HTML Document Naming for site sub-pages in sub-directories

Question

I'm working on a site redesign, and part of the task at hand is the structure of the site. Currently the site uses a CMS called Kintera that gives tragically unusable URLs (the site is http://www.helpcurenow.org).

Part of the initial strategy we are approaching is the structure of the redesign. Our plan is to have a subdirectory for each sub category page of the website. Such as:

• http://www.helpcurenow.org/hospitals
• http://www.helpcurenow.org/hospitals/domincan-republic
• http://www.helpcurenow.org/about
• http://www.helpcurenow.org/about/meet-the-management
• http://www.helpcurenow.org/media
• http://www.helpcurenow.org/donate
• etc.

The question I have is how should I name the main sub-pages in each directory. The options would be something like http://www.helpcurenow.org/hospitals/index.html or instead, http://www.helpcurenow.org/hospitals/hospitals.html, keeping in mind primarily SEO and usability.

FYI, the actual redesign mockup is at: http://blog.helpcurenow.org/test/redesignMockup/index.html

Answer 1

I don't know about Kintera's limitations but usually the default page created inside a sub site (in particular sharepoint) is called default.aspx. When you browse to this subsite without putting the same of the page, it uses that default page without having to alter the url in the browser. e.g.

www.mysite.com/mysubstie/

instead of:

www.mysite.com/mysubstie/default.aspx

Some CMS system don't create a default page (as default behavious) so resorted to the first created page inside the sub channel /sub web as the default page.

If I had to pick a name for the default page, I'd go for default.aspx.

If you're rebuilding in a new version of Kintera or some other third part CMS (non Microsoft), I couldn't be sure they use the same naming scheme.

Most cms systems allow you to re-pick your default page so even if you specified it to be a certain name, it shouldn't be a problem.