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SEO and the art of URL rewriting

How often have you seen the question raised about dynamic urls and how they effect the SEO process? The discussion regarding dynamic urls and search engine optimization comes up frequently, and almost always, the answer involves the use of mod_rewrite. Unfortunately, most people have no clue what mod_rewrite is nor how to use it, and the people answering the questions rarely elaborate. This is usually due to the fact that it does not have a simple answer, as each circumstance is different. Essentially, you can use mod_rewrite to change your dynamic urls into more spider-friendly, keyword-rich urls. How? That is the question. Since, again, the answer is not straight-forward, I will instead direct you to several sources of information. One source explains the basics, one is a forum to help answer your specific questions, and one is a tool to help you create simple mod_rewrite rules.

Apache URL Rewriting Guide is a good place to begin your understanding of url rewriting.

Rewrite Rule Generator is a nice tool to help you generate the correct rule for your situation.

If you still need help, Mod Rewrite Forum is the place to get your specific questions answered.

If you need to get your dynamic pages indexed, mod_rewrite may be the answer to your problem.