Odd Question Regarding URL

[ja1myn]

I have a client who is not taking my advice. So I'm wondering if my solution would make sense or if it's just pointless.

Basically, the site has three main categories. Normally, a website would be structured like this:

www.site.com/category
www.site.com/category2
www.site.com/category3

My client is insisting on having these pages set up like this:

www.site.com/category/keyword
www.site.com/category2/keyword
www.site.com/category3/keyword

It's pointless.

The /category pages don't even have content on them. They think having a keyword after the category URL is going to help them.

My thought is since the /category URLs don't even serve a purpose, would it make sense to noindex them? If so, how does that effect how link juice from links built to the /category/keyword page travels?

Any input would be much appreciated.

 

[ija61]

My suggestion will be to use /category-keyword

It will make more sense.

 

[ja1myn]

My suggestion will be to use /category-keyword

It will make more sense.

Yep I suggest that option but they are stuck on having /category/keyword. It's basically their developer trying to give SEO advice and for whatever reason they chose to go with his instead of mine. Even though they hired me specifically for SEO consultation but whatever lol.

 

[miedy]

If you have already expressed your advice and his not taking it. Well, just do what he says. He's your client. I don't think ranking matters that way. I have mine site.com/word/word/main... "/word/word/" has no content just a blank index... its indexed and I'm ranking. Hope that helps

 

[Hawkster]

I would just do as they ask, if they are not taking in what your saying then just complete job they want doing and get out of there.

 

[gh0st_0]

well just do as they ask.... why do you care lol

 

[ja1myn]

well just do as they ask.... why do you care lol

I care because it makes absolutely no sense and I don't want to noindex the /category pages if that will have a negative impact on pages that are built off it like /category/keyword.

 

[scoobyrobert]

Unfortunately all you can do is what he wants. After all its his site.

 

[Aske_senteria]

I think better is

www.site.com/category/keyword
www.site.com/category2/keyword
www.site.com/category3/keyword

If category pages don't have content, insist on writing content for categories. that's easy. win win for both.

 

[maxedgames]

I can't see this necessarily having a 'negative' effect on SEO, yeah it's not going to help, but I would just be doing what they insist, it's not worth loosing a client over.

 

[infoking1]

I don't think its a big issue just go with client.

 

[ja1myn]

Thanks everyone for the input!