Different version of site for "users" who don't accept cookies considered cloaking?

[TimBarlow]

Hi

I've got a client with lots of content that is hidden behind a registration form - if you don't fill it out you can not proceed to the content.  As a result it is not being indexed.  No surprises there.

They are only doing this because they feel it is the best way of capturing email addresses, rather than the fact that they need to "protect" the content.

Currently users arriving on the site will be redirected to the form if they have not had a "this user is registered" cookie set previously.  If the cookie is set then they aren't redirected and get to see the content.

I am considering changing this logic to only redirecting users to the form if they accept cookies but haven't got the "this user is registered cookie".  The idea being that search engines would then not be redirected and would index the full site, not the dead end form.

From the clients perspective this would mean only very free non-registered visitors would "avoid" the form, yet search engines are arguably not being treated as a special case.

So my question is: would this be considered cloaking/put the site at risk in any way?

(They would prefer to not go down the First Click Free route as this will lower their email sign-ups.)

Thank you!

[ASOS]

You can also use Google First Click Free to let it index the site - really easy to set up the run. I suggest you use this, I did it at a previous company and it works so well it's not funny.

More info here:

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2008/10/first-click-free-for-web-search.html

[TimBarlow]

Hi. Thanks but I don't want to use FCF if I can help it.

[ASOS]

Hi,

You can actually cap FCF at X number of visits per user per day by dropping a cookie. Otherwise what you are proposing is potentially a bit dodgy - if a human tester visits the site and gets a different experience to the bot, you might be at risk. I dbout you will get found out but at the same time, if you want to go pure white hat, then you need to follow the rules. Your call really.

A

[TimBarlow]

I'm thinking that a javascript pop-up might achieve the same result and be lower risk, especially if the indexed content is visible underneath the pop-up

[ASOS]

Yeah - that would work. Well it should work if done the right way.