pixelpyro
Joined: Mar 09, 2005
# Posts: 20
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Posted: 04/07/2005 05:29 am
Hi Guys.
Did a search and only found one thread on the subject which didn't really answer my question so here goes.
Does capitalisation make a difference? For example, I have read that more appropriate file names and site structure should be used, but would www.mysite.com/keyword/keyword_phrase.html be better then www.mysite.com/Keyword/Keyword_Phrase.html?
Or is it dependent on your meta data, ie if you capitalise there you should reflect this through your site. If so does that mean that <h1>We sell Keyword Phrase and Keyword Phrase Two online</h1> is better?
Also is this true of image naming Keyword.gif or keyword.gif (I also read that naming images more appropriately helps with SEO)
I tend to strucutre my site and using lowercase for naming conventions throughout just so it is simpler to remember. Does it make know difference in the long run.
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bhartzer
Administrator
Joined: Jun 08, 2000
# Posts: 7033
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Posted: 04/07/2005 08:38 am
Does capitalisation make a difference?
No, it generally does not. But, the real humans who visit your site can certainly tell if the writing on your site is "professional" or "amateurish". Proper sentence structure and well-written content (including titles) are always a good practice.
As for the search engines in particular, I just did a search at MSN, Yahoo!, and Google for keyword and Keyword. I couldn't tell a difference in the results, so I would say that it really doesn't matter whatsoever to the search engines.
If you want to check it out, do a search at the major search engines for your phrase (once capitalized and once not capitalized) and see if you can tell a difference in the results.
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e10
Joined: Dec 10, 2002
# Posts: 409
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Posted: 04/07/2005 12:18 pm
I made a hash of building my site in that I didn´t follow a format for file names so some are capitalised and some are not. I don´t think it makes any difference to the engines but if you type it into the browser with capitals and the file is written in lower-case, you won´t find the file.
I guess that if your visitors are more likely to search for a keyword with a capital then use that format, if not use lowercase. But in either case, keep your file formats the same.
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bhartzer
Administrator
Joined: Jun 08, 2000
# Posts: 7033
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Posted: 04/07/2005 12:44 pm
As far as specific filenames are concerned, if the site is on a Unix server then the case definitely matters. If the site is hosted on a Windows server then the filename case doesn't matter whatsoever.
As for rankings, case doesn't matter whatsoever. I personally don't think people even notice if part of a filename is capitalized or not. The might notice if it's in ALL CAPS LIKE THIS but I don't think it's really an issue.
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pixelpyro
Joined: Mar 09, 2005
# Posts: 20
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Posted: 04/07/2005 01:45 pm
Thanks Guys
That sorts that.
As mentioned I usually keep everything to lower case (file names and structure that is) that way I am always sure and never have to think - "did I capitilse this file or that". As for content, I couldn't agree more that from a users point of view it should be proper sentence structure and well-written content.
The reference was more how a Search Engine views it and if it makes a difference rather then from a users perspective.
Cheers
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g1smd
Moderator
Joined: Jul 28, 2002
# Posts: 10061
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Posted: 04/07/2005 03:03 pm
All lower case for folder and file names is a good idea. It is one less thing for visitors to think about.
For word separators don't use the underscore. It disappears on underlined links, and some search engines don't treat the words as separate words. Use hyphens or dots instead.
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pixelpyro
Joined: Mar 09, 2005
# Posts: 20
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Posted: 04/08/2005 12:12 am
Thanks for the hyphen tip re some search engines, have read the underscore Vs hyphen debate in a few threads, still wasn't sure of the outcome.
I appreciate what you say about the underscore on a link but I would never use it in a visible text based link.
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g1smd
Moderator
Joined: Jul 28, 2002
# Posts: 10061
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Posted: 04/09/2005 11:56 am
I now use only / and . in the whole URL - all in lower case.
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Vinnie
Joined: Nov 03, 2003
# Posts: 66
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Posted: 04/11/2005 02:40 am
It is good development convention to name a url extension appropriately.
Naming them for the sake of search engines should be the next priority down, the first priority should be the end user. To let the visitor know what page they are and brand it into memory.
In the recent history of languages such as .ASP this was proved, when you ahd long urls filled with chracters such as:
yoursite.com/shiny-widgets/deal_%?more%%%%?18468js.asp it never had the same effect and looks awful.
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