What Are Some Best Practices For Creating SEO-Friendly URLs?

Situation-Based Question

Sarah, the owner of an online boutique, has just finished redesigning her website. She’s excited about the fresh look, but her site traffic isn’t improving the way she hoped. After discussing the situation with an SEO expert, Sarah wonders, “I’ve heard a lot about SEO-friendly URLs. What are some best practices for creating URLs that will help my website rank better?”

Exact Answer

To create SEO-friendly URLs, use descriptive keywords, keep them short, avoid unnecessary parameters, use hyphens to separate words, and make them easy for both users and search engines to understand.

Explanation

Sarah’s curiosity is spot on. SEO-friendly URLs play a crucial role in improving both search engine rankings and user experience. Here’s why following best practices for URL creation is important:

1. Use Descriptive Keywords:
   • Descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords make it easier for search engines to understand the content of the page. By using keywords that match what users are searching for, you improve the likelihood of ranking for those terms.
   • Example: Instead of using a vague URL like www.sarahsboutique.com/product123, use www.sarahsboutique.com/handmade-leather-purses. This tells both Google and users exactly what the page is about.
2. Keep URLs Short and Simple:
   • Shorter URLs are easier for users to remember and share. They’re also more likely to be clicked when displayed in search results. Avoid unnecessary words or characters that don’t add value.
   • Example: Instead of www.sarahsboutique.com/collections/purses-and-bags-women-leather-accessories, use www.sarahsboutique.com/handmade-leather-purses. It’s shorter, cleaner, and still conveys the main idea.
3. Use Hyphens to Separate Words:
   • Search engines treat hyphens as spaces, making it easier for them to read and index the words in a URL. Avoid underscores, as Google doesn’t treat them the same way.
   • Example: Instead of www.sarahsboutique.com/handmade_leather_purses, use www.sarahsboutique.com/handmade-leather-purses. This is more readable and SEO-friendly.
4. Avoid Dynamic Parameters:
   • URLs with complex parameters (like www.sarahsboutique.com/product?id=12345) can confuse search engines and make it harder for them to understand the content of the page. Static URLs are often better for SEO.
   • Example: A static URL like www.sarahsboutique.com/handmade-leather-purses is much cleaner and easier for Google to crawl than www.sarahsboutique.com/product?id=12345.
5. Make URLs User-Friendly:
   • URLs should be simple and easy for humans to read, not just search engines. A URL that’s easy to understand can help increase click-through rates (CTR), which is a factor that can influence SEO.
   • Example: A URL like www.sarahsboutique.com/handmade-leather-purses clearly explains what the page contains. Compare that to a confusing URL like www.sarahsboutique.com/item12345, which doesn’t tell the user anything about the page.
6. Use Lowercase Letters:
   • Always use lowercase letters in URLs. Some web servers treat uppercase and lowercase letters as different, leading to potential issues with duplicate content.
   • Example: www.sarahsboutique.com/handmade-leather-purses is better than www.sarahsboutique.com/Handmade-Leather-Purses.
7. Avoid Keyword Stuffing:
   • While it’s important to include relevant keywords in URLs, don’t overstuff them with too many keywords. Keep the URL natural and avoid making it look like spam.
   • Example: Instead of www.sarahsboutique.com/handmade-leather-purses-high-quality-affordable-best, stick to something like www.sarahsboutique.com/handmade-leather-purses. It’s clear and natural.

Example

Here’s how Sarah could apply these best practices to her boutique’s URL structure:

• Old URL: www.sarahsboutique.com/product123
• Optimized URL: www.sarahsboutique.com/handmade-leather-purses

This optimized URL is descriptive, easy to read, includes relevant keywords, and is much better for SEO.