SEO Test Finalized - How to write the URLs?
The way I learn SEO is by observing and testing. I don’t listen to all that junk on forums and articles except the very few sources that are my favorites such as randfish.
In my tests I have all of the test pages with an exact amount of generated random Lorem Ipsum to not hit the dup content.
Testing data taken from here my datacollection for tests.
Question for the test: how should you write the URLs?
Info:
This is a test that was started on the August 11, 2005 in regards to the different URLs after a discussion on a forum.
Let’s say we want to optimize a certain web page for the phrase “word1 word2 word3″.
How should you then write the URLs?
- www.domain.com/word1word2word3.html
- www.domain.com/word1-word2-word3.html
- www.domain.com/word1_word2_word3.html
- www.domain.com/word1+word2+word3.html
Is there actually a difference and in that case is that related for Google, MSN and Yahoo?
Let’s look at the present data:
Check the Google search results
(results from jayuz.com are scraped content, nothing to do with the test)
First + then - and then without, underscore not listed (?).
Frist - then + and then without, underscore again not listed (??).
Check the Yahoo search results
First without then + then dash and then underscore.
In the middle of September 2005 (40 days after test start) I noted down the test results and at that time:
Google: Exact the same
MSN: Also exact the same
Yahoo: Was ranking first + but on #2 dashes and the others not listed. Yahoo is slow, we all know …
I think it is interesting that A, test results shows the same results after 4 months, B Google ranks + in URLs highest despite what Matt Cutts blogged about it and C that underscores in the URLs were unlisted in both G and MSN (because dash version was there?).
Conclusion
Strange as it might seem the SEs seem to prefer + signs in the URLs however in the viewpoint from the visitor I don’t find that attractive and professional. So I would recommend to use dashes.
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[...] Another thing to talk about regarding this is what the most optimal file-structure would be for you to use (that is for the search engines) , is it “seokeywords” or “seo-keywords” or even “seo+keywords” or should you just create a page that is as user friendly as possible if so use the combination: “seokeywords” This is a completly different story and another post about exactly this will come later on… Meanwhile check out this test regarding just this: Test on how to write URLs [...]
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Interesting test you done there Jim. Good work.
I will share my testresults from my hosting changes later on
Well I’m glad I’ve chosen to use dashes. Have you noticed any limits as the number of dashes you can use and still be effective?
John,
My belief: In the URL it doesn’t matter. In the domain use only 1, absolute max 2.
Good blog! I think a lot of what Matt says is what Google would like to have in place, or may have in place in the future, but not necessarily what is in effect right now.
That’s an interesting little test there. But I’m wondering how the results are scewed by the duplicate content filter, which has clearly hit your results in Google.
So perhaps the result listed first is listed there arbitarily, or because that’s the one google “found” first or some other magic reason.
looking for information and found it at this great site.
Great test.
It would appear that there are no duplicate content issues, Chris Andres mentoined this, but the pages and title tags are different. Only one sentence is the same.
I stick to using dashes. And man, I just hate underscores. They are just plain stupid. Why so many still cling to using these is beyond me.
I may have to try some + file names on my “SE traffic only” sites.
Yes, use dashes. Also best for visitors.
Actually just follow this:
http://www.seomoz.org/blogdetail.php?ID=1422
That’s actually not true anymore. Today (January 8, 2007), Google ranks dashes highest.
Nice test BTW.
To Dom: This article was written in 2006!
Of course this results not true.
Dashes are the best choise, ’cause also blogger (blogger.com, the google’s blog platform) use dashes.. so it’s logical to think that google like it much more than plus or underscore.
marco.