After initially setting up our web site with static pages, content has
grown (and will grow further) so we have developed a database which
controls all our information on prices, schedules, etc and generates
pages as required.
However, this means that many URLs include query strings, eg
<a href="training_course_contents.asp?cat0=Excel&cat1=A&cat2=T&cat3=MS&cat4=XL">
I have been told that many search engines (including Google) will not
spider these URLs.
Is this true, and if so, are there alternatives to regenerating loads
of identical pages that each only differ in parameters stored at the
start of the code ?

Hi, 

The first search engine to index dynamic web pages was Google. It
began indexing dynamic pages ( including the question mark) during the
end of 2000. You can also submit a dynamically generated page to
HotBot and some others. If dynamic pages are linked off a static page
they have a much greater chance of being indexed than dynamics leading
to dynamics. Google does have a threshold to which point it will index
dynamic pages. This is because they consider the static pages more
relevant than dynamics, and dynamics often change, hence the term
dynamic.

Several of the smaller search engines still have a problem with
dynamic pages and there are methods of creating "static looking" links
for dynamic programs.

This article on Webmonkey has some information on doing just that. 
Search Engine Optimization 
http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/01/23/index1a_page3.html?tw=e-business

Apache Module mod_rewrite 
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/mod/mod_rewrite.html

Generally though, with the main search engines you don't have much of
a problem if the link is on a static page and not being dynamically
created. For instance, pages that can only be reached by using a
search form on your site, are not going to be indexed, since the bots
don't know how to use your search form. That's pretty much a given.
But also, articles that resize themselves to be 5 or 7 pages depending
on the amount of advertising you've been able to sell on that page,
may not be indexed either, or indexed accurately.

One method of making sure the bots see the pages, is to create a site
map page, which has links to all the new articles/documents you are
creating. Link to the sitemap page from the main index page.




Links

Google Information for Webmasters
://www.google.com/webmasters/2.html

Optimizing Dynamic Web Pages 
http://www.searchengineethics.com/dynamicpages.htm

Indexing of Dynamic Pages? 
http://searchengineforums.com/Forum28/HTML/001123.html


query
Google +"Dynamic Pages" 

thanks, 

webadept-ga

Good - thanks.
I can't justify the hassle, expense and loss of control of the
commercial solutions, but the background info has helped me to fix our
site so that it generates pages for non-existent query strings.
From now on, I'll be able to incorporate this into the code for new
client sites from the outset.