A colleague recently asked me what my thoughts were on optimizing AJAX content for SEO. Of course, this isn’t a new issue: just run a search for “ajax and seo,” and you’ll see a myriad of articles spanning the past two years addressing this very concern.

For those who aren’t familiar with AJAX, the acronym refers to “Asynchronous JavaScript & XML,” a coding technique in which a website retrieves information from the server without a page reload. Some of the most widely-used web applications (Gmail, Facebook, etc.) make use of AJAX, and the result is a smooth, seamless user experience. Many other websites utilize AJAX to compartmentalize large bodies of information on a single page.

AJAX may be slick, but it can present SEO challenges. Fewer page loads means fewer indexable URLs. And if a page can’t be indexed, it’s essentially invisible in search.

So how can you ensure that your website doesn’t fall into search oblivion on account of AJAX? For starters, here are three tips!

1. First ask yourself if your AJAX content needs to be indexed. In the case of password-protected web applications, the intended target audience was never search engines in the first place.
2. If your content must be indexed, consider using client-side-only JavaScript as an alternative to AJAX. Just make sure it’s implemented well, as JavaScript can create its own set of SEO problems.
3. If you must use AJAX, make your content accessible via a unique URL. Then make sure a search engine crawler can find this URL, either through direct submission, or through crawlable links on your Site Map page.

Now go build a beautiful, slick, SEO-friendly website!

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