Traffic Lounge
Lesson #11 
Layers of Optimization: Using HTML Layers
Written By Cyndalie
Since there are many ways you can optimize your web pages for ranking in the search engines, it is wise to use as many different techniques as possible. This is because search engines tend to rotate algorithms when too many websites match 100% relevancy, or when many websites are using similar techniques that the search engine algorithm changes the weight for different types of tags.
This is not quite as complicated as it sounds. It simply means to use different types of techniques to include "indexable" content into your web page. When dealing with web sites that are graphically heavy by design, including graphical consoles or flash introductions, you as a search engine optimizer need to be able to include as much relevant content without disrupting the integrity of the site's design, look, and appeal. When you are facing limitations in the different types of optimization tactics, varying your optimzation techniques may require that you dip into a "bag of tricks" in order to increase your changes for ranking through algorithmic changes. This is where HTML layers can into the picture. We highly recommend using Macromedia's DreamWeaver for easy implementation and maintenance of this technique.
What is a Layer?
For our purposes, think of HTML layers as a transparent web page on top of another web page. Position identifiers break the browser down into a grid, and you can move the starting point (the top left corner of your layer) wherever on the screen you desire. Position identifiers expand to mark the height and width of the layer, and layers can be positioned for positive and negative values. A positive value is visible on the browser (right and down) , a negative value is outside of the browser viewing area (left and up). Negative values move the layer up or to the left that will move the layer off the viewable area of the page.
I first learned the layers could be used for keyword optimization from JK Bowman's Spider-Food.net (I highly recommend reading his coverage of this topic before you begin). After some experimentation, I have learned that layers are indexed and spidered by most search engines, including Google. This is an advantageous position for placement of cross links to your other pages, supporting domains, or for link trades with relevant sites if the participating webmasters agree to be included to help increase PR (page rank) when you do not want your visitors to see or click those links.
Why Use HTML Layers?
Knowing these key issues, keep the following in mind; Since layers are not widely used as a search engine optimization technique, and not everything you need to include for the engines are exactly what the public needs to see or most likely won't understand, layers are good for including content and links relevant to your page if you can't modify the existing design. You can use layers on web pages that have heavy code or uneven keyword density throughout the page. You can position the HTML layer CODE anywhere on the page, to help even out your code. As long as the code is between the <body> tags, the layer will function accurately no mater where the code appears on the page – use this to your advantage. (See Creating Effective Doorway Pages).
Layer Functionality
There are Three ways to hide layers. The first is to insert a layer, select it, then select Visibility > Hidden. If you look at the HTML code, you can even see the word "hidden" - this is fairly obvious for search engines to detect and ignore. The second is to simply select the layer and move it up or to the left off the viewable page (negative values). You can even experiment pushing the layer to the far right or down (extreme positive values). And a more complex way is to use a behavior function on the layer. To do this in Dreamweaver go to Insert > Layout Object > Layer. Then bring up your Behaviors panel. Select the layer and go to Show/Hide Layers. You can set your layer to turn off upon page load, so that it is visible in the code but when the page loads the layer switches off. This is advised to be used only when the layer is below the fold of the page.
All in all you want to avoid sending red flags to the engines. Some possibilities for penalization for using layers (although it would be difficult for every engine to know how and why the layer is being used – they can't punish every site for using a common HTML function) is if the algorithm is keyed to look for layers with negative or hidden values. Mix up your techniques by not putting every layer in the same position on every page. In fact, only really use layers if it is in the best interest of the design and code of the page (necessity). By using different techniques you avoid putting all your "eggs into one basket" and stay under the radar by using each optimization trick in moderation. The same is true for Doorway pages, comment and hidden tags, hiding keywords, and even cross linking.
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