How to create a well formed, yet friendly URL link?

sonicswap · #1 (**permalink**) 01-30-2007, 05:46 PM

Hi,

We use links on our site that use "?" and "&" in our links. We're looking at creating a link like: www.sonicswap.com/username or username.sonicswap.com. Either would be translated by the server into what we need internally.

My question, which of the two above appoaches is most user friendly, advances social networking, and best for search engines?

Thanks,
Jay

Webnauts · #2 (**permalink**) 01-30-2007, 06:05 PM

The first option is for everybody and everything friendly and usable. :)

**incrediblehelp** · #3 (**permalink**) 01-30-2007, 06:50 PM

How about a third option:

3. It doesnt matter.

Webnauts · #4 (**permalink**) 01-30-2007, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by incrediblehelp

How about a third option:

3. It doesnt matter.

Option 3 is not the best option. At least not for users. Maybe alone for machines.

But as I always say: Optimize for humans with engines in mind.

Why don't satisfy both?

For some further reading about Web Standards and Users: http://www.w3.org/Provider/Style/URI and http://www.wolf-howl.com/seo/jakob-nielsen/

For some further reading about SEO: http://www.marketposition.com/blog/a...ls_can_af.html

**incrediblehelp** · #5 (**permalink**) 01-30-2007, 08:28 PM

If your saying it matters whether someone builds a subdomain or subdirectory I would have ALWAYS say "it doesn't matter". That is what I was referring to. Both are well formed and are completely indifferent when it comes to SEO.

Webnauts · #6 (**permalink**) 01-30-2007, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by incrediblehelp

If your saying it matters whether someone builds a subdomain or subdirectory I would have ALWAYS say "it doesn't matter". That is what I was referring to. Both are well formed and are completely indifferent when it comes to SEO.

Jays question was:

"My question, which of the two above appoaches is most user friendly, advances social networking, and best for search engines?"

And I explained why the first option would be the most appropriate.

**incrediblehelp** · #7 (**permalink**) 01-30-2007, 08:45 PM

Yes and I said it doesn't matter, because I feel it doesn't. Just my opinion John. No big deal we just disagree again.

I would love to see documented evidence from the search engines that states that a subdomain or a subdirectory can actually be better than one or another. Of course I wont be seeing this proof anytime soon.

Webnauts · #8 (**permalink**) 01-31-2007, 04:43 AM

Last comment to this issue.

This url username.sonicswap.com is not user or social media friendly.

Off-topic? An interesting video of the Google Engineer Matt Cutts about designing for users or engines: http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...0&q=Matt+Cutts

**incrediblehelp** · #9 (**permalink**) 01-31-2007, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Webnauts

This url username.sonicswap.com is not user or social media friendly.

Why exactly?? Please type it out instead of posting a link to someone elses website.

Webnauts · #10 (**permalink**) 01-31-2007, 12:52 PM

I have posted above a link of the W3C and of the most famous usability expert Jakob Nielsen, as their work is based on facts and not theory.

I did that, while I would like to avoid any further discussions which will end up that all that are my personal opinion, which are not!

Read the links I posted above and if you still have questions, we can discuss further. OK? :)

**incrediblehelp** · #11 (**permalink**) 01-31-2007, 12:54 PM

Sounds good John. I will PM you with further questions.

sonicswap · #12 (**permalink**) 01-31-2007, 06:25 PM

Thanks.. this is great dialog and feedback.

In either case, we'd have rewrite rules to reformat the URI's into something internally useful.

Here's more info related to our thinking. Some of us believe that username.sonicswap.com is much cooler than www.sonicswap.com/username.
The belief is that there is more a feeling that users will feel more ownership and affinity to their contributions (aka playlists). We want to encourage users to have links to their playlists on their blogs, websites, etc. and if its cool they'll do it.

Some others of us believe www.sonicswap.com/username is just as cool and without the drawbacks of the other approach.

The drawbacks we see of username.sonicswap.com is that sites (like this forum) don't automatically recognize it as a URI and won't covert it into an actual link like it will a www.sonicswap/username link. The other drawback is that search engines treat each variation of username.sonicswap.com as a unique site which limits the optimization that can be achieved.

I suppose the bottom line argument to the two is if username.sonicswap.com is so much cooler will it offset the drawbacks it has.

I suppose its a matter of opinion too. It would be interesting to see what the experts have to say.