Question about creating friendly URLs

[theLotter]

I am working on creating new SEO friendly URLs for my company website.

The products are the items with the highest search volume and each is very geo-specific
There is not a high search volume for the geo-location associated with the product, but the searches we do get convert well.

Do you think it is preferable to leave the location out of the URL or include it?

[Travis-W]

I agree with CleverPhD.

Keywords in URLs are extremely helpful both in terms of generating traffic and tracking your reporting in Analytics.

[CleverPhD]

We do this currently and include the geo specific information in the URL.  You have more than just a ranking boost, it also helps with CTR.  The user sees the title, description and URL contain the keywords they are looking for and so it supports that you have the information they need.  It has worked really well for us and also helps in organizing the site and also producing analytic reports as we can parse off the URL.

[Jonathan1979]

My experience is that having the main keyword in the URL is definitely a ranking factor.

If the location keyword phrases convert well, and are easier to rank for there is a definite benefit in including them in the URL, as well as optimising your product pages accordingly as well.

[theLotter]

Yep - geo-location info is in both locations

[stevecounsell]

Hi Sara

If I understand you it sounds like your products are Geo specific. If this IS the case then including the location in the URL is going to be a benefit right now as URL keywords still work, at least in Google.

Once the search engines figure out how to properly rank webpages without taking account of the URL then that little trick will have no effect.

Are you including the same geo-specific info in the product details too?

Regards

Steve