6 replies to this topic

[chilluk]

As part of an overall tidy up we are looking to implement rewriting using IIS URL Rewite Module 2 running on IIS7.

Our current urls are like:

/Product.aspx?PID=123456
/SubCategory.aspx?CID=1&SCID=99

We want to move them to :

/Product/Product-Name/123456
/SubCategory/Subcat-Name/99

The rewriting part is working well (on my test rig) but I then got to reading about rules for trailing slashes and also enforcing lower case.

If I have these urls would they all be seen as different?

/Product/Product-Name/123456
/Product/Product-Name/123456/
/product/product-name/123456

Should I be adding rules to ensure trailing slashes for this style of url, and forcing everything to lower or is that going overboard?

Obviously if we are moving to a new structure we want to do it once and do it right first time.

I am setting canonical tag in each page, and also going to put a 301 in if the incoming URL doesn't match what I expect. Oh and 301s from old style URLs to new. Also in the rewrite module I can set a canonical rule for overall urls to always include the www or not.

Does that sound like a plan or a recipe for instant traffic massacre?!

Thanks as always!

[chrishirst]

If I have these urls would they all be seen as different?

It's a Windows server so they will all resolve to the same content,

The trailing slash doesn't make a lot of difference, the server will try to do an internal redirect if it isn't there.

[chilluk]

Yeah I know that's the worry though isn't it? Same content reached by numerous URLs?

[chrishirst]

If ASP is enabled you could use this code

http://www.modtalk.c...hirst/uri-case/

[chilluk]

Thanks for that. I think the URL rewrite module allows for forcing certain case, and also the trailing slash to be enforced, but I was checking if any / all of it is necessary, and if so what the best policy is?

[chrishirst]

None of it is really necessary as SEs will figure it out for themselves in time. You are simply helping them on the way there.

Having the trailing slash there does reduce server load by a minuscule amount on each request without one. But it's not a big deal either way.

Edited by chrishirst, 20 November 2012 - 05:43 AM.

[chilluk]

Thanks I think I'll go with them then and just keep all internal links nice and consistent.