The good news is that Google does index embedded content with iframes. But what are they? And why should you care? Plus one thing you must do, to do it right.
So what are iframes and embedded content?
Well, you may use them already. Embedding a video, or a Google map. These often use iframes to embed the content you use inside your web page.
If you’re that way inclined, you can look at the source of your web page and look for “iframe” tags.
They are basically a web page inside your web page.
It’s great that Google indexes this content. It does so, as it indexes the rendered version of your page, not just the original source. So that includes content you pull in.
Here’s the proof that it’s okay
Search Laboratory did 4 tests. They use different ways to embed an iframe into a web page, and then tested the search engine results.
The best way they found, and the easiest way, was to embed the content and make sure the “embedded content” has something called the canonical URL set to your original page.
Say what?
The word comes from the Medieval Latin word canonicalis, and from Late Latin canonicus which can be translated as “according to rule”.
What a canonical URL does, is tell Google if it finds the page you are embedding, that it should use your original page – the whole page – as the master. It should be the one to index, not the version you embed.
This is the method used on t4s.site. If you create a sales funnel, an online course or webinar, you can embed it into your own site. And it’s quick and easy.
If you use WordPress, it’s just a plugin. If you are embedding your masterpiece in Squarespace or other websites, just a line of code to include.
The gotcha that you must do
But you need to set your canonical URL (the “use this URL as the master version” setting).
If you’re using t4s.site then simply edit your page details, and enter the URL of the page into which you are embedding your funnel, course or webinar.
Set your canonical url of your “master” page so Google knows which is the primary version to index.
Find out how easy it is to embed your funnel, course or webinar.
What if I don’t control what I’m embedding?
If you’re not using t4s.site and you’re embedding content from elsewhere, then find out if you can set the canonical URL of your embedded content.
If you don’t, Google may index your page and your embedded page, and spot it’s a duplicate.
Worst case is that Google may decide that the embedded version is the master, and not your page that embeds it.