Tracking URLs and SEO

[DarylMichalik]

If your goal is better SERPs (and higher PR) for YourSite.com, should you minimize using tracking URLs (e.g. YourSite.com/?trackURL) when linking to your site?

For example, suppose the link to your site is a backlink from a free directory. The link you submit to the directory could include a tracking URL. The benefit of using a tracking URL is you can track clicks and conversions from that directory (perhaps a secondary goal for the directory listing) using ad tracking software.

I raise this issue because I have noticed that there is different PR for YourSite.com and YourSite.com/?trackURL. Thus I thought it's possible that tracking URLs might negatively affect SEO.

So, I investigated this issue a bit, and found different opinions... one article claimed that using a tracking URL that includes keywords is helpful for SEO. For example, if you want to optimize YourSite.com for "hiking boots," some folks say you'll get better SERPs if links to your site use tracking URLs such as YourSite.com/?hiking-boots.

Any thoughts / experience with this issue? Thanks!

Cheers,
Daryl

[John Scott]

The tracking URL, unless it goes through a redirect, just totally gives you no benefit at all SEO-wise.

[DarylMichalik]

Hi John,

Thanks for the quick answer... please allow me to clarify (sorry for the two-part question):

1.) It sounds like you're saying that YourSite.com/?keyword does not help optimize YourSite.com for the keyword "keyword." Is that correct?

2.) Does a link like YourSite.com/?trackURL add no SEO benefit for the page YourSite.com ? So that you should use YourSite.com instead as the link to your site (unless you're paying for the link and want to track its performance)?

[John Scott]

The kind of URL you posted may actually help rankings wise (not PR-wise) if the word contains a keyword. But most tracking URLs look like:

v7inc.com/tracking/cgi-bin/clickthru.cgi?id=IMR

And that doesn't help at all.

[DarylMichalik]

(edited 6.21.04 at 5:37pm PST)

OK I got it: tracking URLs containing keywords could help for SERPs but not PR. Thanks!

Please allow a more precise way of stating my original question:

A. Which of these three links helps the most in terms of SERP (page is optimized for hiking boots):
1.) YourSite.com
2.) YourSite.com/?hiking-boots
3.) YourSite.com?uniqueidentifierforad

Based on your earlier post, I understand #2 is better than #1 for SERP. How about #1 and #3 - which is better for SERP?

B.) Which of these three links helps the most in terms of PR (page is optimized for hiking boots):
1.) YourSite.com
2.) YourSite.com/?hiking-boots
3.) YourSite.com?uniqueidentifierforad

Based on your earlier post, I understand #1 is better than #2 and #3 for PR. Any difference between #2 and #3 for PR?

[Runilo]

No offence John, but you have a spelling error at the botom at the bottom of your yamaha site. dor instead of dot.

Thought you might want to know

[John Scott]

Oh thanks for mentioning that.