Undoubtedly, a lot of effort goes into ensuring your website scores the first spot on a search engine’s list including keyword placement, meta descriptions, and quality content.
But there’s one more thing that search engines love and users can understand, making a website score higher on the ranking list. Still, having trouble figuring out what that is? We’ll tell you.
URLs!
Even though URLs are often overlooked. People don’t have much of an idea of their importance. But what you don’t know is that these seemingly simple web addresses hold immense power. They act as gateways to your content and influence how search engines and users perceive your website.
However, what you may not understand is that coming up with a URL that will bring traffic to your website isn’t as easy as throwing a bunch of words together. You have to be very strategic and technical with your word selection to ensure optimal search rankings.
Wondering how you can create perfect SEO-friendly URLs for your website? Continue reading to find out what we have in store for you!
Understanding the Anatomy of URLs
Ever wondered what those web addresses you type in mean? Those are URLs, which stand for Uniform Resource Locators. They're basically like source codes for websites, telling your browser exactly where to find the information you're looking for.
Breaking down different parts of a URL,
Protocol
The very beginning of a URL tells your browser how to talk to the computer storing the webpage. You can call it a specific programming language that allows your web browser to communicate with the other computer.
The first part of this instruction can be "http://" or "https://". These are different ways your browser shares information with the website.
- http:// is the most common way and works well for most websites.
- https:// is a more secure option used for websites that handle sensitive information like passwords or credit card details. It features added security measures that scramble information as it travels between your computer and the website, making it harder for anyone to steal it.
So, the next time you see "http://" or "https://" at the beginning of a URL, you'll know it's all about keeping your information secure!
Domain Name
The domain name is the main part of a web address that you type into your browser. It's like a nickname for the website that helps you find it easily.
A domain name usually has two parts:
- The Website Name: This can be the company name, a catchy phrase, or anything that represents the website's purpose.
- The Ending: This is the dot (.) followed by a few letters, like ".com", ".org", or ".net". These endings can give you a hint about the type of website, but they're not always super important.
Picking a good domain name is important because it makes your website easier to find and remember. It should be short, easy to type, and related to what your website is about.
Extra Details
Not all URLs are created equal!
Sometimes, you might see extra details tacked onto the end of a web address after a question mark (?). These are called query strings and they act like instructions for the specific webpage.
For instance, a clothing website's URL might include a query string to show only blue shirts (color=blue). These details aren't always used, but they can help fine-tune what you see on a webpage.
Importance of SEO-Friendly URLs
Search engines are always on the go to connect people with the information they need. They use website addresses, like little labels, to understand what each webpage is about. This helps them recommend the right pages to people searching for something specific.
Moreover, your website address (URL) is just one-way search engines understand your content. They also look at other clues, like:
- Title Tags: These are excerpts from each webpage, appearing in search results and browser tabs.
- Meta Tags: These are hidden descriptions that provide more information about your webpage.
- Link Anchor Text: These are the clickable words in links from other websites to yours.
All of these work together to tell search engines what your webpage is about. This is why creating clear and informative content is crucial for search engine optimization (SEO).
Benefits of SEO-friendly Addresses
- More clicks: Clear addresses make your website more attractive in search results. People are more likely to click on a website with a clear and informative address.
- Trust and Memorability: Simple addresses build trust with visitors because they seem more reliable. They're also easier to remember, which can bring people back to your website in the future.
- Higher Search Ranking: Search engines reward websites with clear and relevant addresses by placing them higher in search results. This means more people will see your website when they search online.
Creating SEO-friendly addresses can be a balancing act. You want them to be clear for search engines but also reflect your brand identity. Luckily, there are plenty of resources available to help you find the perfect balance!
7 Best Practices for Creating SEO-Friendly URLs
Ready to give your website a boost in search results? Optimizing your website addresses (URLs) is a powerful SEO strategy that many people miss. Here are some easy-to-follow tips to help you craft URLs that will grab attention and improve your website's ranking:
1. Ensure Your Page Title and URL Match
The best and most practiced tip to ensure your URL strikes a chord with your audience is to ensure that both your page title and URL correspond with one another.
Your website URL is one of the first things that a search engine crawler will examine. It is precisely why most web developers and content creators ensure both your URL and page title have the same search intent.
Because this way when the search engine looks for a piece of specific information on the web, it will find your website relevant if your URL and the page title both offer the same information.
2. Keep It Clean and Simple
Simplicity and clear context is a vital practice in URL optimization. You must ensure that there are no unnecessary words in the URL to ensure both machines and humans can understand your website’s content at first look.
For instance, you can conveniently remove words like “and” or “the” from your URL and integrate other words that offer far more extensive information.
Let’s look at an example,
vs.
Do you see the difference?
The second URL conveys the same information and fulfills search intent without using unnecessary words. It’s concise and provides information to the user and machine both in a single tick.
3. Be More Descriptive
Any search engine relies on accessibility and description. You have to be able to provide it with the maximum amount of information in the shortest sentence.
The more descriptive you are with the URL, the easier it is for the search engine to crawl it and the audience to understand it. Opt for a domain that is descriptive and relevant to what your brand offers.
Your domain name should always be easy to understand, direct and should provide essential information that is easy to remember.
4. Lowercase Letters Will Do
Readability matters when you’re crafting an SEO-friendly URL which is why you must stick to lowercase letters.
When you mix lowercase and uppercase letters, it makes your URL look messy and affects the overall readability. It creates a sense of distrust around your website’s content not to mention, it also makes it challenging for search engines to crawl.
Not to mention, your target audience will never be able to remember that your website URL incorporates an uppercase letter, eventually affecting your web traffic.
5. Don’t Use Punctuation
When you’re crafting an SEO-friendly URL, using punctuation is a bad idea. While it may be essential to incorporate punctuation in page titles and meta descriptions, the use of them in URLs can be very confusing.
It might make it challenging for users to remember your URL. Moreover, it’s hard for search engines to decode the search intent of a website when their URLs have punctuation.
6. Hyphen Instead of Underscore
Have you been using underscores to separate words in your URL? We understand that sometimes when you’re creating a URL, you need to make it make sense. However, instead of using underscores, use hyphens.
Think of hyphens like mini-dividers in your website address. They help people and search engines understand what each word means.
While underscores (_) might seem like an option, search engines treat them differently. Hyphens are clearer for everyone, so they're the best choice for your website address!
7. Don’t Forget Your Keywords
Lastly, adding primary keywords is the most essential practice for developing SEO-friendly URLs. if your domain doesn’t contain a keyword, the search engine will never be able to provide targeted information to your audience.
When creating an SEO-friendly URL, make sure you insert a primary keyword into your domain. It will make things easier for search engines and your chance for ranking higher on Google shall also increase.
Final Thoughts
The web address for your website (URL) isn't just where people go to find you. It also plays a role in how well your website ranks in search results. That's why making your URLs "SEO-friendly" is important.
This, in turn, leads to more visitors, better click-through rates, and a stronger online presence. So, the next time you're creating a new webpage, take a moment to consider its URL. By following the tips in this article, you can craft SEO-friendly addresses that work hard for your website!
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