● DESCRIBE YOUR CONTENT- A user should be able to make an accurate guess about the content of a web page simply by reading the URL. To accomplish this, a URL should include an accurate phrase or term that pertains to the page content. ● INCLUDE KEYWORDS IN URL’S- It is a best practice to optimize every web page around one keyword, and this keyword should be included in the URL. It is also important to put the most important keywords in the beginning of the URL, as search engine spiders do not give as much significance to words toward the end of a URL. Should not overuse keywords. Search engines recognize keyword stuffing and will penalize your website for those actions. ● USE HYPHENS TO SEPARATE WORDS- Using hyphens to separate words in URL phrases is important to both user readability and search engine optimization. Google recommends using hyphens (-) instead of underscores (_) in URLs because hyphens are treated as spaces between words, while words connected by underscores are viewed as one word. URL EXAMPLE Optimized: http://example.com/blog/url-optimization-tips Not optimized: http://example.com/blog/url_optimization_tips ● USE LOWERCASE LETTERS IN URL’S- Do not use capital letters in your URLs. Search engines can convert from uppercase and lowercase letters in URLs, which can lead to duplicate URLs and loss of page rank URL EXAMPLE Optimized: http://example.com/blog/url-optimization-tips Not optimized: http://example.com/blog/URL-Optimization-Tips ● KEEP SHORT URL’S - The URL of a web page should be as descriptive and brief as possible. A short URL is quicker to type and read. Also, the fewer the words the more value each word receives from a search engine spider. Too many similar words in a URL can be viewed as keyword stuffing and could result in a drop in search rankings. ● USE STATIC URL’S -Whenever possible it is better to use static, non- changeable URLs. These are URLs which remain constant with each page load. Try to avoid unnecessary parameters like "? " "& " and "=", which are common features of dynamic URLs. Static URLs are easier for both users and search engines to read. This doesn't mean you can't add extra parameters to URLs you will be posting to social media to help track marketing data, but avoid hard coding dynamic URLs directly into your site.
