When it comes to on-page SEO, one of the most effective methods for optimisation is by focusing on the URL for each webpage. An SEO-friendly URL is something that is appreciated by the likes of Google, and it increases the chances of your webpages scaling new heights and landing on the first page of search results.
There’s just one issue with this: what SEO URL tactics are even available? From the outside, it might seem like there’s little you can do to enhance the URL structure. However, there are various steps you can take to produce an SEO-friendly URL.
If you’re wondering how it’s done, this guide is here to supply the answers.
What is the best URL structure for SEO?
If you’re wondering how to create a friendly URL structure, you have landed in the right place. First of all, let’s take a look at a generic URL that’s typically produced when SEO isn’t considered:
Mywebsite.co.uk/bkyps99182/f18284pp
As you can see from this jumbled up mess of numbers, letters, and symbols, the URL structure is not doing anything for, well, anybody. Not only does it fail to provide search engines with information about your website, but it also does the same for users.
To avoid an elongated and superfluous URL, you need to edit the structure. In general, the URL can be optimised by incorporating your main target keywords and keeping the length short. Say your page is promoting a local landscape gardener in Las Vegas. The URL could look something like this:
Mywebsite.co.uk/las-vegas-landscape-gardener
…Now that’s much easier to decipher than the previous example! The target keywords are located within the URL. It’s short and straight to the point. Most importantly, both users and Google can easily tell the page is about a landscape gardener in Las Vegas. There’s no confusion, and it is easy to understand – key aspects for an optimised URL address.
As mentioned, a structured URL isn’t only beneficial for search engines. It also helps users. For example, when someone wants to take the opportunity to link to a source to support their point, they automatically know the page is suitable due to the URL – just like the link added a few words earlier!
How do you create an SEO-friendly URL structure?
Fortunately, many website platforms make it easy for you to alter the URL. For instance, eCommerce website builder PrestaShop features an Advanced SEO Friendly URLs add-on where you can effortlessly take the URL structure SEO and improve it. However, for the following example, we’ll use the most common website building platform: WordPress.
When you create a page or post on WordPress, it will automatically produce a URL structure based on your title and settings. If you want to edit the URL, you can do so by simply pressing the “Edit” button, which resides underneath the title and next to the URL.
Before doing this, you’ll want to delve into the settings to change how the URL structure is formulated. Go into “Settings”, and then visit the “Permalinks” section. From here, you are presented with a number of different options. With that said, for keyword in URL SEO purposes, there’s only one applicable option: “Post name”.
By using “Post name”, you avoid redundant details such as the date the post was published. You also prevent having a “Plain” URL that features no relevant information. “Post name” instantly supplies the type of URL you desire – one that only focuses on the keywords featured in the page’s title.
Tips for optimising your URL
You’ve seen an example of creating an SEO-friendly URL. You know how the URL can be edited to fit your needs. Now it’s time to consume some additional tips for producing the best URL structure possible.
- Keep it short: According to general Google SEO URL length guidelines, you should aim for a URL length of four or five words. It is stated that, for any words that go beyond a fifth word, Google’s algorithms will pay them much less attention. If you cannot trim it down to four-five words, ensure the start of the URL is loaded with your main keyword terms.
- Avoid unnecessary words: When creating the URL structure, there’s no need to include words such as “the” or “and”. These are typically not SEO-friendly words, so these can be a waste of your precious URL length. Try and only focus on your main keywords.
- Use hyphens: As a rule of thumb, you should avoid adding symbols into the URL address. There are, however, two exceptions to this: slashes (/) and hyphens (-). Hyphens are used to break up the words in the URL. So instead of it being, for example, co.uk/vinylsale, it’s displayed as Mywebsite.co.uk/vinyl-sale. Google also recommends you don’t use underscores (_) to break up the words. Only stick with hyphens.
- Optimise the hierarchy: It’s important you also place a focus on the URL hierarchy. By hierarchy, this means the categories that may precede any webpage — for example, co.uk/vinyl-sale/indie-alternative. By ensuring the hierarchy is logical and easy to decipher, Google has a better chance of knowing exactly what your page is about.
- Run a test: Are you unsure your URL is fully optimised? In this case, you can run an SEO-friendly URL test for further information. This test will spotlight what’s right and wrong with the URL and how you could ultimately fix any potential issues.
As a company that manages SEO campaigns for a living, we know a thing or two about the integral elements of SEO. One of these is the URL structure. If you fail to optimise the URL of your pages, Google’s going to penalise this oversight.
Thankfully, devising an effective URL structure is a simple process. All you need to do is create an address that is short and sweet, uses hyphens as opposed to underscores, and incorporates your targeted keywords. In essence, that’s all you require!
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