Dynamic content can be a boon to a site. It allows you to address individual user needs, keep your content fresh-looking, and basically do a lot that static content just can’t do. The major problem dynamic content presents for most sites is that the URLs produced for dynamic content are not friendly to the search engines. This can seriously drag your pages back in the results pages.
When do you know when you have a problem with a dynamic URL? Basically, you know because it features on your site. SEO experts habitually change any dynamic or dynamic-looking URL during optimisation so that it at least looks static. Many do their best to discourage clients from using dynamic URLs at all on their site, as this makes SEO much easier. This means that any URL with ‘?’ or ‘&’ featured may need to be changed.
The many problems with dynamic URLs
The search engines are known to dislike dynamic URLs, although it’s rarely explained exactly why this is. Mostly, it’s thought that the extra characters in the URLs confuse the search engines. This, however, isn’t the only issue that can arise from dynamic URLs.
Problem 1: Confusing characters
This is the most commonly known of the issues that the search engines have with dynamic URLs. Basically, the non-alphabet characters used by dynamic URLs are thought to confuse the search engines.
Problem 2: A short stop
It is also thought that the search engines read only part of a dynamic URL. This means that a large number of your pages appear to have the same URL, with obvious complications for planning SEO.
Problem 3: A waste of SEO potential
The most frustrating thing about dynamic URLs from a search engine optimisation point of view is that a valuable SEO asset is actively discouraging the search engines. URLs are a great place to feature keywords. The search engines tend to rank sites higher when the keyword is in the domain name or URL. The hints are there every time you perform a search yourself. Filling a URL with dynamic information is a waste of opportunity.
Many websites have dynamic URL problems. Although sites that feature shopping carts and other transactional technology are the ones that most commonly suffer from these problems, a number of non-commerce sites discover that their features set up URLs which become problematic. If you’re thinking about adding a forum feature or individually tailoring content to site users, it can help to discuss your technology options with an SEO consultant. You can talk to our experts at SEO Consult about this problem.
Dynamic URLs can be worked around in a number of ways. Most site owners opt to have their dynamic URLs rewritten, which can take time and may require the services of a programmer. Some remove the technology causing dynamic URLs, a big move. Some sites on Linux servers opt for redirects to static URLs, taking care to rewrite their internal links as well. The path you take depends on your circumstances, but professional advice may come in handy.
Related posts:
- When Dynamic is Bad: SEO and URLs
- Dynamic Versus Static Page URLs
- SEO for dynamic content
- Why Headlines And Page URLs Are Important To Your SEO
- The Importance Of Domain Names And Page URLs In SEO
Tags: duplicate content, dynamic urls, Site Architecture
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