URL SEO weight question

[robert89]

Do search engines give more weight to a site where the domain name contains keywords related to the site and where that keyword is positioned within the domain name. i.e. which url would receive more weight where bob is the site we want to promote:

http://www.bob.people.ca

or

http://www.people.ca/bob/

or

http://www.people.bob.ca

Any reasoning that can be provided would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Bob

 

[ChrisHirst]

Simple answer is No. and None of them.





Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Woo Hoo! the cobblers kids get new shoes.
Nightclub counting systems

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

 

[Foamcow]

Although the information is indexed and does get a highlight in SERPS (Googles at least). Which makes me wonder if it does carry perhaps a tiny amount of weight. I have no evidence either way though.

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Toccoa Games - Day of Defeat gaming community
Target Marketing Communications - Advertising, Direct Marketing and Public Relations
"I'm making time

 

[ChrisHunt]

I believe that having the keyword in the URL may contribute slightly to the search weighting. If you're looking for widgets, it's not unreasonable for the engine to assume that widgets.com is more likely to have what you want than sprockets.com, if all other factors are equal. However I can't prove this to be the case, and even if I did, it could all change tomorrow anyway.

It simply isn't worth chasing every nuance of the engines' algorithms - because you're trying to hit a moving target. I'd go for a memorable domain over a keyword-stuffed one any day.

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd

 

[Sheco]

If I used google to search for widgets and the top 2 choices were sprockets.com and widgets.com ... I'd click the widgets one even if was the 2nd choice.

But thats just me.

 

[Sheco]

Oh, and I certainly wouldnt scroll back 10 pages looking either, it would be between the top rated ones, based on the url and the short bit of text that google shows.

 

[xtendscott]

Search Engines don't give a value for your domain name url as such. OK I don't work for Google but it appeard to be from very-little to no value. But the domain name can help when people actually put the ...>

http://www.keyword-domain.com</a>

for the actaul link text. The text in the actaul link IS given some value for search engine ranking. This is where a more relevant domain name is helpful.



xtendscott
Web Site Design | Cryosurgery | Walla Walla Portal