Parallax, SEO, and Duplicate Content

[PaulRonin]

We are working on a project that uses parallax to provide a great experience to the end user, and we are also trying to create a best case scenario for SEO.  We have multiple keywords we are trying to optimize.

We have multiple pages with the parallax function built into it.  Basically each member of the primary navigation is it's own page, with all subpages built below it using the parallax function.

Our navigation currently uses the hashbang method to provide custom URL's for each subpage.  And the user is appropriately directed to the right section based on that hashbang.

www.example.com/About  < This is its own page

www.example.com/about/#/history < This is a subpage that you scroll to on the About page

We are trying to decide what the best method will be for trying to optimize each subpage, but my current concern is that because each subpage is really a part of the primary page, will all those URL's be seen as duplicate content?

Currently the site can also serve each subpage as it's own page as well, so without the parallax function.  Should I include those as part of the sitemap.  There's no way to navigate to them unless I include them in the sitemap, but I don't want Google to think I'm disingenuous in providing them links that don't exist, solely for the purpose of SEO, but truthfully all of the content exists and is available to the user.

I know that a lot of people are asking these questions, and there really are no right answers yet, but I'm curious about everyone else's experience so far.

[Carla_Dawson]

Hi Paul,
First of all congrats on the great new technique. I recently wrote an article about SEO Parallax Scrolling and Responsive websites. There is a website using the hashtag method that is semi SEO friendly here http://flowerbeauty.com/.

However that being said

To answer your concer "but my current concern is that because each subpage is really a part of the primary page, will all those URL's be seen as duplicate content". I believe Google will see this as a multiple page site as long as you have different content on different URL's. Why don't you try adding parallax scrolling to each SEO url and have the scroll function take you to each URL like www.flowerbeauty.com did. Make sure to optimize your URL's as well.

For example

www.example.com/About

as you scroll it would take you too

www.example.com/About/optimized-URL.

I would get rid of the hashtags.

Here are some other SEO friendly parallax scrolling websites. http://www.pinterest.com/ecumbre/seo-and-parallax-scrolling/

Let me know if that helps.

Thanks Carla

[PaulRonin]

Thanks Carla for the reference.  So if I'm understanding the way this example site works.  Your pulling in the content on each "subpage" dynamically so that Google will never see the content twice when visiting the page?

I like the way this works, although I wish you didn't have to see a loading graphic when the page pulls in the content.

I agree that this method looks good, and I would love to get rid of the hashbangs but thats just part of what makes everything work in our current use case.

Certainly I think this site is a move in the right direction.

Thanks for the links and pointers

[Carla_Dawson]

Hi Paul,

I think before you design your website, you might try creating a campaign for flowerbeauty.com to see if Moz says there are any onsite errors. If it passes Moz's scrutiny, then there is a good chance Google will see it the same way. I have a slot for a new campaign in case you don't have one. I would really like to get to the bottom of this as you can see.

Let me know if you want me run it through Moz to see if it passes onsite optimization. I forgot to mention that my site did pass Moz's onsite analysis. I never tried running the other 2 SEO Parallax Scrolling websites through Moz's software.

[Carla_Dawson]

Hi Paul,

I decided to run flowerbeauty.com through MOZ's software and here are the results. It does pick up stuff as duplicate content. See http://imgur.com/YEb6bmZ

Flowerbeauty is not SEO friendly.

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[PaulRonin]

Well thats no good.  I guess we have to be really careful.  Unfortunately this is one area where I think development has outgrown the ability for crawlers to determine what is happening.  We aren't trying to do anything malicious.  We just want to create a good engaging site.  I'll keep trying and continue to post if I have more luck with our method.

[Carla_Dawson]

Hi Paul,

I totally agree with you. Development is outgrowing crawlers but then again this has always been true. Designing and programing for crawlers is something SEOers do but not programers. The thing is that clients want traffic and conversiones and cool technology. However if you only do cool technology without accomplishing business objectives, the project will not be consider successful in the clients eyes...just my 2 cents..

Regarding doing SEO and Parallax Scrolling, I think these two sites accomplished it nicely. I have not found any others. Both are responsive which is also a must.

Kickpoint.ca accomplished telling a story through its graphics and the site is light and versatile. However its onsite SEO could be improved with a little effort.

Posicionamiento Web accomplished great onsite SEO but poor "story telling parallax scrolling" effects. The site is heavy and not as versatile as kickpoint's.

One option is to do parallax scrolling on the home and regular internal pages. This makes the site light.

Good Luck.

Carla