Permanent Link to The Last Word on Optimizing Your URL Structure

Content and meta tags are perhaps the first thoughts that come to mind when contemplating optimization of a web page. Yes, they are extremely important areas to look in, but one should not omit the URL as the search engine spiders and online traffic consider URLs too. Therefore keeping in mind and following some best practices for URL structures, it can be optimized to benefit your site. Maximize the utility and SEO of your URL with these hot tips:

It’s essential to have a proper naming system for your URLs because URL structures mimic file folders in the root directory. Avoid giving vague and unrelated names. URL’s named as ‘pageA1’; ‘page A2’; ‘pageB1’; ‘pageB2’ lead to a bad online experience and do not help search engines with related information. When naming your URLs, assign them names that convey the specific page information so that the user and search engines know what they will be encountering on that page.

Along with giving the visitor details about the page content, keywords also enhance the SEO function. Ensure that you have implemented at least a couple of important keywords in your URL. Findings indicate that keywords placed at the beginning of the URL offer maximum optimization potential. Since URLs feature on search result pages with their metal title and description, the keywords specifically searched by the visitor will appear in bold on the results page. This indicates that your page has relevant and well-researched keywords. However, just as anything in excess is not good, using too many keywords in the URL may make it seem like spam.

Long URLs look suspicious and it’s been observed that less people are attracted to link with it. Short, crisp and concise URLs are more likely to attract users to the page. Ideally, URLs should not extend beyond three to five words. Also, using all lower-case lettering being a common practice, it is more preferred. Using capital letters tend to confuse people as they are not used to it; likewise use dashes between words; underscores are not very common.

Have a singular URL system. Multiple URLs having similar content lead to problems of duplicate content, which does not go well with the search engines. This practice is best avoided altogether. Once URLs are set, they should preferably not be change. In case you do, then don’t forget to use 301 redirects.

Here’s your takeaway….URLs are extremely relevant for improving search engine results and enhancing the user’s experience. Therefore make the most of these tips and incorporate the suggested hints to enhance your website’s SEO. After all, a satisfied customer is not only likely to return to your website, but is also your best form of publicity.