How to name your pages for search engines

[VodaHost]

This is an advanced lesson in search engine optimizing the way you name your websites pages. This
lesson assumes that you already know how to name your websites pages. If you do not know how to
name your websites page, please CLICK HERE NOW before you continue.

Let's begin…

Search engines love words, word are everything to them, words are how they index your pages and display
your site. The more words you use the better.

Lets say you own FionasFlowers.com and your website has 3 different product pages.

Page 1 has flowers for weddings
Page 2 has flowers for funerals
Page 3 has flowers for valentines day

Now since Fiona is a internet beginner she will probably name her pages

FionasFlowers.com/productpage1.html
FionasFlowers.com/productpage2.html
FionasFlowers.com/productpage3.html

What she should do is use keywords in her pages names.

So instead of Fiona naming her page productpage1.html she should name her page....

FionasFlowers.com/wedding-flowers.html or
FionasFlowers.com/flowers-for-weddings.html or
FionasFlowers.com/flowers-wedding-bouquets.html

Notice that I have used the keyword flowers in each of the pages names. You should always include
one of your main keywords in your page name.

So all things being equal, which page do you think Google will index faster and give a higher rating on?

FionasFlowers.com/productpage1.html or FionasFlowers.com/flowers-for-weddings.html ???


Look how this page is named....

vodahost.com/vodatalk/search-engine-topics-vodahits/14962-how-name-your-pages-search-engines.html

Every single page of this forum is indexed in all the major search engines

[VodaHost]

Re: How to name your pages for search engines

Another tip is to make sure that you place the same keywords in your page title
as you do in your page name.

If you have any questions on the above topic, please feel free to ask them here.

[Bethers]

Re: How to name your pages for search engines

Excellent advice and a quick comment and something I learned.

Since I optimize my pages for my keywords, when I name them I use the same phrases sometimes without a dash or _ - because I've discovered there are a certain number of people who search that way and it then becomes easy for me to be at the top of the se's for the phrase run together (which you really couldn't use in text.

So, in the example above, I would have used:
FionasFlowers.com/weddingflowers.html

This is something that is working very well for me. But, whatever you do, follow the advice and use your keywords in your page url.

[Joann888]

Re: How to name your pages for search engines

Hello Everyone

I am a complete novice at this and am looking forward to learning lots of web tips from you all !

[Collectors-info]

Re: How to name your pages for search engines

Hi! Nice tip.
Would it be good practice to do the same with naming images ?
& place these in the key words area as well.
IE:
www.mysite.com/porcelain-pottery-ceramics-royal-Dalton-bird.gif
www.mysite.com/porcelain-pottery-ceramics-wade-mouse.jpeg
www.mysite.com/porcelain-pottery-ceramics-Walt-Disney-donald-duck.jpeg

Thanks

Chris

[Bethers]

Re: How to name your pages for search engines

Yes, Chris, images should be named so that the name reflects what the image is and uses keywords whenever possible. Same for the image alt text.

[Machiavelli]

Re: How to name your pages for search engines

Do the dashes between the worlds make any difference?

For example I have a article on my site I have named

http://www.myworldsouthamerica.com/cuscoandincatrail.html

would it be better to change it to

http://www.myworldsouthamerica.com/cusco-and-inca-trail.html

For me just looking at the 2nd option seems clearer, but does it make it easier for search engines or is there not any diffence?

[VodaHost]

Re: How to name your pages for search engines

Dashes seperate words, it all depends how your visitor searches for a particular word, some people search for webdesign and others search for web design, I would use them more times than not. web-design.html is the way to go for this keyword.

[pet121]

Re: How to name your pages for search engines

Very good post General! you have nailed down some very good seo techniques. Also this will increase your serps (search engine page ranking).

Kudos

pet121

[LadyEye]

Re: How to name your pages for search engines

Excellent post ... and definitely cures my curiosity about the dash - .... often wondered, never asked .....

Thanks!