Best URL-structure for ecommerce store?

[gojesper]

What structure will recommend to the product pages?

Lets make an example with the keyword "Luxim FZ200"

With category in url:
www.myelectronicshop.com/digital-cameras/luxim-FZ200.html

With /product prefix:
www.myelectronicshop.com/product/luxim-FZ200.html

Without category in url:
www.myelectronicshop.com/luxim-FZ200.html

I have read in a blog post that Paddy Moogan recommend /lluxim-FZ200.html - i think i prefer this version too.

But I can see that many of the bigger ecommerce stores are using a /product prefix before the product name. What is the reason for this? and what is best practice?

[longdenc_gmail.com]

I Have an ecommerce site hosted on volusion and they make the structure /category/product (Specifically www.example.com/shortnameurl/productcode"). I figure with 10000+ sites they have found that this structure is best. They want the best results for their clients so they retain & gain new busines.

I recently tried to duplicate(ish) the product name like /black-luxium-camera/luxiumfz200 ... and google killed me.

My suggestion, stick with /categoryORbrand/product,  NOT .com/product/   as there is more opportunity to stand out when people search.

[DHS_SH]

I guess if you could host all your products at root level then this would be better....it just may be difficult to manage house keeping wise.

[gojesper]

Why would you go for example.com/product/luxim-FZ200.html instead of example.com/luxim-FZ200.html ?

[gojesper]

Duplicate content is not at problem - there will of course always be a default category.

[DHS_SH]

To avoid duplicate content I would specify that you don't have the same product page sitting in different categories.

Instead the product page should be the same URL even if it lives in multiple categories.e.g. www.example/product/luxim-FZ200.html

So if you click on the product link in Panasonic you go to the product page. You then go to the same page if you click on the product page from the "digital camera" category. The page is then unique and doesn't live in any category in particular.

You can then set the canonical link at product page level.

[Keszi]

Hey Jesper,

The decision of URL structure can be affected by multiple stuff, that your Content Management System supports or not.

I prefer the 3rd version (the one without category in the link) to avoid duplicate content coming from different URL patterns to the same page (now I know you could place canonical links, but what happens when you have 50000 products and at least 10000 categories and child categories?).

If you do not have too many categories and subcategories, and you are able to insert canonical links into your system, then I would go for URL structure with category name included (it is more descriptive).

Just an example for your case:

A. Website with a lot of categories and subcategories

www.example.com/panasonic/lumix/lumix-FZ200.html

www.example.com/digital-cameras/panasonic/lumx-FZ200.html

www.example/product/luxim-FZ200.html

and so on...

Could leave to duplicate content if you cannot point out which version of the URL is the "Real" version.

B. Website would have the same product under the same categories, but then the product URL would look like:

www.example/luxim-FZ200.html

I hope that helps you take a decision.

Gr.,

Istvan

[David_ODonnell]

I believe the reason many ecommerce stores use a /product prefix in the URL is because their ecommerce provider / program does it by default.

I'd typically go with the first (with category, but without product) as you have a sort of breadcrumbing in your URL structure, which can also be applied on page.However, I don't usually have products in more than one category - if you do then Paddy's suggestion is the way to go, because, as he says, if you have the category in the URL in that scenario it can lead to duplicate content issues.