Creating SEO-friendly URLs for your online store is an important step towards optimizing your eCommerce website for search engines and improving user experience. A well-structured URL increases your website’s visibility in search engines while also making it easier for consumers to comprehend and trust your connections. In this post, we’ll go over best practices for creating optimized, easy-to-navigate URLs that can help you improve your rankings and generate more visitors to your website.
Why Are SEO-Friendly URLs Important?
URLs serve as the first point of interaction for both search engines and users. Well-constructed URLs can boost search engine rankings, provide consumers a better comprehension of your material, and drive more clicks. In contrast, a poorly organized URL might be confusing, appearing as a random stream of characters and numbers that may repel potential visitors. Here’s an explanation of why SEO-friendly URLs are important:
- Enhanced Click-Through Rates (CTR): Clear URLs can increase CTR by reassuring users of the page’s content.
- Improved Indexing: Search engines prefer URLs that clearly specify the content and contain relevant keywords.
- Better User Experience: Simple, intelligible URLs encourage consumers to click and trust the link.
Now, let’s dive into actionable steps to create SEO-friendly URLs for your online store.
1. Keep URLs Short and Descriptive
One of the most successful tactics for URL optimization is to keep URLs short, succinct, and descriptive. Search engines such as Google prefer URLs that are simple to read and understand.
Tips for Shortening URLs:
- Avoid filler words like “and,” “the,” “of,” and “in.”
- Limit URLs to about 50-60 characters if possible.
- Focus on including the primary keyword relevant to the page’s content.
For example, instead of using a lengthy URL like: www.myonlinestore.com/products/2024/10/new-winter-jackets-collection-for-men-and-women
Try simplifying it to: www.myonlinestore.com/winter-jackets
2. Use Relevant Keywords
Including relevant keywords in your URLs is critical for SEO. Keywords tell search engines what the page is about, increasing the likelihood that your page will rank better for those searches. Keywords for an eCommerce store could refer to product categories, individual items, or product kinds.
How to Select the Right Keywords for URLs:
- Conduct keyword research to identify phrases users search for when looking for your products.
- Use specific and relevant keywords for each product or category page.
- Avoid keyword stuffing – keep it natural and concise.
Example:
Instead of: www.myonlinestore.com/item12345-abr7
Use: www.myonlinestore.com/blue-leather-jacket
3. Structure URLs for Readability
Readability is critical to both SEO and user experience. A legible URL provides consumers a clear expectation of the page’s content and increases confidence. URLs with odd characters or extensive parameters appear spammy and may dissuade users.
Best Practices for Readable URLs:
- Use hyphens to separate words. Hyphens are SEO-friendly and make URLs more readable. Avoid using underscores, as they are not treated as spaces by search engines.
- Ensure that the URL matches the page title or topic.
- Avoid including session IDs or random parameters in URLs.
Example:
Use: www.myonlinestore.com/red-winter-coat
Instead of: www.myonlinestore.com/red_winter_coat
4. Avoid Using Dates in URLs
While having dates in blog URLs may be appropriate for some websites, it is typically not suggested for eCommerce product URLs. Dates can make URLs appear obsolete and reduce click-through rates if consumers believe the information is old or irrelevant. Furthermore, changing the dates on existing URLs can result in broken links if redirects aren’t managed appropriately.
Alternative to Dates in URLs:
- Focus on evergreen product names or categories.
- If date inclusion is necessary, ensure it remains relevant for the page’s lifespan.
For example, avoid: www.myonlinestore.com/2023-summer-sale
Instead, use: www.myonlinestore.com/summer-sale
5. Use Lowercase Letters Only
Search engines evaluate uppercase and lowercase URLs differently, which might cause duplicate content issues if numerous URLs point to the same page. To avoid this, ensure that all URLs contain only lowercase letters.
Example:
Use: www.myonlinestore.com/sale-items
Avoid: www.myonlinestore.com/Sale-Items
6. Remove Stop Words for Cleaner URLs
Stop words such as “a,” “an,” “the,” and “of” add extra length to URLs and provide no SEO benefit. Eliminating these words can result in cleaner URLs that are more readable and direct.
Example:
Use: www.myonlinestore.com/black-leather-shoes
Instead of: www.myonlinestore.com/the-best-black-leather-shoes
7. Implement a Consistent URL Structure
A consistent URL structure allows search engines to efficiently index your website and offers users a sense of familiarity as they move. Your online store should have a hierarchical structure that represents the site’s organization.
Recommended URL Structure for Online Stores:
- Homepage: www.myonlinestore.com
- Category Page: www.myonlinestore.com/category-name
- Product Page: www.myonlinestore.com/category-name/product-name
By maintaining this structure, you’ll improve the site’s crawlability and user experience.
8. Avoid Special Characters and Excessive Parameters
Special characters such as &,%, and? in URLs should be avoided because they can complicate search engine crawling and cause tracking issues. Excessive parameters (such as those added by analytics software) can make URLs long and difficult for consumers to remember.
Example of Clean URL:
Use: www.myonlinestore.com/women/summer-dress
Instead of: www.myonlinestore.com/women?category=summer%20dress&itemid=12345
9. Use HTTPS for Secure URLs
Google prefers secure websites and presents a “Not Secure” notice for those that use HTTP. To protect customer data, an eCommerce site must have strong security. Ensure that all URLs use HTTPS to boost rankings and user confidence.
Steps to Implement HTTPS:
- Obtain an SSL certificate for your site.
- Update all URLs to HTTPS, including internal links and canonical URLs.
- Set up 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS to avoid duplicate content issues.
10. Set Up Canonical Tags for Duplicate URLs
For eCommerce companies, duplicating content can be a problem, especially when the same product appears in many categories. Implementing canonical tags helps search engines determine which version of a page to index, avoiding duplicate content penalties.
Example of Canonical Tag Setup:
If you have a product appearing in both “Men” and “Sale” categories:
- Use canonical tags to set the main product URL, e.g., www.myonlinestore.com/men/winter-coat as canonical for www.myonlinestore.com/sale/winter-coat.
Conclusion
Crafting SEO-friendly URLs is an important part of your eCommerce store’s SEO strategy. Following these best practices will allow you to construct URLs that are concise, keyword-rich, and user-friendly, hence increasing your site’s exposure and user experience. Regularly evaluating and modifying URLs as needed will help you keep ahead of your competition in search rankings.
