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  4. Optimal Structure for Forum Thread URL

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Optimal Structure for Forum Thread URL

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  • PatrickGriffith
    PatrickGriffith last edited by Jun 21, 2012, 1:51 PM

    For getting forum threads ranked, which is best and why?

    • site.com**/topic/**thread-title-goes-here
    • site.com**/t/**thread-title-goes-here
    • site.com**/**thread-title-goes-here

    I'd take comfort in knowing that SEOmoz uses the middle version, except that "q" is more meaningful to a human than "t".  The last option seems like the best bet overall, except that users could potentially steal urls that I may want to use in the future.

    My old structure was site.com/forum/topic/TOPIC_ID-thread-title-goes-here so obviously any of those would be a vast improvement, but I might as well make the best choice now so I only have to change once.

    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
    • William.Lau
      William.Lau @PatrickGriffith last edited by Jun 21, 2012, 2:15 PM Jun 21, 2012, 2:15 PM

      I suggest using that. Would give you better rankings for that topic and then some juice can go to your threads.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • PatrickGriffith
        PatrickGriffith @William.Lau last edited by Jun 21, 2012, 2:12 PM Jun 21, 2012, 2:12 PM

        It's a forum I built myself.  I could easily make the "topic" the name of a category instead, I had just never thought of that approach.

        William.Lau 1 Reply Last reply Jun 21, 2012, 2:15 PM Reply Quote 0
        • William.Lau
          William.Lau last edited by Jun 21, 2012, 2:10 PM Jun 21, 2012, 2:10 PM

          Haha, Yes it does.

          I'm not sure what you are using but vBulletin had that option. Having topic as the category would be better, but if its not doable the 3rd would be best.

          That is strange Topic is Topic though. What platform are you using?

          PatrickGriffith 1 Reply Last reply Jun 21, 2012, 2:12 PM Reply Quote 0
          • PatrickGriffith
            PatrickGriffith @William.Lau last edited by Jun 21, 2012, 2:05 PM Jun 21, 2012, 2:05 PM

            Sorry, I should have added that the word "topic" is the actual word that's being used.  It's not a placeholder for the name of a topic.  So it has no keyword value.

            Does that change your answer?

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • William.Lau
              William.Lau last edited by Jun 21, 2012, 2:02 PM Jun 21, 2012, 2:02 PM

              I would go with first one, more keywords for search engine to identify. I think majority would say the same, it is just more friendly for search engines.

              PatrickGriffith 1 Reply Last reply Jun 21, 2012, 2:05 PM Reply Quote 0
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