Page is a not externally linkable
- Code, Content, and Presentation
-- Apache Web Server
---- Redirecting old pages to new PHP default page

jdMorgan - 7:31 pm on Sep 22, 2005 (gmt 0)


Yes, that's what it means. Search engines don't do very well with dynamic URLs. They can handle one parameter, sometimes two. But this forum is full of threads from people asking how to use static URLs on dynamic sites to avoid the problems with search engine listings.

The procedure is:

  • Change your pages (or page-generation script) to output static URLs (like the ones you had before)
  • Use mod_rewrite to internally convert these URLs, when requested by browsers and SE spiders, to the proper form needed to invoke your script to generate the correct page.
  • Use mod_rewrite to exteranlly redirect any attempt to directly access your script to the proper static form of the URL. This optional step will correct for any dynamic URLs already listed by search engines.

    So, for "welcome.htm" you would use:

    RewriteRule welcome.html /index.php?id=10 [L]
    #
    RewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} ^[A-Z]{3,9}\ /index\.php\?id=10\ HTTP/
    RewriteRule ^index\.php$ http://www.example.com/welcome.html [R=301,L]
    It should be obvious from the above that two rewriterules will be needed per page on your site. This is because your are leaving in up to mod_rewrite to "associate" the old page "welcome" with the new page "id=10". If possible, your should dump the "numerical naming" altogether, and use "id=welcome" to call your script. Then translate "welcome" to "page number 10" inside the script itself.

    You will do better in the search engines if you use meaningful URLs, instead of publishing URLs with page numbers in them.

    At any rate, I'd suggest some more research into "search engine friendly URLs [google.com]" and all the issues that surround their use. After you've decided what to do, then it will be time to implemetations.

    Jim

    Thread source:: http://www.webmasterworld.com/apache/4677.htm
    Brought to you by WebmasterWorld: http://www.webmasterworld.com