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• Keep your URLs to fewer than 115 characters.

• Research shows that people click on short URLs in search results twice as often as long ones. Shorter URLs are also easier to share on social sites like Twitter and StumbleUpon.

• Long URLs can look like spam. As the URL gets longer, the ranking weight given to each word in the URL gets spread thin, and becomes less valuable for any specific word.

You can manually check the character count of all your URLs to make sure they’re not too long. TheAboutUs Site Report can do it automatically, and point out any URLs that are longer than 115 characters.

• Don’t use more than a few query parameters in your URLs.

In a URL, a ? or & indicates that a parameter (like id=1234) will follow.

Here’s an example of an okay URL (the kind you use to track your marketing in Google Analytics with 1 query parameter: http://www.example.com/page?source=facebook

Bad URL with too many query parameters: http://www.example.com/product?id=1234567&foo=abc123def&color=yellow&sort=price

Too many query parameters can cause search engine robots to enter a loop and keep crawling the same pages over and over again. You could end up with search engines failing to index some of your most important pages.

• Use hyphens instead of underscores in your URLs.

Search engines see underscores as a character. This means that your keywords will be seen as a single long keyword, and you’ll lose any SEO benefit they could have incurred. A hyphen, however, is seen as a space that separates words. Hyphens are better for SEO because they allow search engines to interpret your web page as relevant for more keyword phrases. That said, Wikipedia’s links have underscores, and they seem to be doing okay in search results :-)

Also, people can’t see underscores in a URL when the link is underlined, as many links on the Web are. So hyphens are friendlier for people, and make your site more usable.

So… example.com/adorable-kitten-pics is better than example.com/adorable_kitten_pics

• Keep all of your important content less than 3 subfolders deep.

A subfolder is a folder that is visible in a URL between two slashes. For example, in http://www.example.com/articles/name-of-page, articles is a subfolder and name-of-page is an article in that subfolder.

When it comes to subfolders, search engines assume that content living many folders away from the root domain (like example.com) is less important. So it’s best to organize all of your important content so each URL has no more than two subfolders.

Here’s another way to think about it: Make sure your URLs have 3 or fewer slashes (/) after the domain name. Here is an example URL that is a web page that is two subfolders deep: http://www.example.com/articles/foo/page-name.htm

Bonus: Using subfolders allows you to use “content drilldown” in Google Analytics to easily view data for all the pages in a given subfolder.

• Don’t have too many subdomains.

A subdomain, or directory, is something that comes before the domain name in a URL. For example: http://blog.example.com. Technically speaking, www. is actually a subdomain.

Too many subdomains can cause problems for search engine optimization. For more information, read Multiple Subdomains: Classic SEO Mistake.

High Quality Products from 3M. {0}

Electronically Cut Films
The low-flow adhesive on these opaque or translucent graphic films make them perfect for precise electronic cutting of letters, numbers and other shapes. Use them in backlit or front lit rigid and flexible sign graphics and many special effects.

Electrostatic Imaging Films
These films are designed for electrostatic imaging on transfer paper that is applied with heat and pressure to a 3M base film or flexible substrate. The portfolio includes an electrostatic version of our most popular opaque, translucent and reflective films with pressure-sensitive or pressure-activated adhesive, and direct print flexible substrates, to meet most fleet and sign graphic needs.

Ink Jet Films and Media
These films are designed for piezo inkjet printing with solvent and/or UV cured inks. The portfolio includes a wide variety of opaque, translucent and reflective films with pressure-sensitive or pressure-activated adhesive, and direct print flexible substrates to meet all of your graphic needs, including fleet, vehicle, watercraft, and signs, used indoors or outdoors.

Reflective Films
Enclosed lens retroreflective films with excellent angularity and similar day and night appearance that retains most retroreflection when wet. Available with pressure-sensitive or pressure-activated adhesive; some films also have air release channels for bubble-free installs; many are conformable and/or removable. Use for a variety of graphics that requires superior visibility and performance.

Screen Printing Films
These films are designed for screen printing with solvent and/or UV cured inks. The portfolio includes a wide variety of opaque, translucent and reflective films with pressure-sensitive or pressure-activated adhesive to meet all of your graphic needs, including fleet, vehicle, watercraft, and signs, used indoors or outdoors.

Special Effects Films
Use these films to create unique and eye-catching special effects graphics, including dusted and frosted crystal, fluorescent, luminous and chrome looks. Also, create distinctive and unique vehicle wraps with matte colors, carbon fiber and brushed metal films.

Translucent Films
Use these clear or colored transparent films to decorate backlit, translucent, flexible or rigid sign and awning substrates. Combine with special effects and light management films for high impact graphics.

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DuPont Tyvek Graphics has announced its LifeCycle Based Solutions Authorized Printer Network. The 17 national printers were selected based on strict criteria for quality, testing, training and sustainability leadership.

DuPont provides a LifeCycle Based Solution with Tyvek media for wide-format banners, displays and bags. Known for its lightweight strength, printability, and drapeability, Tyvek is recyclable and can be repurposed for other applications, such as composite and landscaping materials.

“We’re excited to announce our new printer network,” said Annette Kim, DuPont Tyvek Graphics North American marketing manager. “Our authorized printers can help select the right style of Tyvek to meet each customer’s unique design goals and then identify the best option to manage their end-of-use needs. With this program, we can offer customers a way to create beautiful in-store campaigns, access recycling services and track recycling efforts.”

 

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