SEO Question: Which URL works better?

[anurag1234]

I too will go with this one
http://www.mydomain.com/plumbers-alabama.htm









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Coptwriter

[websitehandyman]

In my experience none will be better then the other, although all will be better then a url without plumbers if plumbers is what you are want.

The two main aspects of SEO that take 75% of the effective SE focus are relevance on the page and relevance on other sites linking into your site.

The rest you can play with all you like but it's won't make more then 25% difference if you get all of the 50 or so things you could work correct.

[hammerr]

Personally I think all 3 of these would be good and an equal choice in most cases-

http://www.mydomain.com/plumbers-alabama.htm
http://www.mydomain.com/plumbers/alabama
http://www.mydomain.com/plumbers-alabama

the http://www.mydomain.com/plumbers-alabama show you have a specific page that is all "plumbers-alabama" but if you have it in a site with other states also I think the SEs would give it the same wight as "/plumbers/alabama"

I don't like file extensions like .html but I think they make no difference in SEO.

[jezlister]

I would agree that it would be better to have use Plumbers in the url. Failing that, keep the number of sub directories to a minimum. In other words less '/' the better.

[GetATrip]

@ Rallen

As suggested I would buy a domain name with plumbers in it, you'll find a good one. If you think your industry is filled up try the travel industry on for size! I have heard Matt Cutts from Google say that the search engines always read from left to right including URL'S, and if your keyword is as far to the left as possible the better.

That being said here is an axiom I and you for that matter, should live and die by. If someone has not diligently tested this experiment out, it means NOTHING. All these well meaning folk giving you their opinions and preferences well we might as well have the same discussion about cologne and perfume preferences. See where I am going with this?

Several methodologies would work though to simplify the experiment I would keep the same domain name and then start like 5 separate sub-domain names. Do not build links into them or you will convolute everything as ALL THINGS NEED TO BE THE SAME. Track a few times a day for a couple of months. Also I would never test with just a broad subject like plumbers there are far too many of you. Do the experiment with a longtail keyword phrase of plumbers in your various mentioned forms.

Then report back to us as finally you will have something to say. You'll be our expert. Until then we are all spinning our wheels, the sheep leading the sheep.

Take care--