SEO and URL

[interestedenough]

Hi,

I have the option of using my URL for a page that uses a filter variable which I am calling $arg. I'd like to know what is the best case for a URL from the point of view of search engines:

example.com/artist/painting/$arg
or
example.com/artist-painting/$arg
or
example.com/artist-painting-$arg

All the results of changing the $arg will be added to the XML sitemap and submitted.

Thanks in advance

 

[xrvel]

My old URL was download.php?id={id}
My new URL is
/re/download/{description_1}/?{id}

I still use query string but i add description in my URL.
I use "_" as word separator instead of "-".

 

[~ServerPoint~]

As for me this one

example.com/artist-painting-$arg

seems to be the best because files are in the root.

 

[interestedenough]

Xrvel, yes, in my case, the $arg can be text... I wonder also if it is the underscore "_" or the dash "-" the best option to go with.

Serverpoint, the slash "/" would signal a subdirectory placing the "document" deeper probably making it less relevant. I probably go with the last option as you mentioned.

Thanks

 

[xrvel]

I wonder also if it is the underscore "_" or the dash "-" the best option to go with.

I use "_" for human. I don't know maybe anyone has opinion, "_" or "-"?

Btw in my case, i have url such as
"/download/php/simple_class/?1",
"/download/php/captcha/?2",
"/download/java/class/?3"

Yes "php" and "java" are assumed as directories, but in my case, those urls ("download/php/" and "download/java/") work.
if a user visits "download/php", he/she will see all files about "php".
& if a user visits "download/java", he/she will see all files about "java".

& i think "/" does not really bad

 

[dman_2007]

Go with the last format and use dash instead of underscore which is preferred way to separate words according to google.

 

[xrvel]

Go with the last format and use dash instead of underscore which is preferred way to separate words according to google.

What about other search engines? Do they like "-" instead of "_"?

 

[dman_2007]

What about other search engines? Do they like "-" instead of "_"?

As far as i know, dash is the preferred way to denote whitespace for most of the search engines.

 

[mwzd]

- >> _ anyday

As far as seo is concerned.

Good Luck

 

[avi2l]

I just found that one of my keyword specific url's made it to the first page for that same keyword. Only took a month and a half, and its a whypark page, so there wasn't to much on page SEO I could do. I also don't have many backlinks as well. So I would definitely have to say that it helps. Because besides some customized content and the keyword in the url, there's not much else.

However, not many competing sites for this keyword, only 150,000 SERP's and no dash between the words.

 

[xrvel]

As far as i know, dash is the preferred way to denote whitespace for most of the search engines.

- >> _ anyday

As far as seo is concerned.

Good Luck

Thanks for the information. rep added :tu:

 

[Peter]

Most search engines treat a dash and underscore in the same way. If I remember correctly they used to be treated differently but that is no longer the case.
The dash and underscore are both treated as a space.

Remember however if you have an underscore in the address this is much harder to recognise for the user.