SEO - short URLs vs longer PHP URLs

[susapra]

Is there any real SEO benefit from simplifying my PHP urls to shorter, neater urls (with mod_rewrite)? I want to do this mostly to make my site look nicer - but if it's good for search engines, then all the better.
Is there any reason NOT to make shorter URLs?

 

[Edwin]

There is no reason to NOT make your URL's shorter.

To make them shorter there: You have URL's that can include keywords (Good for SEO), visitors can remember them if you make it short and sweet, like cnn.com/politics

Eye catchers in the search results.

What more reasons to start changing them do you need?

 

[Mousee]

You say that including your keywords in URLs can be helpful for SEO. If it's so it can be a reason NOT to make them short

 

[Edwin]

Short in the sense that you can incorporate some keywords into your URL.
It's not a good idea to use a LOT of individual words into your page file names.

Try to think of a page file name that is short and to the point.

 

[4x4gal]

I've tried marketing with both shor and long URLs and never had more of an advantage either way. I'd say the only advantage of doing a short one is if you want to hide an affiliate number

 

[Niche48]

The idea of short URLs makes sense from the point of view of human visitors. It just is easier to remember
For the purposes of SEO, i don't think just the length of the URL is so significant