Introduction to URL Rewriting

Users and search engines alike prefer tidy, friendly URLs. They don't want this:

http://www.example.com/e-commerce/Product.aspx?ID=3404&Category=computing

Users and search engines prefer this:

http://www.example.com/computing/sony-vaio-laptop/3404

Essential website tweak

Changing an untidy URL into a tidy, friendly one isn't too taxing. Two changes are required: on your website, and on your web server.

Changes to your website

On your website, you need to update the old style of link. If using one of the popular content management systems, like Wordpress, osCommerce or PHPNuke, you can set up a more friendly URL structure from the administration menu.

If you have a bespoke website, you'll need to have links updated to the new tidier structure. Just let me know if I can be of any help.

Changes on your web server

You'll also need to configure your web server so that it recognises how to deal with the new URL structure. On a Linux server, this can be done using the .htaccess file. On Windows Server 2008, this can be done using the URL Rewrite module in IIS7. For older versions of Windows, ISAPI filters can be used to rewrite URLs.

Need a hand?

After some assistance? Just get in touch. Optimising your website for both users and search engines is a really important step in ensuring you get the best results from your website.

Last updated on 18 July 2010, at 13:25.