Google’s John Mueller posted some search engine optimization recommendation on how you can deal with model historical past pages, for product releases, specs, APIs and different model historical past. This recommendation is fairly much like how you can handle recurring event pages, like conferences and occasions. In brief, the principle web page ought to hold the identical URL after which archive the older model historical past particulars on an archive web page URL.
John wrote on LinkedIn, “In the event you work on a web site with variations (APIs? Specs?) or yearly editions, here is the highest search engine optimization enchancment you are able to do: Use a secure URL for the present model.”
I imply, if you happen to like at Google Adverts API, they use developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/release-notes and present the present model particulars there after which archive the older API variations on completely different URLs, like version 17 for instance.
John wrote:
Add versioned directories if you happen to like. This makes the present model rather more seen in search, decreasing guesswork by readers, and making it simpler to hyperlink to. EASIER TO LINK TO.
Even higher? hold the versioned URL for the present model, and use link-rel-canonical to consult with the secure URL. This lets folks go on to the versioned URL in the event that they understand it, whereas focusing search on the secure URL.
John added to elucidate, for API docs, technical specs, yearly occasions, and so on, go together with this format:
- …/spec/dwell/web page < do that for search engine optimization
- …/spec/2.1/web page – rel=canonical to /spec/dwell/web page
- …/spec/2.0/web page – hold these
Discussion board dialogue at LinkedIn.
