SEO-Friendly URLs: A Comprehensive Guide
In the digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for businesses and content creators alike. One of the key components of effective search engine optimization (SEO) is the structure of your website’s URLs. Working on your website’s URL is a great way to get more engagement in your work. Through this blogpost we’ll try to understand how can one write an SEO friendly URL.
A URL that’s SEO focused will always create more leads for your work. It must give the viewer an overview of what’s your webpage is about before they open the page and it must reflect what the content is about. So let’s dig in and find out ways through which u can make an SEO FRIENDLY URL.
What Are SEO-Friendly URLs?
SEO-friendly URLs are web addresses that are easy to read and understand for both users and search engines. SEO friendly URL aims to meet the needs of users and searchers. A SEO friendly URL tend to be short and keyword rich. Unlike complex URLs filled with random numbers and symbols, SEO-friendly URLs are descriptive and straightforward. They typically include relevant keywords that reflect the content of the page, making it easier for search engines to index the page and for users to understand what they will find if they click the link. These URLs doesn’t contain special characters and are written in lowercase.
Examples of SEO-Friendly vs. Non-SEO-Friendly URLs
- Non-SEO-Friendly URL:
www.example.com/index.php?id=12345&cat=67890 - SEO-Friendly URL:
www.example.com/blog/benefits-of-seo-friendly-urls
The second URL is clearly more informative, indicating exactly what the content is about. The viewer can clearly distinguish between the two and would go on to pick the second web page as it clearly signifies what the blogpost is about and does it satisfy the intention of the viewer or not.
Why Are SEO-Friendly URLs Important?
1. Improvised User Experience
A clean, descriptive URL helps users understand the content before they even click. This can lead to higher click-through rates (CTR) and reduced bounce rates, as users are more likely to engage with content that seems relevant to their needs. The user or the view gets a clear image of what the blog or the webpage is offering them. It saves their efforts and they can figure it out fast if the webpage is satisfying their intention or not.
Enhanced Crawling and Indexing
Search engines like Google prioritize URLs that are easy to read and include relevant keywords. When your URLs are structured in a way that reflects the content, it aids search engines in crawling and indexing your site more effectively, which can improve your search rankings. Google crawlers will crawl the webpage and rank it higher as it wants to provide the best experience to it’s user and if it’s a SEO FRIENDLY URL, then the crawlers will help you rank your webpage for this same reason.
Better Sharing on Social Media
SEO-friendly URLs are easier to share. When users come across a link that’s concise and descriptive, they’re more likely to share it with others, boosting your content’s visibility and reach.
. Increased Trust and Credibility
A clear and descriptive URL can increase the trust factor among users. People are more likely to click on a link that looks legitimate and relevant rather than one that appears cluttered and spammy. A URL that depicts the context of the webpage is always seem more trustworthy and legitimate providing a sense of security to the user. This will once again help you to raise your click rates level, eventually increasing your rank.
How to Create SEO-Friendly URLs
Keep It Short and Simple
Aim for concise URLs that clearly convey the topic. Ideally, your URL should be between 50-60 characters. Try to write your URL in such a manner that, you can convince the viewer that your webpage satisfies their intention within these 50-60 word limit.
Use Keywords Wisely
Incorporate relevant keywords that reflect the content of the page. However, avoid keyword stuffing; the URL should remain readable and natural. Just because it’s advisable to include keywords in your URL, doesn’t mean one has to forcefully include them.
Separate Words with Hyphens
Use hyphens (-) to separate words in your URLs instead of underscores (_). Search engines interpret hyphens as spaces, making it easier for them to parse the content.
Avoid Special Characters and Numbers
Steer clear of unnecessary characters, such as &, %, or numbers. Stick to letters and hyphens for a cleaner URL structure. Including such character can make your URL look messy, making it less appealing for the user.
Should Be In Lowercase
An URL written in lowercase attracts more user as it is easy to type, read and remember. This will help the webpage generate more click rate and get more engagement. Moreover, an URL written in lowercase tends to seems more organized and clean. Whereas, an URL written in uppercase seems a little more unorganized and messy.
Use HTTPS
A SEO FRIENDLY URL must always use HTTPS Protocol. Having HTTPS as your protocol will provide users with a sense of security. Using the convincing power this protocol has, it will ensure the users that their data is safe and the website is legitimate and lawful.