What Are The Best Practices For URL Structuring In An E-Commerce Site?

Story Based Question

You’ve recently launched a new e-commerce store, and things are going smoothly. However, as your product catalog grows, you’re starting to realize the URL structure of your product pages is a bit messy. Some URLs are long and hard to read, while others don’t seem to reflect the categories or products properly. You’re wondering: How can you structure your URLs in a way that’s both SEO-friendly and user-friendly?

Exact Answer

To structure URLs for an e-commerce site, use short, descriptive URLs with relevant keywords, include categories in the URL structure, avoid excessive parameters, use hyphens instead of underscores, and keep URLs as simple and readable as possible.

Explanation

URL structure plays a crucial role in both SEO and user experience. A well-structured URL helps search engines understand the content of the page and improves the chances of your pages ranking higher. Here’s how to structure URLs effectively for e-commerce:

1. Use Descriptive, Short URLs: Make sure your URLs are brief yet descriptive enough to give both users and search engines a clear understanding of the page content. For example, instead of using a long, complex URL like www.example.com/products?itemid=12345, use something cleaner like www.example.com/blue-t-shirt.
2. Incorporate Keywords: Include relevant keywords in your URL. Keywords in URLs help search engines understand the page’s focus and contribute to SEO. For example, a URL like www.example.com/men-running-shoes clearly indicates the page content, which is beneficial for search rankings.
3. Use Categories in the URL Structure: To improve both SEO and site navigation, include categories or subcategories in your URLs. For example, www.example.com/mens/footwear/running-shoes clearly reflects the hierarchy of the site and helps organize the content logically.
4. Avoid Excessive Parameters: Parameters in URLs (like ?sessionid=12345) are often used to track sessions, but they can make the URL look messy and harder for search engines to crawl. Avoid using too many parameters if possible, and focus on using clean, keyword-rich URLs instead.
5. Use Hyphens, Not Underscores: When separating words in URLs, use hyphens (-) instead of underscores (_). Search engines like Google treat hyphens as word separators, while underscores can be interpreted as a single word. For example, blue-running-shoes is better than blue_running_shoes.
6. Avoid Dynamic URLs: Dynamic URLs, often generated by content management systems (CMS), can be hard for search engines to crawl effectively. For example, www.example.com/product?id=12345&color=blue could be improved by using a static URL like www.example.com/blue-running-shoes.
7. Keep URLs Simple and Readable: URLs should be easy to read and remember. This not only helps with SEO but also improves user experience. Keep them as short and relevant as possible while still being descriptive.
8. Implement Canonical Tags: If you have multiple URLs for the same product (e.g., different colors or sizes), use canonical tags to point to the preferred URL. This helps prevent duplicate content issues and ensures the right page gets ranked.

Example

Let’s say you sell shoes, and you want to create an optimized URL structure for a specific product page. Here’s how you can apply these best practices:

1. Descriptive, Short URLs:
   Instead of a URL like www.example.com/products?id=12345, use www.example.com/running-shoes-blue for a specific product. It’s short and descriptive.
2. Incorporate Keywords:
   Instead of a vague URL like www.example.com/product123, use www.example.com/blue-running-shoes to include relevant keywords that describe the product.
3. Use Categories in the URL Structure:
   A product like a blue running shoe could be structured as www.example.com/mens/footwear/running-shoes/blue-running-shoes. This URL indicates the page hierarchy and provides a clear structure.
4. Avoid Excessive Parameters:
   Avoid URLs with tracking parameters like www.example.com/product?id=12345&sessionid=67890. Instead, use clean, descriptive URLs like www.example.com/blue-running-shoes.
5. Use Hyphens, Not Underscores:
   Your URL should be www.example.com/blue-running-shoes instead of www.example.com/blue_running_shoes to ensure better readability for both users and search engines.
6. Avoid Dynamic URLs:
   Use static URLs instead of www.example.com/product?id=12345 to make the URL more SEO-friendly. A clean, descriptive static URL like www.example.com/blue-running-shoes is far better.
7. Canonical Tags:
   If the blue running shoes come in different sizes, you might have multiple URLs like www.example.com/blue-running-shoes-size-9 and www.example.com/blue-running-shoes-size-10. Use a canonical tag on the size-specific pages to tell search engines that the main product page is the canonical version.

Optimizing your e-commerce URLs can make a significant difference in both SEO and user experience. By keeping URLs short, descriptive, and keyword-rich, and following best practices like avoiding dynamic parameters and using hyphens, you can help search engines better understand and rank your content while providing a clean and user-friendly browsing experience.