Does the query part of URL (parameters after the question mark) play any role in SERP?
I am doing some research...
I noticed that many websites try to use kind of URL Rewrite (module in Apache HTTPD, other tools such as Java URL-Rewrite Filter at http://tuckey.org/urlrewrite/, and etc.)
Their believe is that SEs won't grab such URLs. This is NOT TRUE in case if you have links with query parameters on a page, and this is true for really dynamic forms submitted via GET. Only a few engines can construct URL from form, and Webmasters are usually very unhappy about that (such URLs may auto-generate spam on their websites).
So, I simply can't understand many SEOs publishing outdated info... Am I right?
I think Search Engines already know that 'path' part of URL is not always static, and 'query' part is not always dynamic. Check http://www.amazon.com for URL samples too.
Yes, the query string is important because a URL that includes a query string is indexed separately from the same URL that does not include a query string. And each unique query string is similarly treated as being different and indexed separately. So redirecting such URLs is the only way to avoid duplicate content problems. The most common method of handling this is to point URLs with query strings at a script that handles the necessary bookkeeping and returns a server code 301 redirect to the desired destination page. This both prevents the duplicate content issues and retains the ranking benefits of the links involved. Good luck!
> Does the query part of URL (parameters after the question mark) play > any role in SERP?
> I am doing some research...
> I noticed that many websites try to use kind of URL Rewrite (module in > Apache HTTPD, other tools such as Java URL-Rewrite Filter athttp://tuckey.org/urlrewrite/, and etc.)
> Their believe is that SEs won't grab such URLs. This is NOT TRUE in > case if you have links with query parameters on a page, and this is > true for really dynamic forms submitted via GET. Only a few engines > can construct URL from form, and Webmasters are usually very unhappy > about that (such URLs may auto-generate spam on their websites).
> So, I simply can't understand many SEOs publishing outdated info... Am > I right?
> I think Search Engines already know that 'path' part of URL is not > always static, and 'query' part is not always dynamic. Checkhttp://www.amazon.comfor URL samples too.
RainboRick is right. That is of course unless the querystring parameters direct the server side script to generate unique content. If not, the pages will appear as duplicate content and need a permanent (301) redirect. The googlebot does try to strip what look like "session" parameters, but it can't know what the true nature of the parameters are.
I have created a URL rewriting utility in the past, but not for this purpose. Google does read each page with variable parameters as a different page, and it works pretty good. The problem is it only works up to a certain number of parameters (not sure how many) and if you have a lot of parameters, it gets confused. That is where you will want to do URL rewriting.
> Yes, the query string is important because a URL that includes a query > string is indexed separately from the same URL that does not include a > query string. And each unique query string is similarly treated as > being different and indexed separately. So redirecting such URLs is > the only way to avoid duplicate content problems. The most common > method of handling this is to point URLs with query strings at a > script that handles the necessary bookkeeping and returns a server > code 301 redirect to the desired destination page. This both prevents > the duplicate content issues and retains the ranking benefits of the > links involved. > Good luck!
> On Jul 4, 10:16 am, Bambarbia Kirkudu! wrote:
> > Does the query part of URL (parameters after the question mark) play > > any role in SERP?
> > I am doing some research...
> > I noticed that many websites try to use kind of URL Rewrite (module in > > Apache HTTPD, other tools such as Java URL-Rewrite Filter athttp://tuckey.org/urlrewrite/, and etc.)
> > Their believe is that SEs won't grab such URLs. This is NOT TRUE in > > case if you have links with query parameters on a page, and this is > > true for really dynamic forms submitted via GET. Only a few engines > > can construct URL from form, and Webmasters are usually very unhappy > > about that (such URLs may auto-generate spam on their websites).
> > So, I simply can't understand many SEOs publishing outdated info... Am > > I right?
> > I think Search Engines already know that 'path' part of URL is not > > always static, and 'query' part is not always dynamic. Checkhttp://www.amazon.comforURL samples too.
> Yes, the query string is important because a URL that includes a query > string is indexed separately from the same URL that does not include a > query string. And each unique query string is similarly treated as > being different and indexed separately. So redirecting such URLs is > the only way to avoid duplicate content problems. The most common > method of handling this is to point URLs with query strings at a > script that handles the necessary bookkeeping and returns a server > code 301 redirect to the desired destination page. This both prevents > the duplicate content issues and retains the ranking benefits of the > links involved. > Good luck!
> On Jul 4, 10:16 am, Bambarbia Kirkudu! wrote:
> > Does the query part of URL (parameters after the question mark) play > > any role in SERP?
> > I am doing some research...
> > I noticed that many websites try to use kind of URL Rewrite (module in > > Apache HTTPD, other tools such as Java URL-Rewrite Filter athttp://tuckey.org/urlrewrite/, and etc.)
> > Their believe is that SEs won't grab such URLs. This is NOT TRUE in > > case if you have links with query parameters on a page, and this is > > true for really dynamic forms submitted via GET. Only a few engines > > can construct URL from form, and Webmasters are usually very unhappy > > about that (such URLs may auto-generate spam on their websites).
> > So, I simply can't understand many SEOs publishing outdated info... Am > > I right?
> > I think Search Engines already know that 'path' part of URL is not > > always static, and 'query' part is not always dynamic. Checkhttp://www.amazon.comforURL samples too.
Whatever you find in eother index, main or supplemental, is because the website produced those links, whether correctly or incorrectly. Lots of websites that operate with urls that contain query strings (and others as well) often have errors which results in weird url's which, combined with a server that deos not identify and reject invalid url's, will just pile thm up as "valid" urls, but with who knows what content.
> Why SEO still advice to avoid query part in links?
> On Jul 4, 2:31 pm, RainboRick wrote:
> > Yes, the query string is important because a URL that includes a query > > string is indexed separately from the same URL that does not include a > > query string. And each unique query string is similarly treated as > > being different and indexed separately. So redirecting such URLs is > > the only way to avoid duplicate content problems. The most common > > method of handling this is to point URLs with query strings at a > > script that handles the necessary bookkeeping and returns a server > > code 301 redirect to the desired destination page. This both prevents > > the duplicate content issues and retains the ranking benefits of the > > links involved. > > Good luck!
> > On Jul 4, 10:16 am, Bambarbia Kirkudu! wrote:
> > > Does the query part of URL (parameters after the question mark) play > > > any role in SERP?
> > > I am doing some research...
> > > I noticed that many websites try to use kind of URL Rewrite (module in > > > Apache HTTPD, other tools such as Java URL-Rewrite Filter athttp://tuckey.org/urlrewrite/, and etc.)
> > > Their believe is that SEs won't grab such URLs. This is NOT TRUE in > > > case if you have links with query parameters on a page, and this is > > > true for really dynamic forms submitted via GET. Only a few engines > > > can construct URL from form, and Webmasters are usually very unhappy > > > about that (such URLs may auto-generate spam on their websites).
> > > So, I simply can't understand many SEOs publishing outdated info... Am > > > I right?
> > > I think Search Engines already know that 'path' part of URL is not > > > always static, and 'query' part is not always dynamic. Checkhttp://www.amazon.comforURLsamples too.
I think that many SEO people confuse the issues. Query strings are ok. They are a natural part of URLs and Google likes them ok. The problem is when there are two different URLs pointing to the same page. The problem originally came about when people used to create "doorway" pages and eventually resorted to created bogus linking schemes.
I haven't yet seen the Googlebot index any of my sites without the querystring parameters intact.
> Why SEO still advice to avoid query part in links?
> On Jul 4, 2:31 pm, RainboRick wrote:
> > Yes, the query string is important because a URL that includes a query > > string is indexed separately from the same URL that does not include a > > query string. And each unique query string is similarly treated as > > being different and indexed separately. So redirecting such URLs is > > the only way to avoid duplicate content problems. The most common > > method of handling this is to point URLs with query strings at a > > script that handles the necessary bookkeeping and returns a server > > code 301 redirect to the desired destination page. This both prevents > > the duplicate content issues and retains the ranking benefits of the > > links involved. > > Good luck!
> > On Jul 4, 10:16 am, Bambarbia Kirkudu! wrote:
> > > Does the query part of URL (parameters after the question mark) play > > > any role in SERP?
> > > I am doing some research...
> > > I noticed that many websites try to use kind of URL Rewrite (module in > > > Apache HTTPD, other tools such as Java URL-Rewrite Filter athttp://tuckey.org/urlrewrite/, and etc.)
> > > Their believe is that SEs won't grab such URLs. This is NOT TRUE in > > > case if you have links with query parameters on a page, and this is > > > true for really dynamic forms submitted via GET. Only a few engines > > > can construct URL from form, and Webmasters are usually very unhappy > > > about that (such URLs may auto-generate spam on their websites).
> > > So, I simply can't understand many SEOs publishing outdated info... Am > > > I right?
> > > I think Search Engines already know that 'path' part of URL is not > > > always static, and 'query' part is not always dynamic. Checkhttp://www.amazon.comforURLsamples too.
I agree, thre's nothign wrong intrinsiclaly with urls that incldue query strings.
Obviously there can be problems with malformed urls, and that can easily happen if there are embedded blanks or invalid characters in urls (whether in the part before the query string or in the query string itself), expecially if not urlencoded. But that doesn't mean all urls that contain query strings are automaticlaly bad, all it means that malformed urls are bad, whether they include or not a query string.
OK, I think we've hashed this notion in every which way LOL
> I think that many SEO people confuse the issues. Query strings are ok. > They are a natural part of URLs and Google likes them ok. The problem > is when there are two different URLs pointing to the same page. The > problem originally came about when people used to create "doorway" > pages and eventually resorted to created bogus linking schemes.
> I haven't yet seen the Googlebot index any of my sites without the > querystring parameters intact.
> On Jul 4, 12:14 pm, Bambarbia Kirkudu! wrote:
> > I'd like to correct some wordings, no offense please:
> > > URL that includes a query string is indexed separately > > > from the same URL that does not include a query string
> > Why SEO still advice to avoid query part in links?
> > On Jul 4, 2:31 pm, RainboRick wrote:
> > > Yes, the query string is important because a URL that includes a query > > > string is indexed separately from the same URL that does not include a > > > query string. And each unique query string is similarly treated as > > > being different and indexed separately. So redirecting such URLs is > > > the only way to avoid duplicate content problems. The most common > > > method of handling this is to point URLs with query strings at a > > > script that handles the necessary bookkeeping and returns a server > > > code 301 redirect to the desired destination page. This both prevents > > > the duplicate content issues and retains the ranking benefits of the > > > links involved. > > > Good luck!
> > > > Does the query part of URL (parameters after the question mark) play > > > > any role in SERP?
> > > > I am doing some research...
> > > > I noticed that many websites try to use kind of URL Rewrite (module in > > > > Apache HTTPD, other tools such as Java URL-Rewrite Filter athttp://tuckey.org/urlrewrite/, and etc.)
> > > > Their believe is that SEs won't grab such URLs. This is NOT TRUE in > > > > case if you have links with query parameters on a page, and this is > > > > true for really dynamic forms submitted via GET. Only a few engines > > > > can construct URL from form, and Webmasters are usually very unhappy > > > > about that (such URLs may auto-generate spam on their websites).
> > > > So, I simply can't understand many SEOs publishing outdated info... Am > > > > I right?
> > > > I think Search Engines already know that 'path' part of URL is not > > > > always static, and 'query' part is not always dynamic. Checkhttp://www.amazon.comforURLsamplestoo.
Dotnetninja is right about that. Having a page with a query string is fine as long as it's unique and shows only the one page for the one unque string. Where you get into trouble is when things like session IDs are tacked onto it and the same page will have an infinitely large number of possible URLs created for it. One common example is affiiate IDs. If your affiliate creates a link from a site that is more powerful than your own, their link with the affiliate ID may get indexed and the original filtered out. The same content is available, but anyone that clicks that search result is going to be counted as an affiliate lead when in fact the lead came from a search engine.
> I think that many SEO people confuse the issues. Query strings are ok. > They are a natural part of URLs and Google likes them ok. The problem > is when there are two different URLs pointing to the same page. The > problem originally came about when people used to create "doorway" > pages and eventually resorted to created bogus linking schemes.
> I haven't yet seen the Googlebot index any of my sites without the > querystring parameters intact.
> On Jul 4, 12:14 pm, Bambarbia Kirkudu! wrote:
> > I'd like to correct some wordings, no offense please:
> > > URL that includes a query string is indexed separately > > > from the same URL that does not include a query string
> > Why SEO still advice to avoid query part in links?
> > On Jul 4, 2:31 pm, RainboRick wrote:
> > > Yes, the query string is important because a URL that includes a query > > > string is indexed separately from the same URL that does not include a > > > query string. And each unique query string is similarly treated as > > > being different and indexed separately. So redirecting such URLs is > > > the only way to avoid duplicate content problems. The most common > > > method of handling this is to point URLs with query strings at a > > > script that handles the necessary bookkeeping and returns a server > > > code 301 redirect to the desired destination page. This both prevents > > > the duplicate content issues and retains the ranking benefits of the > > > links involved. > > > Good luck!
> > > > Does the query part of URL (parameters after the question mark) play > > > > any role in SERP?
> > > > I am doing some research...
> > > > I noticed that many websites try to use kind of URL Rewrite (module in > > > > Apache HTTPD, other tools such as Java URL-Rewrite Filter athttp://tuckey.org/urlrewrite/, and etc.)
> > > > Their believe is that SEs won't grab such URLs. This is NOT TRUE in > > > > case if you have links with query parameters on a page, and this is > > > > true for really dynamic forms submitted via GET. Only a few engines > > > > can construct URL from form, and Webmasters are usually very unhappy > > > > about that (such URLs may auto-generate spam on their websites).
> > > > So, I simply can't understand many SEOs publishing outdated info... Am > > > > I right?
> > > > I think Search Engines already know that 'path' part of URL is not > > > > always static, and 'query' part is not always dynamic. Checkhttp://www.amazon.comforURLsamplestoo.
