SEO Secrets: URL Structure

SEO Secrets: URL Structure
by
Corin Tomasello

SEO…it’s a tricky science that can quite literally make or break your business. One essential, yet often overlooked component of an SEO strategy is the URL structure. Over three billion Google searches are performed each day, and this means that keywords and visibility in search engines are critical to increasing your website’s rankings and its success. So, if you’re looking for an edge over the competition and a boost in sales, creating a strong URL structure is one way to get there. Charisma Communications shares a few ways how…

Match URLs to Page Titles

This is imperative when it comes to URL structure and SEO strategy. The goal here is to create consistency between what your URL reads and your page title. Our Tampa marketing company believes users should be able to do a Google search, click to your site, and have the page match the page title. This will help search engines index your site, as well as build trust and authority with your audience.

Avoid Using Unnecessary Words

A golden rule in URL structure is to keep it simple. By doing so, you’re more likely to appeal to your two main audiences – Google and its users. Only include words that have meaning and remove stop words such as “and” and “the”. Click here to see what not to do!

Do Not Use Punctuation

While punctuation is completely fine with other SEO elements like title tags and meta descriptions, it’s a mess when used in URLs. It creates confusion for search engines and is a distraction for users – both of which will negatively impact your rankings.

Keep it Short and Sweet

Readability is another key element of an optimized URL, so you want to keep your URL short. This way it can be easily indexed by search engines and your rankings will improve.I mean who wants to see this at the top of the page? https://www.youraddy.com/mary-poppins-song/super-cala-fragilistic-expialidocious-even-though-the-sound-of-it-is-something-quite-atrociousWhen you could just see: mary.poppins/song

Only Use Lowercase Letters and Standard Characters

To improve readability and increase your rankings, only use lowercase letters and standard characters in your URL. Capitalized letters mixed with lowercase letters can confuse search engine and users. Avoid uppercase URLs if you can. It’ll hurt your website’s ranking potential in the end. One last URL structure don't: using non-standard characters such as %, &, #, @.This is an SEO strategy no-no: https://www.youraddy.com/Best%-Practices&-SEO%-Friendly-URL-Structure?

Purchase Short Domains that Feature Keywords

Short domain names that feature a keyword will always rank better. This is especially the case if your website’s name is a commonly searched keyword.

Use Hyphens, Not Underscores

To improve readability, break up descriptive words within your URL with hyphens. This is not to be confused with underscores! When it comes to indexing URLs, Google considers hyphens word separators that improve URL readability while underscores are treated as word joiners.I hope this helps you understand the importance of URL structure for a comprehensive SEO strategy.

If you’re inspired (and I hope you are) to audit your URLs, just don’t forget to 301 redirect any old URLs to new ones so you don’t lose rankings. If you feel in over your head with SEO and URL structures, you may want to consider using our Tampa SEO company. Call on Charisma!