Important SEO Practices Information

[SimChris]

HI,

I wanted to offer some information about SEO.

YES:

http://www.yourstore...t-t-shirts-xxl/

is better than

http://www.yourstore...duct=5&size=XXL

Google does prefer "pretty URLs" now when there are 2 sites with similar content, same "weight" (not page rank). We've been doing SEO since March 1995, and Google *DOES* now incorporate the text found in the URL as part of its hinting for results -- in fact, this is clearly noted in their latest and recent SEO guidelines on HOW THEY see optimized websites. If anybody hasn't read that, then you should as it's pretty eye opening for the layman and shows you the majority of what must be done, and so you don't have to pay a "predatory" SEO firm to do what is already explicitly described by Google as the "right" way to do stuff post Penguin and their current algorithms post 2011 changes.

Beware copies of this on fake sites with google or seo in the URL, or hidden redirects -- this is the official link on GOOGLE's webmaster portal.

http://www.google.co...arter-guide.pdf (PDF)

the info page

http://support.googl...en&answer=35291

AND:

the basic Google guide for webmasters ("Webmaster Guidelines")

http://support.googl...en&answer=35769

I highly recommend anybody even speaking on the topic of SEO please first read the above 2 docs, as I can tell you from personal experience running a large news network, and building sites as long as I have that it's a NEW WORLD with search now. And some stupid things that used to not matter (like titles in the URL), do now matter to Google.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Dirty Butter
Topic split off of another thread