not follow or index links within the Javascript.
It's also very risky business according to Google. From Google Webmaster Help Center:
"When a redirect link is embedded in Javascript, the search engine indexes the original page rather than following the link, whereas users are taken to the redirect target. Like cloaking, this practice is deceptive because it displays different content to users and to Googlebot..."
Matt Cutts from Google calls Javascript redirects "sneaky" and follows with "Your domains might get rained on in the near future." Yipes!
All very good reasons to avoid Javascript redirects.
Is it time to do a quick audit of your site to see if Javascript redirects are in play?