Targeting full URLs for backlinks

Does it make a difference to target fully qualified URLs?

[ZoltanTheBold]

If I am getting backlinks to my site, perhaps my articles section, are these treated differenty?

www.domain.com/articles/index.html

www.domain.com/articles/

In a browser both resolve to the same page, however does Google treat them as two separate URLs? I tend to favor targeting the directory (i.e. /articles/) in case things change in future.

I have noticed that there is a difference in Toolbar PR between them.

[tedster]

Yes, they are definitely are two different urls - and even though they are resolving to the same content on your domain, technically they can resolve to different content.

I tend to favor targeting the directory (i.e. /articles/)

I agree, that's the best practice for all links, both inbound and within the domain.

[nicedude]

Zoltan I always redirect using this code:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} ^[A-Z]{3,9}\ /.*index\.html\ HTTP/
RewriteRule ^(.*)index\.html$ http://www.example.com/$1 [R=301,L]

otherwise the content can be duped, its not nice when its done on purpose or by accident..

It is two urls as indicated above in previous post by tedster.

[ZoltanTheBold]

Thanks for the help folks.

nicedude

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} ^[A-Z]{3,9}\ /.*index\.html\ HTTP/
RewriteRule ^(.*)index\.html$ http://www.example.com/$1 [R=301,L]

I'm not too aux fait with mod_rewrite, so just to clarify does this force non declared index pages to be used? Like this:

www.domain.com/articles/

amended on the fly to

www.domain.acom/articles/index.html

or is it the other way around?

[nicedude]

its the other way around:

www.domain.acom/articles/index.html

to

www.domain.acom/articles/

[ZoltanTheBold]

Thanks