URL Structure / Sub Folders for SEO

[directstores]

We're getting ready to make some changes to our web site which will force us to change our URL structure for each product.  Is there any benefit to having a sub folder in the URL that includes a major keyword for the page?

Current: www.mysite.com/keyword/partnumber.html
New: Current: www.mysite.com/partnumber.html

We have pretty good natural search results and I don't want to screw things up be changing the URLs - would use 301 redirects.

Thanks!

[Hogward]

Yes absolutely, having major keyword in URL is an added advantage to list the page in search engine result. Search engine give more weightage for the keyword in URL.

[Michealyardy]

Optimizing your URLs—by avoiding extraneous characters, using dashes, and adding appropriate keywords—can't hurt your rankings.

[KyraKakkar]

Having keywords in url structure will have an added advantage for the website.

[John142]

Placing a keyword in URL struture is mot only works in some categories.

i think your Business is into e-Commerce industry. In this many products, many urls, many brands, many categories etc... Its not possible to place for each product suitable into each category.

Example: mysite.com/men/shoes
mysite.com/women/shoes

[piqueddigimedia]

absoulutely you should have your keyword in the URL.