Should there be a limit to url lengths?

miked · 10-10-2011, 10:45:22 AM

Hey all,

Constructing a new site, and I'm facing an issue regarding url length. The site is one giving information on resources with precise technical descriptions that can be >100 characters. It'd be desirable (or would it?) to have the technical description in the URL, but could there be a problem with having URLs of such a length? Apart from being pretty un-user friendly.

Any thoughts would be appreciated...

Mike.

dta · 10-10-2011, 11:47:01 AM

long urls can often help with seo.

obviously not user friendly though, so question to ask yourself is whether you'd expect a user to have to remember such a url or are they simply linkages between your site and a user will just click a link to follow it and not really care how long the underlying url is.

if you need both you could always add a short url version in the .htaccess file that redirects to the longer one

miked · 10-10-2011, 11:58:11 AM

Ah! Thanks for the help. Think I'll go with the longer ones, as I suspect people will bookmark rather than try to remember.

Cheers,
Mike.

djbw · 10-10-2011, 11:59:48 AM

Is there no commonly used acronym or abbreviation that you can use instead?
Long URLs just look clumsy to me; I try to stick to two or three words if I can.

miked · 10-10-2011, 12:39:02 PM

Unfortunately not. The terms I need to use are official classifications: some are pithy enough, but some are quite lengthy... but can't really be cut as that would lose some of the meaning. Strange one, really. The navigation menu's going to look interesting!

djbw · 10-10-2011, 02:29:11 PM

Do you need the EMD then? I know it's nice for the SEO benefits but for example ifyoulikeitsomuchwhydontyougolivethere.com is an amusing name but I can never remember it so always end up googling.
I don't really know what else to suggest!

daleduan · 11-10-2011, 02:20:52 PM

What you can do is have the long URL then find a brandable domain that would be easy to remember and will create a brand for you. Then make a 301 redirect to that brandable domain. In that way, you will be making your SEO on the long EM-Domain then creating a brand on the short domain.

10-10-2011, 10:45:22 AM	#1 (permalink)
miked Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 280 No Classified Ratings Domain Trader Rating: (100% / 8)	Should there be a limit to url lengths? Hey all, Constructing a new site, and I'm facing an issue regarding url length. The site is one giving information on resources with precise technical descriptions that can be >100 characters. It'd be desirable (or would it?) to have the technical description in the URL, but could there be a problem with having URLs of such a length? Apart from being pretty un-user friendly. Any thoughts would be appreciated... Mike. __________________ Heaters Commodity Codes Electricity Generation Shares Advice Polystyrene Box Earth Moving Equipment Solid Fuel Heating Firewood Processor

10-10-2011, 11:47:01 AM	#2 (permalink)
dta Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 388 No Classified Ratings Domain Trader Rating: (100% / 12)	long urls can often help with seo. obviously not user friendly though, so question to ask yourself is whether you'd expect a user to have to remember such a url or are they simply linkages between your site and a user will just click a link to follow it and not really care how long the underlying url is. if you need both you could always add a short url version in the .htaccess file that redirects to the longer one __________________ iBranded sites... Football Betting Tips \| Cheap Flights \| High Interest Bank Account \| Instant Loans \| London Olympics \| Desi \| Online MBA Courses \| MBA

10-10-2011, 11:58:11 AM	#3 (permalink)
miked Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 280 No Classified Ratings Domain Trader Rating: (100% / 8)	Ah! Thanks for the help. Think I'll go with the longer ones, as I suspect people will bookmark rather than try to remember. Cheers, Mike. __________________ Heaters Commodity Codes Electricity Generation Shares Advice Polystyrene Box Earth Moving Equipment Solid Fuel Heating Firewood Processor

10-10-2011, 12:39:02 PM	#5 (permalink)
miked Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 280 No Classified Ratings Domain Trader Rating: (100% / 8)	Unfortunately not. The terms I need to use are official classifications: some are pithy enough, but some are quite lengthy... but can't really be cut as that would lose some of the meaning. Strange one, really. The navigation menu's going to look interesting! __________________ Heaters Commodity Codes Electricity Generation Shares Advice Polystyrene Box Earth Moving Equipment Solid Fuel Heating Firewood Processor

10-10-2011, 02:29:11 PM	#6 (permalink)
djbw Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 120 No Classified Ratings Domain Trader Rating: (100% / 8)	Do you need the EMD then? I know it's nice for the SEO benefits but for example ifyoulikeitsomuchwhydontyougolivethere.com is an amusing name but I can never remember it so always end up googling. I don't really know what else to suggest! __________________ Hotels in Cardiff city centre \| Buy My Phone!

10-10-2011, 11:59:48 AM	#4 (permalink)
djbw Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 120 No Classified Ratings Domain Trader Rating: (100% / 8)	Is there no commonly used acronym or abbreviation that you can use instead? Long URLs just look clumsy to me; I try to stick to two or three words if I can.

11-10-2011, 02:20:52 PM	#7 (permalink)
daleduan Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 64 No Classified Ratings Domain Trader Rating: (0% / 0)	What you can do is have the long URL then find a brandable domain that would be easy to remember and will create a brand for you. Then make a 301 redirect to that brandable domain. In that way, you will be making your SEO on the long EM-Domain then creating a brand on the short domain.

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