Do search engines look for keywords in the slug?

[ChristopherGlaeser]

Is it OK to split a key phrase into a slug and file name, or should the entire key phrase be in the file name.  For example, consider the following articles:

How to wash your car.
How to change a tire.How to replace a windshield wiper.

Will search engines recognize the "how to" in the following taxonomy:

www.domain.com/how-to/wash-your-car/
www.domain.com/how-to/change-a-tire/
www.domain.com/how-to/replace-a-windshield-wiper/

Or, should the "how-to" be included in the file name?

Best,Christopher

[dawnieando]

Search engines will definitely take your keywords in the slug into consideration whether in the folder or the file name but as Matt Cutts says long exact match file names can start to look a little spammy from a user experience perspective. If you keep your categories / subcategories in folder paths not only will your site appear easier to navigate for a user from SERPS but you will also find the site easier to manage and organise as your environment grows.

[Branagan]

Search engines will recognize the keywords in both cases, also both are relevant and will serve you as a natural anchor, but for structural sake, better user experience and even SERP CTR, you should be better off including them in the folder structure. That way you'll be able to keep your URLs as short and descriptive as possible without sacrificing keywords in them.

Here's Matt Cutts answer on the subject:

Is it better to have keywords in the URL path or filename?