URL optimization is, no doubt, one of the most important parts of website optimization. The way you create your URL can actually affect how search engines will read your site. That’s why, as the best digital marketing company in Los Angeles, we decided to list down some quick helpful tips on how you can improve your website URL.
Here are eight ways you can properly optimize your website URL:
- Use readable URLs only.
If you humans can’t understand your URL, then neither will the bots, especially after Google’s BERT update, which is designed for search engines to read as naturally as humans do.
- Use hyphens instead of underscores.
SEO-wise, it’s always better to use hyphens instead of underscores. This is also applicable when naming files on your website, as well as adding alternative text to your images.
- Don’t use any capital letters.
For Google, capital and small letters are entirely different, especially in URLs. This is because URLs are type-case sensitive. So don’t use capital letters to avoid confusing your visitors and the search engine.
- Block bad URLs by using robots.txt
To improve your website’s SEO, you must tell the search engines to ignore URLs that point to your canonical URL.
- Use canonical URLs.
Did you know that you can avoid duplicate content penalties by using canonical URLs? These allow you to tell search engines your preferred domain and preferred web pages.
- Use 301 redirects.
Every time you’re going to make some changes in your URL, make sure to use 301 redirects. A 301 redirect informs Google about the changes you’ve made in your URL, so you don’t lose your ranking.
- Add mobile URLs to sitemaps.
Make sure to add your mobile-friendly pages and their URLs in the site map. Doing so increases their chance of ranking higher on mobile search results.
- Add keywords in URLs.
Did you know that one of the most effective SEO tips is adding your targeted keywords in your URL? These keywords help your landing pages rank higher on search engine results.
