Use Search Engine Friendly URLs

Database driven or dynamic sites such as Content Management Systems are very popular. For these types of sites the easiest way to transfer information between the web pages is with a query string.  A query string is a string of information tacked onto the end of a URL after a question mark. For example:

 http://www.yoursitename.com/index.php?startNum=0&rangeNum=99

The problem is that most search engines, with a few exceptions Google being one, are not able to index any pages that have a question mark or other character (like an ampersand or equals sign) in the URL. Popular dynamic CM systems and other sites are not being indexed by many Search Engines.

You need to avoid dynamically generated URLs that use a query string to let the server know which data to fetch from a database. Use search engine friendly and human readable URLs instead. This will help both your users and your ranking. You will see incredible improvements in search engine results in just a short time by changing the URL scheme of a site.

Modifying and rewriting a website's URLs can be a little complicated, and some CM systems make it more difficult than others to implement, however it is most definitely worth the effort.

Both Generating Simple URLs for Search Engines and mod_rewrite: A Beginner's Guide to URL Rewriting are good resources for help in making your URLs friendlier.