Sep
25

SEO for Dynamic URLs - Should you rewrite them to SEO friendly format ?

Filed Under (Search Engine Optimization) by Mani Karthik on 25-09-2008

Google breaks one more age old concept - of rewriting dynamic URLs to “Search Engine Friendly” static URLs.

We’ve been taught that dynamic URLs are bad and passes less information to Google than static URLs which search engines love. Last day, Google gave us official, documented information that this is not the case anymore.

According to Google, the crawlers have become more clever now that it can handle pretty much all the dynamic URLs that has the extra parameters in it. It can even “decode” those ambersands and session ids to meaningful format.

Therefore, you don’t need to rewrite them to SEO friendly static formats.

However Google clarifies that, if there is dynamic content on your website (Dynamic content = Content pulled from the database on demand, on the fly), then it’s recommended that, you leaeve it as such, because Google can now understand what a session id and & sign means. When there is dynamic content, it is not fair to rewrite to static urls where we might avoid all the additional parameters.

However, if the content is not dynamic, you might want to avoid longer URLs with meaningless parameters.

Which means that webmasters should now allow and tell Google that it’s dynamic content or static content without fail, and not try to mask your content nature (dynamic or static) through URLs just for the sake of search engine friendliness.

The big picture is thus.

Dynamic Content = Dynamic (meaningful) URLs = Google - No rewrites please, we’ll separate wheat from chaff.

Static Content = Static URLs. = Google - We were smart, and will be.

So, what happens to all those who manipulated their URL’s to search engine friendly format?

Well, leave it as such if it’s complicated to go back. Just make sure, your have the URLs related to the content and not unnecessarily “SEO” optimized. Again, this depends on the site type, volume of pages, indexed content and the time you’ve got.

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  1. Anish K.SNo Gravatar

    Mani, I am Expecting an Article on ” Sitelinks “

    [Reply to this comment]

  2. VinayNo Gravatar

    Why would I have to turn my URL’s to Dynamic just for the sake of Google? Its not just SEO Friendly URL’s its User Friendly as well!

    Ok well… Google understands the URL now..what about normal web users..? I would bet any user who clicks on a result from Search Engines either choose “Authority” or look for search terms in URL.When your site shows a link with all those parameters..do you even think someone would click?

    More than Search Friendly URL’s they are more user centric imo!

    In short: Google doesn’t want people rewriting dynamic URLs into static format as it finds dynamic URLs useful (”unless they over 5 parameters”) BUT experts suggest you don’t go and change all your current re-written URLs back but go with the new advice from now on!

    That should make the issue more clear I hope!

    - Vinay

    [Reply to this comment]

  3. Sree PillaiNo Gravatar

    Mani,
    Here is my take on this.

    http://teck.in/static-and-dynamic-urls-should-i-rewrite-dynamic-url.html

    Google is not the only search engine, though they rule the SE world.My suggestion is to continue using the static Looking URLs for your dynamic websites such as WordPress, BBPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc..

    [Reply to this comment]

  4. Frank RichardNo Gravatar

    Great revolution, Google brings us good news, :) Thanks for sharing!

    [Reply to this comment]

  5. Sree PillaiNo Gravatar

    Here is my take on this.
    http://www.teck.in/static-and-dynamic-urls-should-i-rewrite-dynamic-url.html

    Static-looking URLs are user friendly, and works on other search engines too.

    My suggestion is to continue using the static-like URLs for dynamic websites such as WordPress, BBPress, Joomla, etc..

    [Reply to this comment]

  6. dinuNo Gravatar

    hope we will get less tickets asking for .htaccess help for this LOL

    [Reply to this comment]

  7. ÖnderNo Gravatar

    i think there is no need to rewrite dynamic urls again. because first of all if i think about my web site: i created it nearly 2 years ago and i learn seo just the beginning of summer and i used it in my web site and it works good. now my dynamic urls
    are nearly at the top of the google when you search most of the keywords.

    but i learn that: seo friendly urls are the best but if google index your urls nearly one year ago i think you must touch them.

    [Reply to this comment]

  8. KiranNo Gravatar

    Good Info ….Thanks to Google Again

    [Reply to this comment]

  9. RajeshNo Gravatar

    that was one bad article from google and Matt himself was embarassed…

    all they intended to tell was to that they do crawl “Parameterized” URLs well now…

    but it does not mean that one need to get away from SE friendly pretty permalinks…if you can do it the right way…CMS like wordpress does it fine and we never had problemes until now…

    Infact the definitions of Static and dynamic URLs were wrong in that google post…very embarassing stuff for Matt and google indeed…

    [Reply to this comment]

  10. Mani KarthikNo Gravatar

    @ Rajesh and Sree

    I think we should continue with the way URL’s were optimized for WP blogs. However, if Google can sieve it’s way through nonsensical URLs for shopping carts and dynamic content sites, that’s a glorious improvement.

    [Reply to this comment]

  11. SrijithNo Gravatar

    ” For example, if you’re searching for information about aviation, a URL like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation will help you decide whether to click that link. A URL like http://www.example.com/index.php?id_sezione=360&sid=3a5ebc944f41daa6f849f730f1, is much less appealing to users. ”

    http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=76329&hl=en

    So now I am really confused!!

    [Reply to this comment]

  12. RajeshNo Gravatar

    exactly…all that the article did was to create unnecessary confusions.Just ignore the bad article acknowledged even by Matt..

    [Reply to this comment]

  13. SEO friendly URLs: myth and fact » malcolm coles

    [...] http://www.dailyseoblog.com/2008/09/seo-for-dynamic-urls-should-you-rewrite-them-to-seo-friendly-for... [...]





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