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RE: Readable URL's

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Subject:  RE: Readable URL's
Author:   paulstone:   view profile | all posts by this author | add to favourites
Date:   18:26:31 22 September 2006
 
There are many reasons why human readable URLs are better for both users and search engines.

Firstly, they are just easier to remember.  For example, http://www.mydomain.com/products/gizmo is much easier to remember http://www.mydomain.com/shop.php?cid=675&pid=2&sid=11660242rflkwetklretepoert6235.
If you notice the first example on on a search engine or on another site, you may well just remember it, but you definitely wouldn't remember the second one.

Secondly, it's never a good idea to expose the underlying workings of your site to the user.  If we take the example above, they don't need to know that your site runs on PHP, and they don't need to know the category id, product id, and definitely not the session id. (The session id can be particularly problematic as if the user bookmarks the page with the session id in, when they return they more often than not get an error or get thrown back to the homepage of the site).

The added benefit of keeping your URLs readable and non-technology specific is that in five years time when your site gets a complete overhaul and is created in a different or new technology, your URLs will still be useable and current as far as search engines are concerned. 

What I mean is, imagine you've spent tens of thousands of pounds over the years getting your URLs (the ones that end with .php?id=35135&blahblahblah) high up in Google.  If you change the technology your site is built on and those urls become different, Google will more than likely wipe them clean from their database the next time they crawl your site as they will no longer be valid - all back to square one*!

*OK, the bit about square one is not strictly true because Google will reindex your pages again and if  you have good content and good links coming in to your site you'll get ranked accordingly again.  But it's a scenario that needn't happen if you have human readable URLs.
 
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  • Readable URL's, DavidGB, 13 Sep 09:52
    I'm seeing conflicting opinions on the value/relevance of having easily-readable URL's on sites (as I write the URL on this forum is not particularly user-friendly). Does anyone ...
    • Readable URL's, JonathanDavey, 13 Sep 19:27
      Google reads code, not logical words... it just wants a good meal in a top restaurant! On 09:52:11 13 September 2006 DavidGB wrote: I'm seeing conflicting opinions on the va ...
      • Readable URL's, DavidGB, 14 Sep 09:00
        Thanks ... interesting analogy .... do we know its taste - as in "good" and "top" ? On 19:27:42 13 September 2006 JonathanDavey wrote: Google reads code, not logical words.. ...
        • Readable URL's, JonathanDavey, 14 Sep 10:44
          (http://www.e-consultancy.com) e-consultancy.com and (http://www.businessinberkshire.co.uk) BusinessinBerkshire.co.uk are 3 star michelen style restaurants... if you prefer take ...
      • Readable URL's, Andy_Davies, 1 Nov 06:58
        A simple example of why readable url's work so well is to find this very forum thread on google by using the words "forum readable url". (http://www.e-consultancy.com/forum/1046 ...
        • Readable URL's, DavidGB, 1 Nov 14:37
          Andy - thanks for drawing attention to this ....a great example, if I have got my terminology right, of the "long tail" in action..... An excellent best-practice example from e- ...
          • Readable URL's, danielb, 1 Nov 15:28
            i agree, this really is a great example of best-practice paying off. all of the following are contributing factors: 1. keywords in the page title 2. the 'readable URL' itself ...
    • Readable URL's, danielb, 19 Sep 10:52
      according to the horse's mouth, google prefers user-friendly urls: http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/guest-post-vanessa-fox-on-organic-site-review-session/ the section on urls is ...
      • Readable URL's, DavidGB, 19 Sep 15:11
        Very helpful - thanks !  ...
      • Readable URL's, sgpratley, 21 Sep 10:29
        This has been around for a little while, and it seems to work well on 2 levels: 1) For the user, they can see the URL in Google listings and it confirms that the page is about w ...
    • RE: Readable URL's, Ashley , 19 Sep 16:45
      Hi David You said "as I write the URL on this forum is not particularly user-friendly" - but you'll notice that once you post it is then readable? How do we do this? - Fir ...
      • RE: Readable URL's, DavidGB, 19 Sep 19:11
        Awesome - thanks. ...
        • RE: Readable URL's, paulstone, 22 Sep 18:26
          There are many reasons why human readable URLs are better for both users and search engines. Firstly, they are just easier to remember.  For example, http://www.mydomain.com/pro ...
          • RE: Readable URL's, Ashley , 22 Sep 18:43
            More on all this at (http://www.e-consultancy.com/forum/103812-re-url-naming-rules.html) http://www.e-consultancy.com/forum/103812-re-url-naming-rules.html - see the entire thread. ...
            • RE: Readable URL's, PaulWalsh, 24 Sep 13:35
              The (http://www.w3.org/mobile) W3C Mobile Web Initiative has created best practice guidelines to help developers build Web sites that work better on mobile devices such as PDAs and ...
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