Why URL Structure is Important to SEO

URL structure includes the different words that make up a webpage URL, and the way they are separated. It is important in various ways, such as how easy it is to print or write down a URL, and its effect upon website maintenance. But why is URL structure important to SEO?

URL styles affect SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in two significant ways. First, the words contained in the URL – its subdomain, domain, subdirectory, and filename – help the corresponding webpage to gain a higher ranking in search results for these keywords. If there is more than one word in the domain name, filename, or other part of the structure, it is important for the words to be separated (when possible). They can be separated using hyphens or underscores, although hyphens are typically preferred. This allows the search engine’s computer software to distinguish between each of the separate keywords. It is best if these keywords are also used in the text of the webpage in question.

Second, URL structure is also important to SEO because people see URLs when looking at search result listings (on most search engines). They are more likely to visit a site if its address is short and/or contains words related to the subject of interest. A webpage with a relevant domain or subdomain name seems more likely to provide useful information than a page without this advantage. Most major search engines make any search keywords in the URL appear bold, helping to attract the attention of searchers. Yahoo shows the domain name in bold as well. This factor probably isn’t as important to SEO as the impact URL structure has upon search result positioning, but it is worth keeping in mind.

Both of these factors encourage website operators to use a long URL structure with numerous separated keywords. However, very long URLs do have some non-SEO drawbacks. People are reluctant to write them down or use them in print, they take longer to copy & paste, and they use more storage space and bandwidth (because of the long URLs appearing in HTML link codes). A domain name with many words may be forgotten if it is not immediately added to a user’s bookmark/favorites list. It is best to balance these concerns by avoiding the use of multiple subdirectories, leaving out unnecessary connecting words, and curtailing any excessive insertion of keywords in URLs.