gronkyco - just because

Recently I had a client ask me why their Google Analytics reports did not show if anyone had clicked or downloaded any of the .pdf documents on their site. I explained that the standard Google Analytics code does not track any external link clicks, and that .pdf files are actually considered to not be part of the website and therefore do not get included in reporting. Offering a solution, I went on to say that Google does offer a script that can be added to any “external” link you want to track.

The only issue was that this client had about 50 .pdf files - located all over their site. Updating them all would have been a real pain in the a**, but the client needed this data for reporting during a search-marketing campaign that was about to launch… uhg

I just knew there had to be a better way to get this done without sifting through a huge site, updating links one at a time. I’ve been using jQuery more and more these days as the needs arise and found myself reasoning this way…

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Developers continue to argue whether it’s really that important to publish everything using the “Strict DOCTYPE”, or if valid markup code is really even that important. While this is a discussion for another time, I try to publish every site I author in Valid, Strict xHTML. I believe standards are made for a reason, and if you wish to write good code - just follow the standards.

Occasionally I find the need for a page element that is not considered valid xHTML-Strict markup. Once big one that has come up is the good ole’ “iFrame” tag. Granted you can always change the DOCTYPE to “Transitional” and still have valid code, or you can use the “Object” tag to get the same results and be valid. In the past I’ve done both of these, but I’d rather use the Strict DOCTYPE and let’s face it; “Object” tags simply do not play nice across browsers. I’m sure there are other ways to display this sort of content, but I’ve yet to find any useful. Regardless, I found what I think is a MUCH better way to display iFrame content, both technically speaking and considering Search Engine Optimization (SEO; search bots don’t like iFrames). I wanted to share in case someone else finds himself or herself in the same situation.

Note: This outline is designed for people with at least a little or moderate developing experience. Also, this technique is a workaround that is SEO friendly for use when iFrame content is inevitable. It should be noted that iFrames are not valid elements for a reason and should be filtered out if possible.

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Having a website is easy. If you don’t already have one, you’re missing the boat - get one. You probably know a ton of people that already do.

There are so many ways to make money on the internet, but finding one that works is hard. Most are sold as “get rich quick” schemes that never pay out. I can say that from experience, I’ve tried about all of them. From affiliate marketing, to online advertising, I’ve experimented with it all - and mostly lost money.

Of all of these ways to generate revenue online, I’ve found that one solution in particular has consistently worked - Google Adsense.

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I’ve been a developer for seven years. I’ve used a ton of developer tools for code authoring, editing and de-bugging. I’ve come to realize that some of the best programs for web developers are not that expensive, in fact - they’re FREE! I wanted to make a quick post and list some of these tools. Hopefully it will help out any of you developers out there.

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