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Best URL-structure for ecommerce store?

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  • gojesper
    gojesper last edited by Oct 28, 2012, 7:47 PM

    What structure will recommend to the product pages?

    Lets make an example with the keyword "Luxim FZ200"

    With category in url:
    www.myelectronicshop.com/digital-cameras/luxim-FZ200.html

    With /product prefix:
    www.myelectronicshop.com/product/luxim-FZ200.html

    Without category in url:
    www.myelectronicshop.com/luxim-FZ200.html

    I have read in a blog post that Paddy Moogan recommend /lluxim-FZ200.html - i think i prefer this version too.

    But I can see that many of the bigger ecommerce stores are using a /product prefix before the product name. What is the reason for this? and what is best practice?

    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
    • longdenc_gmail.com
      longdenc_gmail.com last edited by Nov 20, 2012, 7:19 PM Nov 20, 2012, 7:19 PM

      I Have an ecommerce site hosted on volusion and they make the structure /category/product (Specifically www.example.com/shortnameurl/productcode"). I figure with 10000+ sites they have found that this structure is best. They want the best results for their clients so they retain & gain new busines.

      I recently tried to duplicate(ish) the product name like /black-luxium-camera/luxiumfz200 ... and google killed me.

      My suggestion, stick with /categoryORbrand/product,  NOT .com/product/   as there is more opportunity to stand out when people search.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • topic:timeago_earlier,22 days
      • DHS_SH
        DHS_SH @gojesper last edited by Oct 29, 2012, 10:19 AM Oct 29, 2012, 10:19 AM

        I guess if you could host all your products at root level then this would be better....it just may be difficult to manage house keeping wise.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • gojesper
          gojesper @DHS_SH last edited by Oct 29, 2012, 10:10 AM Oct 29, 2012, 10:10 AM

          Why would you go for example.com/product/luxim-FZ200.html instead of example.com/luxim-FZ200.html ?

          DHS_SH 1 Reply Last reply Oct 29, 2012, 10:19 AM Reply Quote 0
          • gojesper
            gojesper last edited by Oct 29, 2012, 10:08 AM Oct 29, 2012, 10:08 AM

            Duplicate content is not at problem - there will of course always be a default category.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • DHS_SH
              DHS_SH last edited by Oct 29, 2012, 9:30 AM Oct 29, 2012, 9:26 AM

              To avoid duplicate content I would specify that you don't have the same product page sitting in different categories.

              Instead the product page should be the same URL even if it lives in multiple categories.e.g. www.example/product/luxim-FZ200.html

              So if you click on the product link in Panasonic you go to the product page. You then go to the same page if you click on the product page from the "digital camera" category. The page is then unique and doesn't live in any category in particular.

              You can then set the canonical link at product page level.

              gojesper 1 Reply Last reply Oct 29, 2012, 10:10 AM Reply Quote 0
              • Keszi
                Keszi last edited by Oct 29, 2012, 7:22 AM Oct 29, 2012, 7:22 AM

                Hey Jesper,

                The decision of URL structure can be affected by multiple stuff, that your Content Management System supports or not.

                I prefer the 3rd version (the one without category in the link) to avoid duplicate content coming from different URL patterns to the same page (now I know you could place canonical links, but what happens when you have 50000 products and at least 10000 categories and child categories?).

                If you do not have too many categories and subcategories, and you are able to insert canonical links into your system, then I would go for URL structure with category name included (it is more descriptive).

                Just an example for your case:

                A. Website with a lot of categories and subcategories

                www.example.com/panasonic/lumix/lumix-FZ200.html

                www.example.com/digital-cameras/panasonic/lumx-FZ200.html

                www.example/product/luxim-FZ200.html

                and so on...

                Could leave to duplicate content if you cannot point out which version of the URL is the "Real" version.

                B. Website would have the same product under the same categories, but then the product URL would look like:

                www.example/luxim-FZ200.html

                I hope that helps you take a decision.

                Gr.,

                Istvan

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • David_ODonnell
                  David_ODonnell last edited by Oct 28, 2012, 11:10 PM Oct 28, 2012, 11:09 PM

                  I believe the reason many ecommerce stores use a /product prefix in the URL is because their ecommerce provider / program does it by default.

                  I'd typically go with the first (with category, but without product) as you have a sort of breadcrumbing in your URL structure, which can also be applied on page.However, I don't usually have products in more than one category - if you do then Paddy's suggestion is the way to go, because, as he says, if you have the category in the URL in that scenario it can lead to duplicate content issues.

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