SEO friendly URLs?

[ArtB]

URLs changed on the website to more URL friendly:

Old link:
/cars/ford/display.php?Prod_ID=80717

New link:
/cars/ford /view/80717/fiesta

There is a script to redirect to new URLs. So even somebody clicks on the old link it will be redirected to the correct page.

Is there are any disadvantages of new URLs from SEO point? I’m thinking about old links from old link building campaigns.

[incrediblehelp]

Both are fine. Why do you want to change and start all over again?

[ArtB]

Links has been already changed not by me. I worry about links from other websites. Even though you're redirected to the proper page I presume that link to redirected page doesn't have the same value as an original link.

[kgun]

But isn't the difference that the last version is a static unique archived page that can have it's own title tag?

[ArtB]

First version can have title tag as well.

[incrediblehelp]

Well then make sure you 301 redirect the old ones to the new ones then.

[ArtB]

What about links from other websites? I presume that link to redirected page doesn't have the same value as an original link.

[kgun]

Personally I would prefer the last format unless the site is very large and need to be MySQL / PHP driven.

A XML folder driven site is also very flexible. The XML documents can for example be transformed to different formats like (X)HTML, PDF, other XML formats like RSS and Atom, WAP etc by using XLST.

[bhatti]

Old link:
/cars/ford/display.php?Prod_ID=80717

New link:
/cars/ford /view/80717/fiesta

Your new link is better, but it can be more better by changing it to following:

/cars/ford/fiesta/80717

[kgun]

Thought of the same without mentioning it.

[incrediblehelp]

Originally Posted by ArtB

What about links from other websites? I presume that link to redirected page doesn't have the same value as an original link.

Sure it may or may not. Dont know until you try and see how it shakes out in the SERPs.

[kgun]

A side from canonical issues (e.g. site.com --> www.site.com) I personally never link to a redirected site (because there are so much spam / scam / hijacking etc. connected with redirection).

Another exception to the above rule:

site.com

redirects to

site.com/default.htm

or

site.com/home/index.html,

I personally prefer to link to site.com, since the last two versions are more probabale to change in the future, and then I have a broken link.

And of course, redirections are tolerated in affiliate links.