Pagination, Javascript & SEO

[BeckyKey]

Hi

I need some help identifying whether we need to rethink the way we paginated product pages,

On this page

http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/workbenches when clicking page 1,2, etc - we have javascript to sort the results, the URL displayed and the URL linked to are different. e.g.

The URL for these paginated pages is for example: page2 http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/workbenches#productBeginIndex:30&orderBy:5&pageView:list&

Then the arrows either side of pagination, link to the paginated landing page e.g. http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/workbenches?page=3 - this is where the rel/prev details are - done for Google

However - when clicking on this arrow, the URL loaded is different again - http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/workbenches#productBeginIndex:60&orderBy:5&pageView:list& & doesn't take you http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/workbenches?page=3

I did not set this up, but I am concerned that the URL http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/workbenches?page=3 never actually loads, but it's linked to Google can crawl it.

Is this a problem?

I am looking to implement a view all option.

Thank you

[BeckyKey]

Thank you this is helpful

[Everett]

If this page:
/en/key/workbenches#productBeginIndex:30&orderBy:5&pageView:list&
Had a rel="canonical" tag referencing this page:
/en/key/workbenches?page=2
Things would make a little more sense. But instead it references the main category page here:
en/key/workbenches

I think you're right to be concerned, and also agree that a View All Canonical page would be ideal for this site if they aren't willing or able to either pre-render the JavaScript so the client loads HTML, or at least land them on the right URL.

[BeckyKey]

Hi Andy

Thank you for your feedback

To get to the ?page=1, ?page=2, The arrow to the side of the numbers links to these pages, but this URL isn't the one which actually loads. Like you said, you're never on the right URL/page

I'm just not sure of the best course of action from here & I'm unsure if this will affect SEO?

I know the webmaster has done this to sort the results by javascript, but I am not sure why they can't link & load the correct page e.g. http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/lighting-electrical?page=2

With this point you raised:

There does actually seem to be some problem with the navigation as well. If I go to http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/workbenches?page=3 and the go forwards or back a page, I then am on page 2 or 4, but I see the following URL:

http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/workbenches?page=3#productBeginIndex:90&orderBy:5&pageView:list&

Will Google only ever see http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/workbenches?page=3? I am not sure how the crawlers would work in this instance?

Thank you

[Andy.Drinkwater]

Hi Becky,

I think I am with you...

So is what you are saying, that there are different versions of the same page depending on which option you choose to move forwards with?

So where is ?page=1, ?page=2, etc linked from?

There does actually seem to be some problem with the navigation as well. If I go to http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/workbenches?page=3 and the go forwards or back a page, I then am on page 2 or 4, but I see the following URL:

http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/workbenches?page=3#productBeginIndex:90&orderBy:5&pageView:list&

So I can be on page 1 or 5 and still see page 3 in the URL.

That aside, what I see is hashed (fragmented) content and Google doesn't index that. It understands that whatever is after the hash / fragment is used for something specific to a page and therefore for navigation purposes.

I would look to see what is going on with the navigation because it looks like the pagination is there, just not changing URL's correctly.

If I start at http://www.key.co.uk/en/key/workbenches and the click next, I get to the '2nd' page, but if I go back, it still shows me as being on the 2nd page in the navigation numbers.

I would say that there are some issues to iron out here first of all.

-Andy