FrontPage Addon - Space Replacer 2
Jimco Software Space Replacer 2 - Free FrontPage Addon
Space Replacer 2
Underscores and spaces in file names
Redirect old file names to new file names
Space Replacer 2 makes it easy to remove spaces in folder and file names. You can also easily replace spaces with the character you choose. Space Replacer 2 will also update all links throughout a site automatically.
When making file names you may have named the files with a space, in which case FrontPage will automatically fill the space with 20% ie pink20%flower.htm. Or you may have used an underscore pink_flower.htm.
Search engines see file names thusly
pink20%flower.htm is seen as pinkflower.htm
pink_flower.htm is seen as pinkflower.htm
pink-flower.htm is seen as pink-flower.htm
The first two are seen as ONE keyword pinkflower, whilst the third version is seen as TWO keywords and PHRASE.
Naming your file names in this way is only a small part of the whole seo (search engine optimisation) methods you should employ but an important part and should be done as a matter of course. When making new file names this is not a problem, but what if you have an a site filled with such file names? This is where the Space Replacer 2 by Jimco Software comes in. Not only is it a FREE FrontPage Addin it does all the work in one go for you.
There are a couple of other things you should know about spaces in file names, they can cause some browsers to not display your page, also capitals in the file name are a problem when used on a unix server. Jimco also has a Free FrontPage Addon to cover this problem too, called Case Changer Some Web servers are case-sensitive. This add-in will change all upper-case characters in your files and folders to lower-case. It will also correct links to your pages.
When you start changing file names, search engines are going to be looking for your old file names and you need to let them know you have moved the file. The proper way to do this is to use a 301 permanent redirect on the server. Otherwise you will lose search engine ranking.
For those that use Unix or Apache servers it's a simple matter to implement. For those with Windows IIS (asp) servers you can use ASP (check your host provides this). Learn more about 301 Permanent redirects and I highly recommend you join this Search Engine Techniques Class to improve your SEO.
By using the above tools and server features, you will improve your standing in the search engines and lessen the chances of a file not being displayed.