Keywords in the URL, What's the latest?

URL, keywords in url

[Allspec]

We are about ready to re-do our url structure, and are going to change our urls. We will be taking out keywords such as "straps" part numbers etc.. and replace them with meaningless numbers. Reasons for doing this is so that we can shorten urls, and for easier udating on our dyamic site.
My question is in doing so, will we lose out on page ranking by taking kewords & part numbers out?

Is it better to KEEP kewords & part numbers, or leave them out?

Thank you in advance,

Ty

[caveman]

Don't lose them. People go to substantial lengths to change URL's into formats you're about to undo. KW's in URL help.

[Allspec]

I realize that changing our site structure is daunting, but we really have to update our site, very badly!

When you say that keywords in the URL help, in what way? ranking? Do all SE's rank better with them in?

[caveman]

> ranking? Do all SE's rank better with them in?

Yes. Use G to search WebmasterWorld on "keywords in URL" or something like that. There have been volumes written on this subject. ;-)

Just one of literally hundreds of threads, thousands of posts:
[webmasterworld.com...]