URLs with dashes between words or nothing at all? ( ../some-content vs. ../somecontent)

[tbinga]

Here's a quick and easy question:

Is there any problem with not using dashes in between words for URLs?

Obviously the readability factor is a concern, but from a search engine standpoint?

Thanks in advance!

[jcommerce]

I'd go with hyphens for two main reasons.  I am sure there are more.

1. It's a common best practice.  Hyphens are used to to separate words in a keyword phrase (new-content).

2. It's a small win for usability because it is easier on the eye.  http://www.yourbrand.com/somecontentaboutaproduct is harder to read http://www.yourbrand.com/than some-content-about-a-product.  Think about it through the eyes of an interested party who finds the link from a social share.  Getting design right isn't just about color, white space and layout, but how the overall brand appears.

[ProductPearson]

Hi,

I am confident it does not matter whichever you use. If I search for my site in Google for example, searchbuzz, it comes up with items for "Search Buzz" that are not related, so it can easily see that it is two different words sometimes instead of just one, which my site is.

Also, if I search for search buzz, I get one that comes up for a site called Buzz Search where the URL is bold because it has picked up buzzsearch, the opposite of above where it has successfully compressed two words into one.

So I do not think it matters if you include dashes or not, but I wouldn't go more than 3 words with it, ie latestbreakingnews. I wouldn't have one of my articles named "Riots in MIssouri Are going crazy", as domain.com/riotsinmissouriaregoingcrazy because I doubt that Google will be able to understand the words within that, but if it was domain.com/riotsinmissouri it would likely pick up Riots in Missouri as a keyword.

Ash

[tbinga]

Great insight guys. I knew I would be going with dashes along but I was having a friendly debate within the office.

Thanks again!