Proper Domain, Sub-domain and Folder URL Structure Management in SEO
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One of the important planning decisions any developer should make is to ensure that the website has the proper domain, sub-domain and folder structure for search engine optimization. Failing to do this could adversely affect a website's ability to make sales. This article will explain why, and show you how to properly set up your site's structure.
Building a proper site structure is particularly important at the web development stage, when the website has not yet been launched in the production hosting server (at the web hosting company). Even though the website is still in the development stage, the developer should be able to foresee the website's structure -- how it will fit together when the files are uploaded to the web hosting server.
Failing to take account of proper structure can be a costly long-term mistake if the website has already been launched, marketed and optimized for the search engines. This is true for the following reasons:
1. Changes in the file structure, particularly to the domain, sub-domain and folders require permanent redirection (301 redirection status). These redirects can affect the existing ranks of indexed pages in Google. This can translate to losses in traffic, and that can affect the website's targeted sales.
2. For really big websites, the stabilization of the website file structure (from 301 redirections) can take a long time, perhaps three to six months.
3. A single mistake in redirection can seriously affect existing customer experiences. It could cause visitors to be unable to see proper web pages or check out their orders.
This article has been written for developers to help them prepare their websites to use the optimal structure for search engine optimization. This is best done in the web development stage to prevent the three issues stated above from happening.
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