SEO URLs Structure

URL structure is one of the most important thinks among all other in the field of search engine optimization. We all have heard one thing – SEO friendly URLs but how many of us have properly analyzed that?

Search engine crawler always prefers simple and static URLs rather than URLs with full of query strings or in a simple word, dynamic URLs. In the below example it is cleared.

http://www.mydomainname.com/product.php?id_1=2m ……….. Dynamic URL

http://www.mydomainname.com/directory1/directory2.php .......... Static URL

Search Engine always prefers the second one for simplicity. Dynamic URLs are mostly reluctant by all kind of search engines due to the complex structure also. From the SEO point of view, placement of important and thematic keywords in the URL carries heavy weight and helps the site to rank better in SERP.

Suppose your chosen keyword for a particular page of your site is mls listing services. You are determined to use this keyword for this page: http://www.ismartmls.com/mls-listings.php

 

Look at the above URL structure with proper attention. The main keyword for a particular targeted page is inserted in the URL name. What more you need?? Your SEO for this particular page is 75% done in the initial stage. Now-a-days, most SEO companies ignore this simple fact and at the end they simply loose the SEO value for their website and ultimately can’t satisfy their valuable clients after long and hard work.

Also look the keyword putting pattern in the URL depicted above. The words after the main domain are used with the expression ‘-’. Here is a debate, some people urge for underscore ‘_’ and some urge for dash ‘-’. As a SEO lover, I would go for both as I have instance of success with both the above expressions, yet I prefer ‘-’ more because, small phrases are lined up together with dash which will help crawler to crawl and index the URL far better than the one used ‘_’ which search engine figures out as separate words usage in the URL portion.

So, beware when determining the URL structure of your website you determined to do SEO, only because proper URL structure and keyword placement in the URL makes your job nearly done.

Also to note that search engine crawler still favors extensions like .htm, .html, .php rather than .asp or .aspx or others, so first of all if your site is create with other complex program rather than the said above, sit with the designers and programmers and tell them to convert the site with SEO friendly extension, if you ultimately need to satisfy your SEO clients.