URL structure
How your URLs are constructed: the path, the words in it, and how it reflects your site hierarchy.
In depth
What it really means
URLs are a weak direct ranking signal and a strong usability one. A readable URL tells a person what the page is before they click, appears in the search listing, and survives being pasted into a Slack message stripped of context.
The most important rule is the least exciting: do not change them without reason. Every URL change requires a 301 redirect and carries risk, so get the structure right early and then leave it alone.
How it works
- The URL path reflects the site hierarchy.
- Words in the path give readers and crawlers a hint about content.
- The URL or its breadcrumb equivalent appears in search results.
- Changing it requires a redirect and temporarily disrupts signals.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Readable URLs improve click-through and shareability.
- Consistent structure reinforces hierarchy.
- Costs nothing when set correctly at launch.
Cons
- Weak direct ranking effect.
- Changing established URLs carries real risk.
- Structure decisions are often locked by the CMS.
Common mistakes
- Restructuring URLs for marginal keyword gain, where redirect risk outweighs the benefit.
- Dates in blog URLs, which make content look stale and complicate refreshes.
- Parameters and session IDs in indexable URLs.
- Inconsistent trailing slash handling, creating duplicate content.
Best practices
- Use lowercase, hyphen-separated, readable words.
- Keep paths short and reflective of hierarchy.
- Leave dates out of blog URLs so posts can be refreshed without looking old.
- Pick one trailing slash convention and enforce it with redirects.
- Set the structure at launch and then leave it alone.
FAQs
What makes a good URL structure?
Short, lowercase, hyphen-separated readable words reflecting your site hierarchy, with no dates, parameters or session IDs.
Should I change my URLs to include keywords?
Rarely. The direct ranking benefit is small and every change needs redirects that carry risk. Only worth it during a restructure you were doing anyway.
Should blog URLs include dates?
No. Dates make content look stale in the listing and make refreshing a post awkward, since the URL then contradicts the updated date.
Keep reading
Related on LymLyt
Beyond LymLyt
Further reading
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