SEO and Distance to Root

[malta]

I am currently building a VB app for building websites optimized for SEO. I want to make sure that I include all possible factors (such as title, description, keywords, link structure, optimized file size, image with alternative tag etc.) and I was wondering about the following:

1 domain.com/honda99

is a better or worse address than

2 domain.com/cars/japanese/honda/hybrid/honda99

If distance to root has any importance, alternative 1 is better, if not, I guess alternative 2 would be better because the URL contains more information about the content.

Any thoughts?

[SEOExpert999]

Yes #2 is more valuable if the title, meta-description, meta-keyword, and page content talks about the directory keywords. If content does not match it is useless. But having the keyword as your domain name is better.

[malta]

Originally Posted by SEOExpert999

Yes #2 is more valuable if the title, meta-description, meta-keyword, and page content talks about the directory keywords. If content does not match it is useless. But having the keyword as your domain name is better.

Thank you, I appreciate the explanation. This is the answer that I am hoping is the correct answer.

[Cataclysm1987]

I would go with keyword one.

That's most likely what will be typed in by the user. If the actual model itself is what's going into the search engines, you want that plus your domain name to be the only thing showing up in order to reduce friction to your website.

[malta]

Originally Posted by Cataclysm1987

I would go with keyword one.

That's most likely what will be typed in by the user. If the actual model itself is what's going into the search engines, you want that plus your domain name to be the only thing showing up in order to reduce friction to your website.

The reason for this would perhaps be that Google displays the URL and people tends to click the shorter and better looking URL?

Or would you say that going with option 1 would have effects on the SERP?

[Cataclysm1987]

A little of both.

Anything unrelated to your keyword is friction.

So if someone types in a single keyword and your best result contains 12 unrelated keywords, that's friction and it will reduce your rankings.

If it only contains your domain and your keyword, boom! You rank because your site doesn't distract the Google bot or the visitor.

[malta]

Originally Posted by Cataclysm1987

A little of both.

Anything unrelated to your keyword is friction.

So if someone types in a single keyword and your best result contains 12 unrelated keywords, that's friction and it will reduce your rankings.

If it only contains your domain and your keyword, boom! You rank because your site doesn't distract the Google bot or the visitor.

This is very interesting. I this case, what do you think would be best, domain.com/honda99/ or domain.com/honda99.php?

Following the quoted logic, I guess that the www prefix would also constitute clutter for friction?

[bigcat1967]

This is off course and non SEO related - about your Civic99.php. I have a 99 civic and the thing has 175,000 miles on it. It runs great (knock on wood) and I'll be running it into the grave.

[mad.hat]

Go with the first one would be easier to rank for honda99 if that is what you are trying to go for.