What is the Best Keyword Placement within a URL for Inner Location Pages?

[the-coopersmith]

I'm working on a website with 100s of locations. There is a location search page (Find Widget Dealer), a page for each state (Tennessee Widget Dealers) and finally a page for each individual location which has localized unique content and contact info (Nashville Widget Dealer). My question is is related to how I should structure my URL and the keywords within the URL. Keywords in my examples being the location and the product (i.e. widget).

Here is a quick overview of each of the 3 tiered pages, with the Nashville page being the most optimized:

1. Find Widget Dealer - Dealer Page only includes a location search bar and bullet list links to states
2. Tennessee Widget Dealers - Page includes brief unique content for the the state and basic listing info for each location along with links to the local page)
3. Nashville Widget Dealer - Page includes a good amount of unique content for this specific location (Most optimized page)

That said, here are the 3 URL structure options I am considering:

1. http://website.com/**widget**-dealers/tennesee/nashville
2. http://website.com/dealers/tennesee-**widget**-dealers/nashville
3. http://website.com/dealers/tennesee/nashville-**widget**-dealer

Any help is appreciated! Thank you

[Lumina]

I would suggest not placing "widget-dealers" in any of the urls aside from the page that actually has the location search and bulleted list (which I'd assume is http://website.com/**widget**-dealers). Any state pages or location-specific pages could simply be structured as http://website.com/dealers/tennesee and http://website.com/dealers/tennesee/nashville respectively. This puts both the state and location closer to the start of the url; not to mention that shorter urls are generally better.

However, if you're adamant about using one of the 3 options outlined in your question, option 1 would logically be the correct structure as it tends from general to specific. The structure, from what I understand of your site, wouldn't make sense in the other two options.

[JarnoNijzing]

Personally I would go with number 3, purely based on a feeling. Number 2 just feels and look wrong.

I think with number 3 you've got it all logically arranged. State / City dealer. Very logical.

Just my 2 cents.

Regards

Jarno

[Bryan_Loconto]

I agree Jarno! Option 3 looks and feels more logical than the others. I'd go with that as well!

[adamxj2]

Just curious…are any of your keywords or location in the domain name?

If I were to search for this product, I would probably search something like "widget dealer Nashville Tennessee". I try to keep in mind what a person would search when structuring a URL. If your domain states the product, something like "www.widget.com/dealers/tennessee/nashville" would make the most sense to me.

Also, URL structure should semantically make sense as well as narrow down to the point of the page it links to. The URL affects SEO somewhat indirectly through user interaction and usability. Keep in mind, if you use long keywords at the end of your URL ("dealers/tennesee-widget-dealers/nashville") search engines will truncate it anyway in the results (www.widgets.com/dealers/.../nashville").  Basically, clean, simple, direct URLs are the best way to go.

Hope that helps

[the-coopersmith]

Replying to your last statement if I were going to go with http://website.com/widget-dealers/tennesee/nashville, are you saying I should have the "widget dealers" page url be different and be just "dealers"? Wouldn't that confuse the bots on structure?

[the-coopersmith]

There are no keywords in the domain. If there were I would definitely just go with dealers/tennessee/nashville and keep it simple and direct as you suggest.

[the-coopersmith]

I get the same feeling when I look at the 3 options. My only hesitation is the old rule about keeping keywords early in the URL. Not sure if that really matter anymore.

[LindaBuquet]

If no keywords in domain I would also go with #3 from a pure SEO perspective. Although post Hummingbird and post Pigeon I'm not sure it matters quite as much these days.

Just my 2 cents, no strong theory behind it except for good ole fashioned local SEO.

[MiriamEllis]

#3 is a winner from my perspective, too.

Nice feedback on this thread, everyone. Great to see!