If you’ve optimized your website for SEO, chances are you’ve fine-tuned your keywords, content, and images. But here’s a detail that might have slipped through the cracks – SEO-friendly URLs. 

Crafting an SEO-friendly URL gives both search engines and readers a roadmap to your page’s content within the broader organization of your site. Optimal URLs are composed of real words, describing the content succinctly. 

If your content management system creates cryptic URLs, it’s worth the effort to manually tweak them for readability. It might take some time, especially if you have a trove of pages, but the SEO dividends make it a worthwhile investment.

So, how do you make sure your URLs are optimized? Check out these 10 best practices to create SEO-friendly URLs.

Follow a Structure

Establishing a solid URL structure is a crucial step in website development. But there’s no one-size-fits-all rule for the perfect structure, as it often depends on the site’s objectives. 

However, the consensus leans toward a structure that is simple, logical, memorable and carries meaning through the words used. The goal is to make it intuitive for users and search engines to comprehend the relationships between various pages on your site. 

Once your URL structure is established, selecting the appropriate keywords for each page becomes a straightforward task.

If you need help optimizing your URL structure, contact SEOLeverage and book a call with them.

Use HTTPS

HTTPS, the secure version of HTTP, employs SSL encryption to secure communication between the website and the user’s browser. This encryption ensures that even if data is intercepted by hackers, they won’t be able to decipher it. 

Besides enhancing security, HTTPS also boosts the credibility of your website. Users are more likely to trust and make secure transactions, providing sensitive information like credit card details, addresses, and phone numbers. 

Google also favors websites with SSL, and the padlock icon in the Chrome browser indicates a secure connection, influencing Google rankings.

Make Sure Your URL Matches Your Content

When users glance at your URL, it should provide a clear and accurate indication of the page’s content for the best user experience. 

Incorporate a relevant phrase or term in the URL that directly relates to the content featured on the page. This alignment between URL and content not only aids user understanding but also contributes to better search engine optimization practices.

Include Keywords in Your URL

Each page should be optimized with at least one carefully researched keyword, and it’s crucial to incorporate this keyword into the URL. 

Place the most important keyword at the beginning of the URL, as search engine crawlers tend to prioritize words at the start. But avoid keyword stuffing, as it can penalize you. Balance is key.

Use Lowercase Letters

Skip the capital letters to avoid any confusion—search engines can get mixed up with uppercase and lowercase. 

Plus, steering clear of capital letters helps prevent duplicate content and URLs, ensuring your website stays on top of its ranking game.

Use Hyphens as Separators

Go for hyphens to separate words. According to Google, hyphens act as clear separators, unlike underscores which tend to connect words. 

So, keep it easy on the eyes and the search engine crawlers by opting for hyphens in your URLs.

Shorten Your URLs

When it comes to URLs, shorter is sweeter. Short URLs are not only easier to type and read but also carry more weight with search engine spiders. 

Aim for concise and descriptive web page URLs. Avoid overloading your URL slug with too many similar words, as this may be seen as keyword stuffing, potentially leading to a dip in search rankings.

Opt for Static URLs

Unlike dynamic URLs that may include parameters like “?,” “&,” and “=”, static URLs remain consistent with each page load. They’re more user-friendly and easier for search engines to comprehend. 

While adding extra URL parameters for tracking marketing data in URLs for social media is acceptable, steer clear of embedding dynamic URLs directly into your site for better SEO practices.

Be Careful in Using Subdomains

If you can avoid it, limit the use of subdomains. These are prefixes that come before the main domain name, typically employed to segregate various sections of a website based on their functions. 

While Google claims to treat subdomain content similarly to other page content, many SEO experts have witnessed traffic boosts after shifting content from a subdomain to a subfolder. The subfolder structure not only specifies the product but also provides additional insights, enhancing clarity and facilitating the inclusion of keywords in URLs without making them appear spammy.

Avoid Using Dates

Steer clear of including dates in your URLs, especially if you’re using popular CMS platforms like WordPress, which often defaults to incorporating dates in a blog post. This default setting can pose problems when you update content, since Google may display conflicting information in search results. 

If your site is already configured this way, and you’ve published content, it’s advisable not to make changes to avoid potential issues with your website. But if you’re starting a new site with WordPress, a straightforward solution is to adjust your permalink settings before publishing any content.

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