What is a clean URL in SEO?
A guide for SEO-friendly URLs
A clean URL, also known as a “pretty URL,” is a type of web address that is easy to read and understand for both users and search engines. Clean URLs typically use descriptive keywords and a logical structure, and do not contain extraneous characters or unnecessary parameters. For example, a clean URL for an e-commerce website might be
https://www.example.com/products/shoes/men/running
rather than
https://www.example.com/index.php?category=shoes&subcategory=men&type=running
Clean URLs are considered to be better for SEO because they are more easily indexed by search engines and are more likely to be shared by users.
What should I avoid putting in a URL?
When creating URLs for your website, it’s important to avoid certain practices that can negatively impact SEO. So, for example:
- Avoid using special characters and spaces, as they can cause issues with some browsers and make the URL difficult to read. Instead, use hyphens or underscores to separate words.
- Avoid using parameters or query strings, as they can make the URL look cluttered and make it harder for search engines to understand the content of the page.
- Avoid using session IDs or other dynamically generated elements, as they can create duplicate content and make it harder for search engines to understand the structure of your site.
- Avoid creating URLs that are too long, as they can be truncated in search results and make it harder for users to understand the content of the page.
- Make sure your URLs are consistent and easy to understand for both users and search engines. Use descriptive text in your URLs and make sure the structure of your URLs is consistent and logical to clearly reflect your site structure.
Always remember that your page URLs are one of the primary things that search engines use to understand your site, and the better they understand, the more confident they will be and the higher you will be ranked.
