What is an SEO URL?

SEO URLs contain keywords that help users understand where a page will lead them. It also makes it much easier for Google to find and recognize what the page is. The bottom line is: your URLs should contain keywords and have a general hierarchy to ensure a better user experience (UX) and to help boost your rankings with Google.

Benefits of SEO URLs

There are 3 main benefits of crafting SEO URLs on your website: 

• User Experience - well thought out URLs that include keywords give both users and search engines a clear idea of what information the destination page will include
• Boost your ranking - SEO URLs are a small ranking factor. Search engines use the keywords in URLs to determine the relevance of the page. Together, search engines use domain authority and SEO URLs as a ranking factor. 
• Gives a hierarchy and structure - URLs that are written well with relevant keywords and a clear structure make it both easier for humans to understand and for search engines as well. Having clear hierarchy and structure in your URLs also makes your site easy to navigate and find more pages on your site. 

Examples of ineffective SEO URLs and how to improve them

1. Original URL: /wtr-fountain.html New URL: /outdoor-water-fountains

Explanation: No one is going to search for "wtr fountains." Spell out words in URLs so that it's clear what the page is about. This page started performing much better once the word “water” was spelled out.

2. Original URL: /IronFilters.html New URL: /residential-iron-filters

Explanation: "Iron" and "filters" are two separate words so they should be spelled out separately. Seperate the words using hyphens which is an SEO best practice. The word "residential" was added because the page in question focuses on iron filters for residential use. 

3. Original URL: /long_kitchen_matches New URL: /long-kitchen-matches

Explanation: Search engines do not like underscores in URLs. If your pages are under-performing and you have underscores separating the keywords, try replacing the underscores with hyphens.

4. Original URL: /?page=252 New URL: /anything-is-better-than-that

Explanation: Imagine you're in a crowded grocery store and you're trying to find an oven cleaner. You scan the signs above you for one that says "cleaning supplies" but instead you see "/?page=252." What would you do? You would probably leave the store or spend a long time looking for the cleaning supplies aisle. A URL like this isn't helpful to anyone: not to Google, not to users and certainly not to the site itself. If there are URLs on your site that look like this, consider changing them by adding relevant keywords and structure.

Notes on creating effective SEO URLs

• Spell out words, try not to abbreviate if possible
• No underscores in URLs, separate words with hyphens
• No uppercase letters in URLs, use only lowercase letters
• Use relevant, clear and accurate keywords
• Follow your site structure in your URLs. URLs should show a clear path through your site

Contact your team at Ecreative to check the URLs on your site

Creating SEO URLs for your site is important for both your users experience and for search engines. Are your URLs SEO friendly? Contact your digital marketing specialist at Ecreative to learn more.