A develope has recently implemented url rewriting for our site (for seo purposes), puting in our url Greek keywords with greek characters (for example: www.site.gr/Εμπειρίες-ενός-μελισσοκόμου_p-403252.aspx) Every time I run SEO diagnostics or try to share links from my site I get the rather ugly http://www.site.gr/%CE%95%CE%BC%CF%80%CE%B5%CE%B9%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%B5%CF%82-%CE%B5%CE%BD%CF%8C%CF%82-%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%83%CE%BF%CE%BA%CF%8C%CE%BC%CE%BF%CF%85_p-403252.aspx I wanted to ask if, besides the visual appearance problem, there is a problem with Google from seo perspective. I mean does Google read the keywords in these urls. Would you think it is better (from SEO perspective) to use greek keywords with english characters instead? (for example: www.stamoulis.gr/empeiries-enos-melissokomou_p-403252.aspx)
Search engines go to great lengths to read and index even the worst URLs....but for a better exposure in SERPs try to use Greeklish.
"Would you think it is better (from SEO perspective) to use greek keywords with english characters instead?" As for search engines, they are capable of reading and indexing any type of URL with both English and Greek characters. Also, if your targeted audience are people from Greece only, then it makes sense to use Greek characters since your potential website visitors will know how to enter the URL the right way. But if you are targeting English-speaking people, or want to promote your biz on the international level, then using Greek characters in the URL is a bad idea. So I agree with Dimitru, in this case you need to use Greeklish.