URL rewriting with "-" or with a space ?

[nipponx]

Hi

Which url should i use for my web site ? and why ?

1 : http://www.test.com/how-are-you.html

2 : http://www.test.com/how are you.html

thanks

[Dan-Petrovic]

For best results use: how-are-you.html

Spaces turn out to be how%20are%20you.html

[firstconversion]

If your rewriting, chop off the .html bits for style

[nipponx]

hi dejan,

well, in firefox i get "how are you.html" in the url

i mean is it bad for SEO ?

[nipponx]

hi stephen,

.html is bad for SEO ?

[Dan-Petrovic]

Not really, though it does extend your URL a fraction which has a minimal impact but also makes your URLs longer and less aesthetic (and shareable).

[Dan-Petrovic]

SEO advantages and disadvantages are minuscule. If you are already going through trouble of rewriting URLs make them nice and neat with hyphens. Google also recommends to use them as separators so you cannot go wrong.

[Dan-Petrovic]

.

[KeriMorgret]

If you try to share "http://www.test.com/how are you.html" in an email or online, it's not going to automatically hyperlink the entire URL, it'll likely break off at the /how part.

I second using hyphens as separators. They present a clean look, and don't break or get translated with weird characters by various systems.

[Dan-Petrovic]

Good point.