Filenames - Do They Matter?

Do filenames matter for Search Engine Optimization? Depends on who you ask!

The general concensus though, is that filenames are an easy factor which has a minute influence on page indexing.

They are also a frequent target for abuse, on the part of people who assume they mean more than they do! The other general agreement about them is that filename keyword stuffing is harmful to a site, causing search engines to be more likely to discredit the site and content.

The rules are simple - name it something logical, that has to do with the content of the page. Since no two filenames can be the same, you’ll generally wind up with some good variety through a site, and that is good.

If you have focused on logical naming first, then the rest of the rules are not going to be as needed. I’ll state them anyway, lest anyone misunderstand what “logical” means.

1. Keep it short. Two or three words is ideal. More than 4 is spam unless it is auto-generated (blog software and CMS software auto generates filenames.
2. Use Keywords naturally - no keyword stuffing.
3. Make the name human understandable as far as possible. It is the considerate thing to do.
4. Use hyphens to separate  words. I can’t verify it, but it is supposed to matter to Google.

When you are building a site in a Content Management System or Blog system, you won’t have as much control over the filename. The degree of control you do have depends on the particular system. Most have some kind of way to at least influence the filenames.

The rules for image files are the same - keep them short and logical, and do not think they are a way to manipulate search engines. If your images have nothing but keywords for filenames, they may be discounted. Name them with a name that reminds you of what the image is about, and the keywords typically come naturally if your site is well focused topically.

The bottom line with filenames is that they are something that you do because it is easy. It is no harder to give a page a good name as it is to give it a bad one. Even if the influence is very minute, you might as well name them with something that contains a keyword when it is logical and natural to do so. By the same token, there is no point in fussing over them or stuffing them with keywords - the potential for good is very small, while the potential for discrediting your site is actually fairly high.