URL
(Uniform Resource Locator) is the complete and formal internet address – includes entire series of characters and words in address bar (or link)
http://
(Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol) is the Access Protocol or request/response procedure for accessing a web server
Sub-Domain or Host Server
- Sub-domains are the component just to the left of the first dot
- Example: www.example.com, where “www” represents the World Wide Web internet host server.
- Sub-domains are common for use with email servers.
- Example: mail.example.com
Parent Domain or 2nd-Level Domain
- Between the Dots™
- The parent domain represents the most telling information about the expected content of the website.
- This parent domain is the only part of the link that is of finite and strictly limited supply – one parent domain is permitted for each extension (TLD) (“there can be only one” – Highlander)
Domain Extension or Top Level Domain (TLD)
- The TLD or “domain extension” is on the right side of the second dot.
- Domain extensions (TLDs) can be specific to geographic area as in the country code (ccTLDs).
- Examples: www.ImmigrationLawFirms.us for United States domains, or .hk for Hong Kong domains, or .uk for United Kingdom, etc.
- International extensions cross geographic boundaries to create a recognized resource for reaching global markets.
- Most countries (outside the USA) had previously preferred to utilize domain names with their respective country code extensions. However, as markets are becoming more globalized, firms are realizing that the international domains greatly increase their market reach and internet presence.
- Examples: .com = “commercial”, .net = “network”, .org = “organization”, .info = “information”
Path to Folder, File
Example: http://divorcelawfirms.org/firm_listing/john-doe/
- Any portion of a link that follows on the right side of the domain extension – this represents the path to the folder and file.
- Search engines evaluate all link text, but because keywords can be manufactured without any limitation (in this portion of the link) the ranking value contribution of keywords located in this segment of a link is accordingly reduced
Link Basics
- Links are addresses that bridge one web page to another.
- Links can be ‘clicked’ to access the web page they connect to.
- Links can be “masked” with text labels (anchor text), but these labels are not exclusive
- Anchor text is influential to both humans and search engines:
- The descriptive language (keywords) in the link for perceived stature and relevance of the link domain
- Humans use the information in deciding whether to ‘click’ the link
- Search engines use the information to decide where and how to rank the web page