Over-optimizing URLs

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

• 
  Fernando Vela: Hi SEOers!
  
  I'm redoing my entire site and deciding on URL structures for my content. I'm worried about over-optimizing my urls with keywords. My dumb question is: Do these URLs look over-optimized?
  
  http://graphbytemarketing.com/digital-marketing-services/florida-web-design
  
  http://graphbytemarketing.com/digital-marketing-services/online-reputation-management
• 
  Jann Grond: Hey
  
  Why don't you use a structure like this:
  http://yoursite.com/servicename
  
  What't the purpose of /digital-marketing-services/servicename?
• 
  Fernando Vela: Hi Jann, Here's some info on that: http://goo.gl/UFm9n
• 
  Jann Grond: It doesn't make sense to use this schema for your site, it would make sense if it was like this:
  
  yoursite.com/design/webdesign
  yoursite.com/design/flyerdesign
  yoursite.com/design/logodesign
  
  yoursite.com/online-marketing/seo
  yoursite.com/online-marketing/adwords
  yoursite.com/online-marketing/cro
  
  But your whole site is about digital marketing services (at least you put webdesign there..?), why do you need an extra layer which leads to a deeper structure?
• 
  Fernando Vela: Hi Jann,
  
  Thanks for the input. My structure has 2 layers so I'm not sure what you meant about leading to deeper structure. It's just that my paths have more keywords included in it.
  
  Also, I'm considering web design to be a digital marketing service.
• 
  Jann Grond: You can do that but in my opinion it would be better to keep it short.
  
  You offer digital marketing services. You could target your homepage with more general keywords like "online marketing, digital marketing" and then the service pages (/seo for example) with more specific keywords of the respective service.
  
  That's how I would do it, but that's just my personal opinion.
  
  
• 
  Fernando Vela: Hey,
  
  Yea, I've been thinking the same thing which is what prompted me to make this post. I think im going to shorten them to:
  
  sitename.com/services/seo
  
  What do you think about doing:
  
  sitename.com/services/florida-web-design
  
  As opposed to
  
  sitename.com/services/web-design
  
  If I'm targeting my local market and trying to rank for "florida web design"?
  
  Thanks again!!
• 
  Jann Grond: The /services/ isn't needed here, why do you want longer urls if they don't have a purpose?
  
  Of course you could do a /service/ page and list all your services there and if they click on seo they land on the specific page /services/seo..
  
  But that's just one click more without any benefits for your website. And if you don't have a service page but just the word services in your url structure, I don't see a reason for this too.
  
  English isn't my first language, I hope you understand what I try to say;)
  
  
• 
  Fernando Vela: Yes, I understand.
  
  I've read on several places that it's good to create a URL "folder" structure that describes to the search engine how your site is organized. It's an on-page factor that I've seen recommended a lot. I might be wrong though......
• 
  Jann Grond: For bigger sites with different services its good, for your site it doesn't fit imho.
  
  Have a nice day:)
• 
  Fernando Vela: Yea, I don't doubt that. I'm still a beginner.... not sure...
• 
  Edwin Jonk: From the expert panel in this week's SEO Questions hangout on air on 00:03:38 into the YouTube video: https://dumbseoquestions.com/q/overoptimizing_urls +Fernando Vela
  
  If our assistance with this issue was useful to you, please consider sharing your success story so that others might benefit.
   ; ;