SEO - short URLs vs longer PHP URLs

[sujith.it]

Is there any real SEO benefit from simplifying my PHP urls to shorter, neater urls (with mod_rewrite)?
I want to do this mostly to make my site look nicer - but if it's good for search engines, then all the better.

Is there any reason NOT to make shorter URLs?

[lucie]

Google reduce the importance of URL....
I recommend not to use PHP urls at all.

[Shadab]

Search Engines are thought to index 'static' content much better than dynamic page content.
So that's why a lot of webmasters prefer to use static looking URLs like :

- /contact/
- /contact/send-mail/
- /contact.html

instead of

- /contact.php
- /contact.php?do=send-mail

Also, in a recent blog post at the official Google Blog, it was mentioned that static / keyword rich URLs (eg. /seo-forum/)
*may* get a better CTR (click-thru rate) in the SERPs than dynamic parameter-filled URLs. (eg. /forumdisplay.php?f=164) .

[simrita]

Search engine optimization (SEO also search optimization) is the process of editing and organizing the content on a webpage or across a website to increase its potential relevance to specific keywords on specific search engines and importantly ensuring that external links to the site are correctly titled and in abundance.

[Small Business SEO]

I'm glad we use WordPress and can create a short static looking url with ease.

[Hafsoh]

Short URLs makes sense from the point of view of human visitors easier to remember, but for the purposes of SEO, i don't think the length of the URL is so significant.

[ms2134]

You should be looking at short urls and not many depths for good Search Engine Practices.

I.E. , Make a website url be http://www.exampleurl.prefix/filename.html

and not http://www.exampleurl.prefix/foldern.../filename.html

and so on and so forth.

It is best to keep the URL as straight forward as possible; Not only for the sake of your visitors, but also for the search engines.

~ Mike

[MarkAntony]

Is there any real SEO benefit from simplifying my PHP urls to shorter, neater urls (with mod_rewrite)? I want to do this mostly to make my site look nicer - but if it's good for search engines, then all the better.

Longer Urls are better for grabbing SE's attention.
Shorter URLS are better for catchy, branding names.

[ms2134]

Originally Posted by MarkAntony

Is there any real SEO benefit from simplifying my PHP urls to shorter, neater urls (with mod_rewrite)? I want to do this mostly to make my site look nicer - but if it's good for search engines, then all the better.

Longer Urls are better for grabbing SE's attention.
Shorter URLS are better for catchy, branding names.

Yes, Search Engines find it easier to read the Shorter and less complicated Urls.

Using Mod_Rewrite is a good way to help it, providing that you have Apache on the server.

Mike