Are long URLs a turn off?
According to the Marketing Sherpa Search Marketing Benchmark Guide 2008 long URLs are on the nose.
”What we discovered was that long URLs actually work as a deterrent and stop viewers from doing what they’re supposed to do (click!). Instead, viewers spend time trying to decipher what’s in the URL itself. Those viewing the listing with the long URL actually ended up clicking on the listing immediately after it 2.5 times more than those viewing the listing with the short URL…”
So to rephrase, if your website has long URLs it’s likely that people seeing it in Google will skip right over your site and click on the site after yours.
Here’s an example of a long complicated URL: http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/12454-64287-89301-321860-f50-1844701.html
Here’s an example of a good URL: http://www.harrisma.com/promotions/promo_hp_compaq_dx2200.html
This is a serious problem for many content management systems that generate long complicated URLs. If you’re using a content management system, make sure the URLs it generates are people friendly. If they are people friendly, then they’re likely to be search engine friendly as well.
From the author: If you regularly advertise for leads in the Yellow Pages®, in the newspaper or on the radio, then there’s a good chance that your website could be generating more leads for you than it is. The key is in your website’s conversion rates.
We know that to achieve high conversion rates and sales from your web marketing you need a team that includes seasoned marketers, web designers, web programmers, copywriters, editors, bloggers and search engine gurus. That’s why we created Bitemark.
And yes, we can get your website to number one in Google too!
Contact us on 1300 248 362 for a free conversion rate review of your website.
