URL Structure and Breadcrumb Behaviour

[dynamictelecom]

I just noticed something about our clients website that is of concern to me. I will use the Alcatel 4068 IP Phone page as an example.

 

http://www.dynamictelecom.com/shop/alcatel-8-9-series/80-alcatel-4068-ip-ph…

 

The full URL for the page includes a top level /shop/ folder (which is fine, as it is a page within the shop), but it also includes a folder called /alcatel-8-9-series/.

 

One would normally expect that if the ending page name was removed from a URL, it would bring a visitor to the corresponding parent category. In this case the parent category would appear to be 'Alcatel 8 and 9 Series' phones, www.dynamictelecom.com/shop/alcatel-8-9-series/ however when the page name is removed and the parent category viewed the visitor is shown a 'page not found' (404) error.

 

The actual parent page for the 8/9 series is: www.dynamictelecom.com/shop/32-alcatel-8-9-series

 

Breadcrumbs:

 

Home > Alcatel > Alcatel Phones > Alcatel 8 & 9 Series > Alcatel 4068 IP Phone

 

When I mouse over the breadcrumb links (the series of links below the menu but above the page content that shows a visitor where they are at in the website hierarchy) I see a different parent category being linked. (See attached screen shot for example breadcrumb.)

 

> Alcatel 8 & 9 Series parent breadcrumb shows this parent category with 11 products: www.dynamictelecom.com/shop/32-alcatel-8-9-series

 

> Alcatel Phones parent breadcrumb shows this URL www.dynamictelecom.com/shop/29-alcatel-phones-reflex-series-adapters ... with an empty category, which points to a single sub-category for the 8/9 series.

 

However, I also see that the 'proper' reflex phones category appears at another URL: www.dynamictelecom.com/shop/31-alcatel-reflex-series-adapters

 

Questions/Comments:

 

Should this Alcatel IP phone page breadcrumb really contain a link to reflex phones?

 

It seems to me that the parent/sibling structure and category setup need to be examined for proper implementation and flow.

[dynamictelecom]

bump

[radus]

check this breadcrumb

 

http://www.overstock.com/Office-Supplies/Office-Star-Professional-Air-Grid-Deluxe-Task-Chair/2605023/product.html

 

these guys really know what they're doing.

 

so: show page title in Breadcrumb + make all breadcrumbs active URL

 

and make

 

http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/richsnippets?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.overstock.com%2FOffice-Supplies%2FOffice-Star-Professional-Air-Grid-Deluxe-Task-Chair%2F2605023%2Fproduct.html

 

and give back to community