URL structure is the way the web addresses on your site are built and organised. Clean, readable URLs help users trust a link, help search engines understand a page’s topic and make your site easier to manage. It is a small but lasting decision in on-page SEO.
Good vs bad URLs
- Good:
example.com/garden-sheds/wooden/ - Good:
example.com/how-to-paint-a-fence/ - Bad:
example.com/index.php?cat=12&id=48392 - Bad:
example.com/2019/03/14/the-ultimate-complete-guide-on-how-you-can-paint-your-garden-fence-easily/
Best practices
- Keep it short: three to five words in the slug is plenty.
- Include the main keyword, without stuffing.
- Use hyphens between words. Google treats underscores as joiners.
- Use lowercase to avoid duplicate versions.
- Drop stop words such as “and”, “the” and “of” when they add nothing.
- Avoid dates in evergreen content URLs; they make articles look old.
- Use HTTPS and pick one version: www or non-www.
- Be consistent with trailing slashes.
Folders and hierarchy
Folders can mirror your site architecture (/services/roofing/) and help users and analytics tools group content. Do not nest too deeply. Many blogs use flat /post-name/ URLs so posts never have to move when categories change.
Parameters
Parameters (?colour=red&sort=price) are fine for filters and tracking, but they can create thousands of near-duplicate URLs. Handle them with canonical tags and, where needed, robots.txt rules. See duplicate content for details.
Should you change existing URLs?
Rarely. A URL that already ranks carries history and links. Changing it means setting up a 301 redirect, updating internal links and accepting a short period of fluctuation. Only change URLs when the benefit is clear, such as a site restructure or a URL that is misleading.
Does the keyword in the URL matter?
It is a very light signal. Its bigger value is user trust: people are more likely to click a link that clearly describes the page, and descriptive URLs act as their own anchor text when pasted bare.
International URLs
For several countries or languages, use subfolders (/fr/), subdomains (fr.example.com) or country domains (example.fr), and connect them with hreflang.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change the URL format in WordPress?
Settings > Permalinks. Choose “Post name” on a new site; on an existing site, plan redirects first.
Do non-English characters work in URLs?
Yes, Google supports them, though they appear encoded when copied.
Related terms
See title tag, canonical tag and the SEO encyclopedia.
Mr. SEO
Mr. SEO is the webmaster at SEO TT - SEO tips and tricks, a publication about all things SEO related.