Using an SEO Friendly URL Structure
To help the search engines rank your content, using an intelligent URL structure on your website will give you an edge.
If you use a CMS based publishing solution, this is less of an issue.
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Having a friendly URL structure very important for SEO.
There are some Imposed Limits but for most people, this won’t be a concern.
To correctly render in all browsers, URLs must be shorter than 2,083 characters. This is a maximum set by internet explorer.
There are other suggested limits around the web, so if you aimed for 2000 characters, you’ll stay within all of the main limits for various platforms.
The Optimal Format to use for your content would be:
https://www.yourwebsite.com/category-...
This would be in line with more advanced SEO techniques such as Content Clusters.
Content clusters are a way of improving the user experience by having your content laid out so it is easily navigable.
When you have enough content to create a cluster, you can enhance searchability by creating a content pillar page and referencing all the sub-topics of a cluster.
This is a good thing because, as we know, a good user experience is what everyone wants. The search engines, the socials platforms and the users themselves all crave easy to use, easy to digest content.
Content Clusters also makes it easy for the search engines to understand your site which is no bad thing.
WordPress Friendly URL Structure Settings
WordPress Technical
In WordPress, you can change your permalink settings to “Post name” for a more friendly SEO URL structure.
WordPress is a CMS and also uses Categories and Tags to Index content so the more advanced Content Cluster format for friendly URLs isn’t as important.
The categories in WordPress essentially act as the content clusters.
Just because the URL structure within WordPress doesn’t require you to follow the Content Cluster Optimal URL Format, it doesn’t mean you couldn’t benefit from creating pillar pages for your content.
Note:
Just because it’s really easy to change your URL permalink structure, it is not something you should be doing without fully understanding the implications (see warning below).
URL Structure for Other Platforms
For other hosts and systems, you’ll need to look into what is available or talk to your websites host support.
If you’re aren’t using a CMS, built-in add-ons or plugins for changing your URL structure, looking into content clusters is definitely going to be an advantage.
You may have to manage the process manually, but once it’s done, it will make managing your future content much easier.
**Warning - before you change to a friendly url structure**
If you do make this change and you already have content with Page Rank, this change can negatively affect your SERP results.
If you plan to change your URL structure, you may want to wait until you have a content and keyword plan so you have a good idea of the content you’ll be creating. Then, the URL structure you need to effectively host your content will be more obvious and easier to implement.
Minimise the Damage
If you are sure you need to change your URL structure and you already have page ranked content, you will need to look at adding 301 redirects from the old URLs to the new URLs.
This sounds straight forward, but you want to get it right the first time, so again, have a new URL structure fully planned out before making the changes so you only have to make the redirect changes once.