Does trailing slash in a url even matter?

by excoder01

Posted: 14 years ago 2 replies

Two anchor text links.

1)

Code:

<a href="http://www.domain.com/blogpost">the name</a>

Code:

<a href="http://www.domain.com/blogpost/">the name</a>

Now, assuming I build my backlinks to a blog post without the trailing slash, would have any effect on my SEO ranking (i.e. duplicate content)?

I know some folks say that Google treats http://domain.com and http://www.domain.com as two different pages, but what about one with a trailing slash and one without?

#matter #slash #trailing #url

dburk

14 years ago

Hi excoder01,

Search engines may see those as two different URLs since it is possible that a web server could be configured to serve different pages. This creates a potential duplicate content issue.

Google specifically recommends that you use the same URL for best results:

There are some steps you can take to proactively address duplicate content issues, and ensure that visitors see the content you want them to.

Be consistent: Try to keep your internal linking consistent. For example, don't link to http://www.example.com/page/ and http://www.example.com/page and http://www.example.com/page/index.htm.

Source: Duplicate content - Webmaster Tools Help

More importantly you may be splitting your backlink juice between the slightly different URLs.

Thanks

Signature

* Get Results - Outsource Your PPC Management |
* Don Burk Advertising & Marketing - www.donburk.com

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2551933].message }}

smallbusinessguy 14 years ago

As with www and no www.... Choose one and stick to it. Google and other search engines may be smart in the future to detect the difference
- Thanks
Signature

Looking to build stunning, functional landing pages that convert like crazy? Check out Optimizepress.
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2551969].message }}

Does trailing slash in a url even matter?

Trending Topics

How much does the rebranding affect CR ?

A Very Strange Internet Problem

Boat and Jet Ski Rentals...... Door Hangers Effective?

Let's dissect the genius behind Nike's 'Just Do It' slogan. What makes it so powerful and timeless?

Google Ads, landing pages, and Clickbank links