Post by sumaiya12 on Nov 2, 2024 9:08:11 GMT 2
The effectiveness of a website's ranking in search results is influenced by many factors. Search engine algorithms take into account the quality of external and internal optimization of the project.
SEO-Friendly URL Structure in 2022 | What are URL Structural Parts?
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The final position of the page for relevant queries also depends on the URL optimization approach. If the address does not contain key phrases and part of the URL consists of a set of characters, the chances of success will be minimal.
1. What is URL?
The abbreviation URL stands content writing service for Uniform Resource Locator. It is the address of a page that a user enters into the browser's address bar. A URL consists of several components, each with its own characteristics.
If the site does not have breadcrumb micro-markup, parts of the address are displayed in the Google search engine. When deciding to go to the site from SERP, users may consider the address. If it looks strange and does not answer the request, the user may go to another site, and the project will lose potential traffic. Therefore, it is important to make the address look attractive.
2. What parts does a URL consist of?
The address consists of different URL components, each of which partially affects the effectiveness of the page ranking in organic search results. If the webmaster does not pay attention to URL optimization, the project may lose some of the transitions.
After purchasing a domain, this part of the address can only be changed using a redirect, but other parameters can be easily reformatted. Therefore, when deciding to launch a site, it is important to pay maximum attention to choosing a domain.
Some SEO newbies mistakenly believe that only the final address of the page — the domain zone — influences ranking, and that the protocol and other components are unimportant. This is not true — each structural part of the URL contributes to the final result.
SEO-Friendly URL Structure in 2022
2.1. Protocol
The site protocol is related to the method of transferring data from the server where the project is hosted to the user's browser. Every time the user enters an address into the browser line, a request is made to the server, and in response, the browser generates content on the screen based on the data received.
Today, the more secure HTTPS protocol is used more often than HTTP. Google has been recommending webmasters to switch their projects to HTTPS and install an SSL certificate for several years now.
Using HTTP in the URL structure is hard to argue for in 2023. You can connect an SSL certificate in a few clicks. You don’t even have to spend money, because most hosting providers provide them for free.
2.2. Subdomain
If a subdomain is used in a Uniform Resource Locator structure, the address is incremented by one element. For example, in shop.apple.com, the shop structure is a subdomain.
Search engine algorithms understand that the address contains an online store where users can buy goods. When Google visitors see such a URL in a search engine, they have a good idea of where they will end up after clicking.
SEO specialists have been arguing for many years about what is better to use - subdomains or directories. There is no clear answer to this question, because each case is unique.
2.3. Domain name or root domain
The root domain is one of the main elements of the URL. It greatly affects the ranking of the page and the project as a whole in search results. When ranking algorithms were just being formed, you could quickly get to the TOP using key queries in the domain name. Now everything is not so simple, but the domain is still very important.
Before finally deciding on the root domain for the project, it is necessary to conduct a deep analysis. If the name is not very successful, it can affect the fate of the site.
It is possible to change a domain name, but if the project has already gained good visibility in search results, it is risky. There is no guarantee that search engine algorithms will quickly change the data in SERP, and the site will remain with the same level of visibility.
2.4. Domain zone
The domain zone in technical documentation is called Top-Level-Domain (TLD), or top-level domain. For example, in the address shop.apple.com, the last construction is TLD. When the user decides to go to the website, he also analyzes the domain zone.
SEO specialists believe that the domain zone affects the ranking of the project in organic search results. Although over time, the weight of this factor decreases. Google has regional preferences, but they do not greatly affect the final result.
2.5. Path
The path is the address of a page (slug) on a website. It indicates how the page can be found if all other parts of the URL are known. The slug is considered to have the greatest impact on the ranking of a project in organic search results.
If you include keywords in the slug and don't forget about readability, you can get additional bonuses. Search engines will find keywords, and users will see a concise URL.
The parts of a domain URL affect how it will rank in search results. If a webmaster does not pay attention to the correct formatting of the URL, then the chances of getting high positions will decrease.
At the start of website promotion, it is important to choose the optimal domain zone and the domain itself. Once these tasks are completed, it remains to format the addresses of specific pages and monitor their success in organic search results.
3. Why is URL structure important for SEO?
There are many myths in the SEO niche that prevent website owners from building an effective promotion strategy. For example, even in 2023, webmasters register domains with long tail queries for 5 or more keys. Although Google has long had a filter for over-optimization, limiting the visibility of suspicious domains in organic search results. Therefore, if you do not use protection methods, you can waste money.
But things like the protocol scheme and SSL certificate settings greatly affect the project's assessment by both search engines and regular users. Therefore, it is important to make every effort to ensure that this factor is good in the project.
For example, if users see a "Dangerous Site" mark in their browser, they will most likely close the tab. When such visits make up 50% or more, search engine algorithms will definitely see this and react.
Therefore, it is important to make sure that all parts of the website address play in favor of the project. To do this, it is enough to follow the basic rules of URL optimization and monitor the situation in the search results.
Example of using breadcrumb micro-marking
3.1. Links
The quality of internal linking affects the evaluation of each page by search engine algorithms. They also pay attention to the approach to placing external links. If the text does not contain a large number of suspicious links, this is a good signal.
Website owners who care about the reputation of their projects carefully select potential partners for building link connections. The decision to cooperate is also influenced by the URL structure.
If a webmaster sees that a domain is spammed with keywords and the final page address consists of a random set of characters, he is unlikely to want to build link connections.
3.2. PageRank
The quality of the URL structure affects ranking, search engines carefully analyze it and react to changes. When each page is perfectly optimized, it affects the evaluation of search engine algorithms.
The core of Google's ranking algorithms is the PageRank metric, which measures the strength of a page. The search engine closed public access to PR values a few years ago, but company representatives confirmed that PageRank is still used as a ranking factor.
Accordingly, project pages with the correct hypertext structure and SEO-friendly URL have a higher chance of getting high PR scores. The higher the score, the more advantages the site has in the fight for the TOP of the search results.
It is important to remember that optimized URLs also affect the probability of clicking on links. And this indicator greatly affects PageRank. There is a connection between many SEO metrics that can be seen through analysis.
3.3. User experience
When users see a concise URL in search results that is enough to determine the relevance of the page they are searching for, the site has every chance of getting a targeted click.
The more clicks a page gets in organic search, the higher its reputation in the eyes of search engine algorithms. Therefore, developing the right URL structure for SEO should be on the list of priorities.
Let's imagine that the user sees two addresses in the search results:
site.com/seo/how-to-build-seo-optimize-url;
site.com/seo/p=5535.
The first address creates the impression that the page may contain useful information on the request. And in the second case, there is little useful data in the URL. But if the user knows the domain, he can even choose a page with such a slug.
When search engines find new pages, the first thing they see is the address. Only after crawling the page do they form an impression of the quality of the content and the project as a whole. Therefore, it is important that the first impression is not spoiled.
4. Top URL Structure Tips for SEO
An SEO-optimized website address structure helps the project get more points in the final ranking and increases the chances of high positions. If several applicants have the same rating, the result may depend on a specific factor.
Tips for improving URL structure have not changed for many years, but site owners do not always follow all the recommendations. Every single detail can affect the final result.
A slash at the end of the publication address does not solve anything, but if you choose a domain with a bad history, it will have a negative impact on the effectiveness of promotion in organic search.
4.1. Key queries in URL structure
When the task of optimizing the URL structure for SEO arises, the first thing that comes to mind is adding key queries to the address. It is believed that this factor plays the main role in the effectiveness of promotion.
You can include search queries in the page URL, but it is important to use careful optimization tactics. Adding more than 2-3 words can lead to a negative reaction from search engine algorithms.
It is worth remembering that search engines first scan the page address and recognize key queries. If the slug has several relevant queries, the algorithms will understand what the page is about.
You can add the main query for which the page should be ranked and 1-2 additional words that reveal the intent to the address. Then users and robots will be satisfied, and you can expect good results.
4.2. HTTPS protocol
When newbies ask about parts of a web address, the protocol is rarely mentioned, and that's a problem. In 2023, it's better to use HTTPS by default.
If you have problems setting up a certificate with your hosting provider, you can connect a free SSL from CloudFlare. In this case, you will need to create the correct DNS structure in your personal account on the platform.
HTTPS is easy to integrate into any content management system, but it is important to properly configure the redirect via .htaccess or install a plugin with the appropriate capabilities.
4.3 Easy to read URL structure
Google's help for site owners has clear recommendations for URL structure - it should be simple. The search engine recommends subordinating the structure so that it is understandable to users.
It is advisable not to add more than 3-5 words to the page address so that the URL is not too long. Then there is a chance that users will remember the address and when they see the domain in the search engine, they will go to it, even if it is not in first or second place.
The more attractive the address looks, the greater the chances of getting targeted clicks. Therefore, you should pay as much attention to this parameter as possible. Some studies clearly show the correlation between URL length and positions.