What Is a URL?
An internet resource’s web address is commonly referred to as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), which typically points to a webpage. You can locate the URL of the webpage you’re currently visiting in the address bar situated at the top of your browser’s window.
URLs play a crucial role in facilitating users’ access to the desired webpage, and for those pursuing search engine optimization (SEO), they can aid in setting up their website for SEO triumph by communicating relevant information about a webpage’s content and purpose to search engines. This enables search engines to rank the webpage suitably.
This post will provide an overview of URL structure and tips on optimizing them for improved search engine rankings.
Let’s dive in!
URL Structure
A URL comprises of seven distinct parts that collectively form its structure. These parts are as follows:
Protocol
The protocol component of a URL specifies how a browser should establish a connection with a webpage.
Two commonly used protocols are HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) and HTTPS (HTTP secure).
The primary distinguishing factor between the two is that HTTPS encrypts and safeguards all data transmitted between the server and browser. This ensures that sensitive user information, such as login credentials and credit card details, is secure from malicious actors.
Websites that utilize HTTPS will display a lock icon in the address bar, while sites using HTTP will display a “Not Secure” warning.
Subdomain
A subdomain is a series of letters or a complete word that appears before the first dot in a URL.
The most commonly recognized subdomain is “www,” which represents World Wide Web and indicates that the URL is a web address. While it was customary to use “www” in the past, it is now optional and can be omitted from URLs according to personal preference.
There are also additional subdomains such as “blog,” “store,” “support,” “news,” and “careers” that are employed to manage and organize various sections of a website with a specific purpose.
Domain
The domain is the primary element of a URL that identifies a website, such as eBay, Wikipedia, or Oleg.
When selecting a domain name, it is advisable to opt for a short and catchy name. This is because shorter domain names are more memorable, increasing the chances that users will return to your website. Additionally, shorter domain names are easier to incorporate into logos and other branding materials compared to longer and more complex ones.
Top-Level Domain (TLD)
The TLD, also known as the domain extension, is the part that follows the name of your website, such as “.com.”
There are many TLDs available on the internet, and here are five of the most commonly used ones, along with the kinds of websites they are suitable for:
- .com: Commercial websites
- .org: Non-profit organizations
- .net: Software and hosting companies that provide network services
- .edu: Educational institutions, such as universities, colleges, and schools
- .gov: Government agencies and departments
If you are in the initial stages of purchasing a domain name, it is recommended that you select a TLD that best reflects the nature of your business.
Additionally, you can use country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs), which are two-letter domain extensions that indicate a website’s association with a particular country or territory. Some examples include “.uk” for the United Kingdom, “.de” for Germany, “.cn” for China, “.ca” for Canada, “.in” for India, “.es” for Spain, and “.ru” for Russia. Utilizing ccTLDs makes sense when a website’s target audience is mostly based in a particular country, as it signifies the site’s connection to that location and can establish trust and credibility with users in that region.
Subfolder
A subfolder is a directory or folder that exists within the top-level or main directory of your website’s hierarchy.
For instance, take the URL “www.olegdigital.com/blog/”.
Here, the “blog” subfolder is located within the primary directory of the website, which is “www.olegdigital.com”.
Subfolders, like subdomains, help to organize website content into logical sections. This allows visitors to easily comprehend their location on the site.
For example, users who visit “www.apple.com/mac/” can quickly understand that they are on the MacBook section of Apple’s website.
Slug
The slug is the portion of a URL that identifies a specific page or post on a website. Its purpose is to give users a better understanding of the page’s context and content.
Consider this URL slug, for instance: “/url-meaning-structure-and-optimization-tips/”. Just by looking at the slug, users can get a sense of what the page is about.
However, sometimes you may encounter URL slugs that look like this: “/123456/”. Slugs with numbers can be confusing for users.
When creating a slug, the main objective is to describe the content of the page accurately. Therefore, it’s crucial to make the slug descriptive.
URL Parameters
Query strings, also known as URL parameters, are a part of a URL that follows a question mark (?). They consist of key-value pairs separated by an equal sign (=). The key indicates what type of information is being transmitted, while the value represents the actual data. You can include multiple parameters in a URL by separating them with an ampersand (&).
Query strings are utilized for various purposes, including:
- Search parameters that enable users to search the results of a website’s internal search engine.
- Filtering parameters that allow users to organize and filter listings on category pages by various attributes such as price, availability, size, brand, location, and ratings.
- Tracking parameters that assist in tracking traffic from marketing campaigns and ads.
- Paginating parameters that help organize blog archive pages and forum threads into a series of pages.
What Are the Different Types of URLs?
There are two main types of URLs: absolute and relative URLs.
An absolute URL consists of the entire path to the website URL, including the protocol, optional subdomain (www), domain name, and path (which includes the directory and URL slug). Here’s an example of an absolute URL: https://olegdigital.com/discovering-breadcrumb-navigation-types-benefits-and-best-practices/.
A relative URL only specifies the path, including the directory and URL slug. Here’s an example of a relative URL: /blog/url-meaning-structure-and-optimization-tips/.
URLs can also be classified based on their function:
- Canonical URLs: These act as the main version for duplicate URLs on your site, and help to prevent duplicate content issues that can hurt your rankings in search engines.
- Callback URLs: These are the pages that users are redirected to after completing a specific action or task. For example, when users log in to a website using a third-party authentication service like Google, the page they’re redirected to after successful authentication is the callback URL.
- Vanity URLs: These are custom URLs that are short and easy to share, often used in marketing campaigns or on social media to promote a specific webpage from your site. You can use URL shortener tools like Bitly or Short.io to create them.
How to Optimize URLs for SEO
Optimizing the URL structure of your pages for SEO is a key strategy to improve their search engine rankings and drive more traffic from Google. Here are some tips to help you accomplish this.
1. Use the HTTPS Protocol
Using HTTPS encryption on your website is essential to protect your visitors’ sensitive information from attackers. Additionally, since 2014, it has been a lightweight ranking factor for Google.
Therefore, if your website is still using HTTP, it is recommended that you switch to HTTPS by obtaining an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate from your hosting service provider.
2. Choose an Appropriate TLD
The selection of a top-level domain (TLD) depends on the purpose of your website. Nonprofit organizations are better off using .org, while .edu is the most appropriate TLD for educational institutions like universities, colleges, and schools. For commercial websites, .com is the preferred choice.
However, TLDs like .info and .biz should be avoided since people often associate them with spam, which could make it challenging to build high-quality backlinks to your site, an essential factor for improving your website’s ranking.
3. Avoid Using Subdomains
The presence or absence of “www” in a URL doesn’t affect SEO. In fact, many websites omit it because it’s unnecessary.
Shorter URLs are easier to type, so omitting “www” can simplify URLs. However, subdomains are still useful for organizing website content into different sections.
While Google says subdomains and subfolders are both fine, there’s debate about whether subdomains are treated as separate websites. This means they might not share authority gained from backlinks, making it harder to rank. For this reason, subfolders may be the better option for SEO.
Overall, subfolders are a safer choice because they don’t cause the same issues as subdomains.
4. Use Subfolders to Organize Your Content
To enhance user experience (UX) and improve search engine optimization (SEO), it is essential to utilize subfolders that logically organize your content and help users navigate your website easily.
Your subfolders must reflect the type of content present at that URL to aid Google in understanding your content. For example, https://olegdigital.com/blog/best-url-tips/ is a good subfolder URL structure, while https://olegdigital.com/folder123/best-url-tips/ is not recommended.
If you have a vast website such as an ecommerce site, organizing all your pages with only one subfolder level may prove challenging. In such cases, use sub-subfolders to establish your website hierarchy further. For instance, https://mystore.com/woman/dress/sherri-hill/ is an excellent example of sub-subfolder usage.
However, avoid using keyword repetition in your subfolders, as it may appear spammy. For example, https://mystore.com/woman/woman-dress/dress/sherri-hill/ is not recommended.
5. Optimize your URL slugs for SEO
To optimize your URL slugs for SEO, there are four things you should do:
Be Descriptive
Your URL slug should describe the page’s content to help search engines understand it. Use your target keyword in the slug.
Good URL slug: /best-woman-dresses/
Bad URL slug: /page1234/
Make It Short
Keep your URL slug to five words or less to make it easy for users to read and for Google to display in search results.
Good URL slug: /best-url-tips/
Bad URL slug: /the-best-url-marketing-seo-tips-meaning-structure-best-practices-and-that-you-need-know/
Use Hyphens to Separate Words
Use hyphens instead of underscores to separate words in your URL slug. Hyphens are a standard way of separating words in a URL.
Good URL Slug: /digital-marketing-tools/
Bad URL Slug: /digital_marketing_tools/
Use Lowercase Characters
Use lowercase letters in your URL slug to avoid duplicate content issues and make it easier for users to type the URL correctly.
Good URL Slug: /how-to-make-best-seo/
Bad URL slug: /How-To-Make-Best-SEO/
By following these guidelines, you can optimize your URL slugs for SEO.