A URL is your website’s first impression on the customer, so make it count! Learn more about how to create a URL that is SEO-friendly so you can get started now
Anyone doubting the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) would do well to remember that one-third of users select the first organic link on Google. Furthermore, fewer than 10% navigate to the second page of Google’s search engine results.
There are many different components to boosting your search engine display rankings. Besides creating great content and optimizing your keywords, another technique to supplement your SEO strategy is understanding how to create a URL that is SEO-friendly.
Read on to learn how to structure your website to make it easier for search engines and users alike.
How to Create a URL that Google and Your Visitors Will Love
Remember that SEO is a strategy where digital marketers make their websites easier to find and index. A clear structure helps search engines find and display relevant content based on a user’s search. Follow these steps when you’re creating your next URL to make sure that Google and other search engines are indexing each page of your website.
Use a Secure Top Level Domain
Security and trust are important parts of SEO. Having a top-level domain means using a .com instead of .biz or .store. For one thing, people are more trusting of top level domains. This, in turn, means that Google sees top-level domains as more trustworthy.
Whether or not you’re asking your customers for secure information, you need to have an SSL certificate so that your website has an “https” URL instead of http.” Firstly, this tells users that your website has an up-to-date SSL certificate. Secondly, Google prioritizes secure sites over unsecured ones.
Include Keywords
The key to writing SEO URLs is similar to how you plan the keywords for your content. You need to do keyword research and think about what your prospective clients are looking for. You can then build these keywords into your URLs. Remember, your URL must match the topic and page title.
Once you’ve found keywords that are relevant to your service or product, you’ll need a keyword research tool. Using this tool, you want to search for terms that hit the sweet spot of having a high search volume and low competition. Having low competition is essential so that your website has a chance of ranking highly for that keyword.
For example, the URL “https://www.sportinggoods.com/yoga-pants” may feature the correct keyword but it will struggle to compete against the dominant players in that industry. A better option would be to structure your URL as “https://www.sportinggoods.com/yoga-pants/cute-outfits-yoga-pants”.
Omit Unnecessary Words and Special Characters
You don’t need to include prepositions or other filler words in your URL. As long any potential visitor to your website can understand what the page is about than you can assume that Google will be able to figure it out as well.
Additionally, avoid using special characters or punctuation in your URLs. It’s fine to use an ampersand or exclamation mark in your title, but unnecessary to include them in your URL. Furthermore, these characters can also cause links to break.
Plan For the Future
While it’s not part of how to create a URL, you should try to plan for the future when you’re setting up your website. This doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Something as simple as creating a list of current and future product categories will help keep your website organized as your company grows.
Contact us today whether you’ve got questions about digital marketing or you’re looking for someone to manage your SEO strategy.
