Edi Budimilic » Dev diary

How to create Ajax website that Google can crawl and index?

Edi Budimilic — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:12:21 +0000

There are many methods to make Ajax operations crawable by Google and other search engines. Many are still saying it’s not the right time yet to use Ajax for all dynamic content. I disagree! Google already introduced their method to make this work but it’s too complicated and needs a lot of additional programming time to make it work properly.

I on the other hand have a great idea that’s stupid simple, works for Googlebot and browsers with disabled Javascript. Isn’t that great!? :)
Even dough I came up with this idea myself, someone elase in the world had the same idea before me and it’s called Hijax. So what is Hijax in definition?

Hijax is combination of words Ajax and Hijack and that’s it’s core functionality. Hijax uses both Ajax and Javascript when available (to create those magical effects that Desktop apps had for decades). Hijax is using Javascript when available to hijack HTTP request (when website visitor makes a click on a link to another page) and enables Ajax magic to happen. But, when you open the page in a browser that doesn’t have Javascript enabled, the website functions as it should (without fancy effects that Ajax can provide), it opens the page with preloaded content. Hijax method is a great time and bandwidth saviour.

And finally the interesting part.
The example, dead simple:

* Use this method on all links intended to work with Ajax calls.

That’s it! So simple! We are already using this method on our new company website that’s currently in development.

Package full of updates

Edi Budimilic — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:09:42 +0000

Yes, I’m calling this post a package full of updates. Last few weeks I’ve taken more time to work on our own (GEM Studio) projects so here are few of those updates if you’re interested ;)

Sveznar.com
(Croatian only service for dream definitions, meaning of karma, lucid dreaming, lucky numbers etc.)
- additional SEO was done
- new content on Karma
- mobile version for dream definitions (iPhone, Android and others supported), just jump to the site with your mobile phone and you’ll be redirected to http://m.sveznar.com. Shown as cool iPhone w/ Android image below the menu on desktop version of the website.

CroDNS.com
(Croatian only service for checking domain availability in a smart way)
- footer iPhone image to tell the new visitors there’s a mobile version (m.crodns.com)
- ping has been fixed
- some security improvements

SuperCentar.com
This is our new service for banner advertising on our own network of websites with over one million pageviews a month and growing. The service was just released few days ago and it’s currently operating for Croatian market only.

This is it for now but many more updates will come soon. We plan to finish all started projects dedicated to Croatian market but right after that we’re starting with realization on international projects, not only on the web but the iPhone and Android apps too. Can’t wait! :)

Working hard on many things, one of them is titlovi.hr web service

Edi Budimilic — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:31:01 +0000

Hi folks. Titlovi.hr is on it’s way to finished within a month. Main idea is to build the best website for searching movie subtitles for domestic territories. But not just “best” like they all say :) best as usable, without ads and unnecessary content and of course, maximum use of Ajax technologies.

Here’s a screenshot of the latest template:
http://izrada.gemstudio.hr/titlovi.hr/

Gmail App for iPhone

Edi Budimilic — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:16:37 +0000

Finally, everyone wanted it but no-one made it .. until now! I didn’t like launching Safari, then going to Gmail and surf through it within limited space of the browser. And so I’ve made a full screen App without browser features.

I made it possible with a little cool browser meta feature “apple-mobile-web-app-capable”. To test it yourself go to http://gemstudio.hr/gmail/ and add this bookmark to Home Screen, there’s your Gmail App!

Download full source : gmail-web-app.rar (html, css, psd app icon)

Gmail for Safari - before

Gmail App for iPhone

CroDNS – small updates

Edi Budimilic — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:56:18 +0000

Hi folks, new updates on CroDNS domain search service:
- ajax loading animated icon while waiting for whois details on domain
- new page: proxy surfing

You can test the latest updates here: http://www.crodns.com/beta

My new mobile computer, it’s iPhone 3G!

Edi Budimilic — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:55:38 +0000

It’s here, in my hands, after so much waiting and waiting, even on D day I was waiting for half an hour in the line and 4 hours inside – waiting for paperwork to be done with some computer glitches on the way. That was 6 days ago and I still need to charge the battery almost twice a day. Already on the second day I got it jailbroken and filled with numerous apps, I’m starting to scale this apps to leave only the ones I will actually use. I’m still in need for few apps like GPS Google Maps where I can track a signal of my selected friends and myself at the same time – count distances and similar.

In overall, I’m very satisfied with the iPhone3G!
I will write about most useful apps now and then.

Development update

Edi Budimilic — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:53:49 +0000

Just a small update:
1) upload.hr, we researched and reviewed the idea and decided to close it. Long story! Usually, we don’t quit from started project but this one is just a mistake.
2) crodns.com, old idea, to make a small service for domain availability checking. All Ajax, fast and very very informative. Design is already complete, programming at let’s say 10% :)

That’s all for now. Of course, we have many other client projects but I don’t like to talk about them, not the dev stage, it’s boring :)

Upload.hr – logo created

Edi Budimilic — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:30:36 +0000

Hi folks, I can hardly find the time to work on this project so it’s a bit slow but non the less in progress.

Just a small update here, I just made a first “beta” logo for upload.hr portal and here it is:
(fits better in the original header)

UPDATE: Check the other versions, first one is the simple default one..

Starting new project: upload.hr

Edi Budimilic — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:27:26 +0000

Actually, it’s a renew. Last portal project was shut down due copyright problems and lack of quality on copyrights laws in Croaita. It was an upload service where you could view all popular file types online without downloading them. Find out more on current old site at http://www.upload.hr

This time, we said “why upload when we can just download” :) so we started to work on a download portal where you can find the most famous software out there on one place, not any app – just the best and most useful. It’s going to be updated daily so you could always find the latest versions of your favorite apps.
Let’s leave in-depth project description for my future posts :).

Yesterday I’ve started writing the database structure so today I could build it and prepare the folders for the project. Cya soon ;)