Key Words in URI in considered as the most powerful SEO method?

[foxfox]

e.g., I see specific searches on long tail terms (5+ kw's), where Google & Yahoo return the same result as number 1, and that result has a filename that matches the long tail search.

Of course, the popularity of this link is also a reason.

[edited by: caveman at 5:40 pm (utc) on Feb. 26, 2007]
[edit reason] Removed specifics and link, per TOS. Also edited for clarity. [/edit]

[caveman]

foxfox, the longer the search phrase, the more likely it is that a page containing the exact terms searched on will come up.

But that doesn't mean the filename is the most important on-page SEO element.

I'd stick with the current wisdom that the title is the most important. After than, filename, Hx tags, kw's on page and where they are on page, and internal/external links with that anchor text all play roles.

[Robert Charlton]

I myself don't believe that the filename is a significant ranking factor. All the search engine highlighting of filenames happens after the fact, when results are returned... and this highlighting might conceivably help clickthrough, but I think it makes SEOs think that filenames are more valuable than they are.

Additionally, there are lots of reasons why filenames containg keywords might correlate with high rankings but have nothing to do with them.

(The exception to the above might be MSN, depending on what day of the week it is). ;)