I have a script that I call from static URLs with the variable included (search.asp?variable=data) and these pages are spidered and indexed by Google. I am changing over to php/MySQL and now have three variables. If I use POST, there are no variables in the URL, but if I use GET, the variables are visible in the URL (script.php?var1=data1&var2=data2&var3=data3&submit=). I would like the output to be spiderable and indexed by Google and the other SEs. With three variables, there are thousands of possible combinations which could lead to thousands of pages indexed. The questions are: Is three variables too many or should I add an intermediate script to reduce the number of variables?? Is there a security issue using GET instead of POST? (php v.4) Can Google index from the GET, or do I really need static links?
I'm not sure anyone really knows the answer to that exactly, Netizen. We do know: 1. that Google doesn't like session IDs 2. that Google can spider dynamic URLs as long as there aren't "too many" variables 3. that for some more complicated dynamic URLs, Google will spider and index but store them in the "Supplementary Index" Google Facts & Fiction Google and Dynamic Pages http://www.google.com/intl/en/webmasters/faq.html#label
I think I read last few days the limit was 6 variables for Google, but you must think Google won't index so fast. I think google will index you better by sitemaps or using mod-rewriting rules
Mintrel - I have to agree with your three points. All pages from the .asp script are in the supplemental index. And thanks for the quotes. That is helpful. Davilac - I won't be doing a site map for these pages. The site map has links to pages I would want a visitor following. The dynamic pages would be created from user input on a form. I just wanted to capture some of that "larger site" bonus: all other things being equal, bigger is better.