Most people are aware of what search engine optimization is. SEO-based content is also a known term to most people on the internet. But what about SEO-friendly URLs? What is it, and how is it distinct from other URLs?
URL stands for uniform resource locator and functions similar to the purpose of a house address. It is the unique address of the web page on the internet. But what role does search engine optimization have in structuring these URLs? Does it impact the SEO outcome for the website? There are too many questions that arise in your mind when you hear an SEO-friendly URL! Give a quick read to understand the essential URL parts and the correct approach to make them optimized.
Breaking down the URL structure – An URL helps in fetching a website on the internet and accessing the database. It has different components and each part has a distinct purpose. Start with the first thing that you can notice on the link. The protocol methods for an URL can be HTTP and HTTPS. Any URL that starts with HTTPS denotes better security with SSL. Any link that does not have an HTTPS protocol method cannot make the most of the ranking algorithm of the search engines.
Besides the protocol method, there is another vital component, the domain. The domain you use on the URL denotes the brand or company name of the website and conveys relevant info to the user. There can be sub-domains as well.
There are other components and structural technicalities in an URL, but let’s not get into the details as it would divert the topic of discussion. For creating an SEO-friendly URL, having an overall idea about the URL structures like domains and protocols would be sufficient.
SEO-friendly URL – What does it mean?
Making an SEO-friendly URL is crucial for any business or blogging website, and you would find this common pointer in all SEO tips and guidebooks. The SEO-friendly URLs are usually short and meet the requirements of the searchers by providing them with an informative arrangement of the URL structural components. The parts of the URL are optimized with keywords, and it follows the best SEO techniques. An optimized URL helps get the web page on top of the SERP index and drives quality traffic on the website.
Why is the URL Structure important for SEO?
Example of an optimized URL – https://www.abcxyz.org/seo-tips-for-you/
What does this URL convey to the user? Anyone can read the link and understand which website it refers to and the topic of the page link. In a nutshell, an SEO-friendly link helps the user to find what they are searching for.
- For user experience: Focus on making the links optimized, crisp and meaningful to ensure the best user experience. In the end, the performance on the SERP index depends on how the online users perceive your website and its offerings. So, consider optimizing your URL as the stepping stone towards SEO success.
- For better ranking: Ensure better ranking on the search engine results index with a well-arranged URL. A higher click-through rate is attainable with an SEO-friendly link. It may be a minor influencing factor on the ranking impact. But if you check the charts, the leading websites all follow the pattern!
Best Practices to Create SEO-Friendly URLs – There are more than one practices that help in making the link optimized for better ranking. You have to arrange and use keywords in the URL wisely to ensure the best UX. Here are some SEO tips for you to make the URLs better-performing.
Optimizing URL structure – Factors that impact the ranking
Research is the first step when you want to optimize the URL. One good way to start is by reviewing the competitor websites on the top ranks of SERP. This way, you get an idea of how to approach the changes and identify the existing shortcomings on the URL. From domain name to readability quotient, you cannot avoid any of the influential factors that get displayed on a link address.
- Domain selection: Domain selection with a good domain name is the foremost aspect. Using a short domain is a wise step. Keep it catchy and a memorable one. All digital marketing companies in India recommend using the top-level domain or TLD – .com. It is better to avoid other domain extensions like .biz or .pro, as it is not user-friendly. It may more directly influence the ranking quotient but impacts the credibility.
- Online security: Undoubtedly, HTTPS is the ideal choice for the protocol method in your URL. It directly impacts the ranking order and online trustworthiness. With cybercrimes on the rise, you have to stay careful with SEO practices. Ensure a secure transmission of data with HTTPS and keep your website encrypted.
- URL length: The length of the URL does not fall under the technical nitty-gritties. It requires a human approach for better analysis. Try to keep the link short and crisp, as shorter URLs usually rank ahead of the long ones. You can keep the length around 60 characters, but not more than that. Having a link with more than 70 or 80 characters will negatively influence the ranking on SERP.
- Readability: You saw the example for an ideal and optimized URL. Was it difficult for you to break down the parts and understand where the link would take you? It is the correct approach to develop link content. Make your link readable and understandable with the apt use of keywords. Characters, numbers, and other elements only increase the confusion among the users.
- Keywords: Can there be any discussion on SEO services without mentioning keywords? In fact, keywords also play a significant role in developing an SEO-friendly URL. You must include them as it boosts the ranking aspects. By placing a keyword on the URL, you enable the link to function as an anchor text. But stuffing keywords is not a wise move at all! You can seek professional guidance to appropriately use keyword-rich URLs.
Helping you make an optimized URL
Are you confused about reading so many aspects of an URL and its role in SEO performance? It is natural if you do not have a professional guide to help! But there is no harm in keeping an overall idea of making the perfect URL that attracts users.
Selection matters the most.
Go for an HTTPS link with a well-chosen domain name. Spend sufficient time in selecting the domain name so people can understand it easily. Use an SEO-optimized page title that does not exhibit special characters. These are minor pointers but having a clear idea of what to put and what not to, make the ultimate difference!
Understandable URL – A way to convey info to the user
Focus on making the URL user-friendly with no excess and unnecessary information. A simple URL performs the best on the SERP index as most visitors get intimidated by lengthy URLs with unnecessary work stuffing. Convey what you need to pull the attention of the web audience to the website and that’s it!
Develop a keyword-rich URL
Make the URL keyword-rich but not keyword-stuffed. Use a simple keyword that makes sense in conveying the message to the viewer. Relevant keywords perform the best but, do not use them repeatedly on the link. Implement the keyword strategy with a mindful approach like you do while curating content for your landing page.
Focus on the technicalities
A few technical aspects of the URL structure are there, that you have to take care of with professional guidance. For instance, having SSL for your website is necessary. It will not only help in ranking improvement but also ensure optimal security. Such steps are crucial to implementing and must not be ignored while making an SEO-friendly URL
Few things to note
You have to keep an overall idea of SEO Tips, essential for an URL structure. A professional in the field can help you sort the requirements and guide you with the existing shortcomings. Focus on making the URL evergreen by avoiding the mention of years or specific timelines. It can impact the CTR as people may find the link backdated by reviewing the mentioned year or timeline.
You have to stay careful while using numbers on the URL. It is better to avoid using numbers and special characters in the URL. Replace the underscore signs with hyphens as a wise SEO practice. Also, make the URL in lowercase for avoiding any duplicate content issues.
Common FAQs about SEO-friendly URLs:
Are keywords in bare URLs get utilized as anchor text?
Keywords in the URL help in better ranking for the website. If anyone links your web page through the link, Google uses the keywords present in the URL as anchor text. Thus, you get to positively influence the rank. Such links are termed Bare links. Hence, SEO experts recommend using the keyword on the URL.
Do the keywords in the URL increase the number of clicks?
Using keywords on the URLs is a good SEO practice for improving the ranking order of the site. It not only helps in the search engine algorithm but helps the user to understand the purpose of the URL. It enhances the utility and understandability of the URL structure to the user. As a result, you experience an increase in the number of clicks on the website.
Why are special characters avoided in URLs?
URLs with special characters like () or [] get considered as unsafe for the link. In fact, other generic characters like colon, semi-colon, and commas are also not worth including. It makes the link simple and readable for any user on the web. The same goes for numbers as well. Unless the numbers express a definite message about the page title, it is better to eliminate it from the URL structure.
Why is it better to make the URL in lower case?
You may not know, but URLs are case-sensitive. It is a vital SEO practice to lean on a pattern with your URL representation. Hence, most SEO experts recommend using lower case on the URL text. It gets easy for the web user to write the link if required and avoid the complexities of maintaining case sensitivity on the link. A short URL with small case alphabets and zero special characters is an ideal choice.
How to make the URLs future-proof?
Avoid including years in the URL as it restricts the reach. If your URL mentions “best-online-websites-of-2022”, it automatically makes your link short-lived. People will not want to open it in the year 2023 or 2024! Besides making the content evergreen, make the link long-lasting for any user on the web.
Summing up – Focus on making URLs with a purpose
Keep a logical approach and a technical understanding to develop an SEO-friendly URL that conveys the correct purpose to the web user. SEO company in India can guide you professionally and help you pick the nitty-gritties that impact website ranking. Connect to an expert to sort the requirements and make your digital presence more prominent with impactful SEO Tips.
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