SEO best practice guide for URLs

Have you ever searched for something on Google and received a URL that looks like this?
http://www.example.com/index.php?id_sezione=360&sid=3a5ebc944f41daa6f849f730f1

This is much less appealing compared to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation which will help you decide whether to click on that link or not.

A site’s URL structure should be as simple as possible. Consider organizing your content so that URLs are constructed logically and in a manner, that is most intelligible to humans (when possible, readable words rather than long ID numbers).

A well-crafted URL provides both humans and search engines with an easy-to-understand indication of what the destination page will be about. For example, the DPReview URL below is what we call a “semantically accurate” URL (it accurately describes its destination):

When sharing your business URL links

In a pinch, well-written URLs can serve as their own anchor text when copied and pasted as links in forums, blogs, social media networks, or other online venues.

The benefit here is twofold:

Some websites (like Facebook, for example), may leave shared links completely unformatted. Unoptimized, semantically inaccurate URLs can look unwieldy, and instead of garnering clicks, they deter them. Human-readable URLs provide users with a better idea of what they’ll be getting when they click the link.

Why do your business URLs matter for SEO?

1. Improved user experience

It should come as no surprise that the easier a URL is to read for humans, the better it is for search engines. Accessibility has always been a part of SEO, but never more so than today, when engines can leverage advanced user and usage data signals to determine what people are engaging with vs. not.

2. Better SEO rankings

keywords in the URL show up in search results, and research has shown that the URL is one of the most prominent elements searchers consider when selecting which site to click.

In Summary

With the number of sites and business increasing their digital presence on a daily basis, URL structure is essential to give your business the best chance of success for:

• ranking as high as possible for important keywords
• ranking for as many keywords as possible
• displaying the right data to the right user at the right time
• giving Google every reason to rank your site as high as possible

Want help improving your URL structure? Contact Us to get started.