In making an effective web presence, there is an aspect that you may not consider while it has a crucial role in determining the search engine rankings –the URL. Yes, the link is a simple icon, but it is so much more than that.
Bullzeye Media Marketing demonstrates. For SEO practitioners, URLs are a sneak attack that can generate the attention of search engines and potential customers. Well, how can one get to learn how to create SEO-friendly URLs? The first thing is to define what they are and why they are relevant and give tips on using URLs effectively.
What Are The Seo Friendly Url?
Sometimes, what is known as a ‘friendly’ URL is a URL that is easy for people to read by the search engine. URLs of the pages also adhere to a specific format of describing the content on the page and contain relevant keywords. To do this, you need to consider a URL as a signpost directing the search engines and the users to the various pages.
For example, if you’re writing a blog about “The Best Hiking Trails in California,” an SEO-friendly URL might look like this: www. hikingblog.com/best-hiking-trails-California
This URL provides clarity to readers and Google about what to expect from the given page, apart from the characters and complexities of jargon.
What Is the Importance of SEO-Friendly URLs?
URLs appear inconsequential to your overall website SEO plan, but this is not the case. However, they play an essential role in several ways:
Search Engine Rankings:
For instance, Search engines such as Google rely on URLs to identify the context and relative importance of a given page. Using your main keyword in the URL can be helpful because search bots will know right away what the page is about.
User Experience:
Of all the elements of SEO, the URLs of the pages must be clean and easily comprehensible. This makes users trust the advertisements and recommendations and results in better CTRs. Users prefer search results that contain links that, for some reason, appear more like descriptions of the content rather than random abbreviations.
Link Sharing:
When URLs are easily understood, it is easier to paste them on social platforms, blogging sites, or even in emails. This assists in increasing the number of visitors to your page.
Crawling and Indexing:
Well-structured URLs make it easier for search engine bots to crawl and index your site, thus increasing your chances of ranking in the search results.
You might like to read about Crawling and Indexing, click here: How Site Architecture Impacts SEO in 2024
Best Practices for Creating SEO-Friendly URLs
Now that we understand their importance, let’s look at the best practices for creating SEO-friendly URLs. Here’s how you can optimize your URLs to boost both your rankings and user experience:
1. Keep It Short and Sweet
In the world of URLs, shorter is better. A concise URL is easier to read and share. Aim for a URL that is under 60 characters whenever possible. Longer URLs can look cluttered and confusing, which can deter users from clicking.
Example:
Bad URL: www.example.com/the-best-hiking-trails-in-the-state-of-california-for-novice-and-experienced-hikers
Good URL: www.example.com/best-hiking-trails-california
2. Use Keywords Wisely
Including your main keyword in the URL can provide a small but important boost in your rankings. However, avoid keyword stuffing, as this can appear spammy. Focus on creating a URL that naturally includes one or two keywords related to the page content.
Example:
Bad URL: www.example.com/best-hiking-trails-california-hiking-hikes
Good URL: www.example.com/best-hiking-trails-california
3. Use Hyphens, Not Underscores
When separating words in your URL, always use hyphens (-), not underscores (_). Google treats hyphens as spaces between words, while underscores are ignored. This means that using underscores could result in your URL being misinterpreted by search engines.
Example:
Bad URL: www.example.com/best_hiking_trails_california
Good URL: www.example.com/best-hiking-trails-california
4. Avoid Special Characters
Special characters like &, %, $, and @ can create issues with how URLs are read and shared. Stick to alphanumeric characters and hyphens to keep your URLs clean and functional.
Example:
Bad URL: www.example.com/best-hiking%trails-california
Good URL: www.example.com/best-hiking-trails-california
5. Keep It Lowercase
URLs are case-sensitive, which means using capital letters can lead to errors when someone tries to manually enter the URL. Stick to lowercase letters to avoid confusion.
Example:
Bad URL: www.example.com/Best-Hiking-Trails-California
Good URL: www.example.com/best-hiking-trails-california
On lettercase, Jennifer Slegg of the SEMPost highlighted:
John Mueller from Google has stated that URLs are case-sensitive, meaning upper and lowercase letters are important. He recommends maintaining consistency, though he notes it’s typically not a major issue for most websites.
6. Avoid Dynamic URLs When Possible
Dynamic URLs, which include long strings of numbers or characters, can confuse both search engines and users. Whenever possible, use static URLs that clearly describe the page content.
Example:
Bad URL: www.example.com/page?id=2459824
Good URL: www.example.com/best-hiking-trails-california
7. Create a Logical Hierarchy
If your website has multiple layers of content, ensure that your URLs reflect the site structure. This helps both users and search engines understand where they are within your site.
Example:
www.example.com/california/hiking/best-trails
This clearly shows that the page is part of a larger hiking category under California.
Ask Out of the Box: FAQs
URL keywords became an essential and valuable, although small, ranking factor. They assist search engines in determining what the page is all about, thus increasing the chances of being listed in related search results.
As already mentioned, changing URLs is dangerous if it is not carried out correctly, as it is likely to lead to link failure and loss of rank. If you have to change a URL, set up 301 redirects to avoid losing your position in the search engines and provide users with the correct link to the new location of the content.
Yes! For instance, a dirty and well-formatted URL can help instill credibility and attract many more clicks because the user is in a position to tell what to expect on the page through the link.
With Bullzeye Media Marketing, you can benefit from the following advantages:
As a company, we at Bullzeye Media Marketing take cognizance of the fact that in today’s world, your website is not just an accumulation of web pages; it is your brand interface. URL optimization is just one of the many elements of the overall SEO that we can help you fine-tune so that every element of your site performs at its best. Our SEO experts can help you with the following:
- Perform an audit of the current URL to establish its performance as it is formulated for the flight to SEO.
- Ensure that you get backlinking services that will help improve your ranking.
- Build your URLs in a friendly, easy-to-read, and SEO-friendly manner.
- Oversee duties dealing with technical SEO elements to improve the website’s performance.
As an organization, we integrate human replication, creative strategies, and state-of-the-art technology to guarantee that your website attracts a good number of visitors while continuously drawing them.
Conclusion
You may think your URL is insignificant as it is only of your website, but it plays a vital role in how the search engine will rank your content and users’ experience when visiting it. If you follow these techniques, your site will achieve better ranking by creating SEO-friendly URLs that increase click-through rates and boost traffic.
We are thinking about how to improve your site’s SEO. At Bullzeye Media Marketing, we know the idea of optimizing with SEO is to have a plan in place with your goals in mind. Whether it is URL optimization or getting a complete package of online marketing solutions, we are always ready to help. Come and talk to us today to begin the process of starting your success online.
We look forward to talking to you.
