Seo Flags...

[clasione]

There was a time on the net where hiding javascript in external files was a big discussion in the SEO world. The idea was to elliminate as much javascript in your HTML to avoid large file sizes that are cluttered up with javascript (wasting valuable space in HTML) Especially when most of the javascript was at or near the top of the document... They say that having your important info and keywords as close to the top of the page as possible is best, and these javascripts would sometimes take up too much valuable space.

So anyways - people started hiding it in an external file and calling the script with one line of code like:
<script src="externalfile.txt"></script>

The line of code could call a 300 line javascript to action while only taking up one line in the HTML document.... We'll all sounded well - I even did it myself, UNTIL RECENTLY.... The discussion has also came up about seo flags and what types of trends se's might be able to identify..... I would imagine that this is one of them.... I don't really see any other legitamit reason to hide a javascript in an external file other then saving document space.... IE: SEO FLAG.....

I have no proof of this - but I think it's worth the thought....

[seobook]

[QUOTE=clasione]There was a time on the net where hiding javascript in external files was a big discussion in the SEO world. The idea was to elliminate as much javascript in your HTML to avoid large file sizes that are cluttered up with javascript (wasting valuable space in HTML) Especially when most of the javascript was at or near the top of the document... They say that having your important info and keywords as close to the top of the page as possible is best, and these javascripts would sometimes take up too much valuable space.

So anyways - people started hiding it in an external file and calling the script with one line of code like:
<script src="externalfile.txt"></script>

The line of code could call a 300 line javascript to action while only taking up one line in the HTML document.... We'll all sounded well - I even did it myself, UNTIL RECENTLY.... The discussion has also came up about seo flags and what types of trends se's might be able to identify..... I would imagine that this is one of them.... I don't really see any other legitamit reason to hide a javascript in an external file other then saving document space.... IE: SEO FLAG.....

I have no proof of this - but I think it's worth the thought....[/QUOTE]

saving document space and load time is important. also keeping it external from the page will allow you to make a global updates.

it is often logical to keep java separate just like it is with CSS.

[seo guy]

I agree that we should keep an eye out for SEO Flags, but they would have to as you say ONLY be justified from and SEO perspective, however for many funtionality reasons such as mentioned by SEO book can justify the action of packing away bulky code in in external files.

See now Im going to see if I cant think of a few things that ONLY SEO's would do, got any other candidates?

[seobook]

something which only SEOs would do would be something like multiple page titles or H1 tags or all test in bold or something like that, but people only do stuff like that because they are novice.

I think what makes SEO work well is that if done properly it just kinda blends right into the web.

of course I have my own blinder goggles on right now, but I do not think I do anything that goes out of the way to define me as an evil SEO amongst regular sites.