How to Create SEO-Friendly URLs (and What to Avoid)?

What Exactly Is a URL?

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the web address that takes users to a specific page on your site. Think of it like the “home address” of your content on the internet.

👉 Example: https://example.com/blog/seo-friendly-urls → points directly to a blog post about SEO-friendly URLs.

If you’re new to SEO, check out My guide: What is On-Page SEO: Beginners Guide 2025.

Why Do URLs Matter for SEO and Users?

• User Experience → Clean URLs help visitors instantly understand what the page is about.

• SEO Rankings → Search engines look at URLs when deciding how to rank your pages.

• Click-Through Rates → Short, descriptive URLs attract more clicks.

• Sharing & Linking → Simple URLs are easier to copy, share, and trust.

Breaking Down the Parts of a URL

Scheme / Protocol

• Defines how data is transferred.

• Always use HTTPS → it’s more secure and trusted by Google.

• Example: https://example.com ✅ vs http://example.com ❌.

Subdomain

• Placed before your main domain.

• Example: blog.example.com or shop.example.com.

• Use only when necessary to separate sections.

Domain Name

• Your brand name + extension (.com, .org, .in, etc.).

• Example: example.com vs example.org.

• Pick one that fits your audience and branding.

Top-Level Domain (TLD)

The TLD comes after the domain name and indicates the type or region.

• Examples: .com, .org, .in, .net

• Choose one that fits your target audience (global vs local).

Path

The path shows the page’s location within your website’s hierarchy. It is made up of subfolders and a slug.

• Subfolder → Represents a section or category of your site.

  • Example: /blog/seo/ → “blog” is the main folder, “seo” is a subfolder.

• Slug → The unique identifier for the specific page.

  • Example: /seo-friendly-urls → this is the slug.

  
  

Full URL example:https://example.com/blog/seo/seo-friendly-urls

• Subfolders: blog/seo/

• Slug: seo-friendly-urls

Tip: Keep both subfolders and slugs short, descriptive, and keyword-rich for better readability and SEO.

Parameters / Query Strings

Parameters add extra info for tracking, filters, or searches.

• Example: ?category=laptops&sort=latest

• Use them sparingly — too many can confuse search engines.

Anchor / Fragment

An anchor jumps to a specific section of a page.

• Example: #section2 → goes directly to that part of the page

• Great for long articles or table-of-contents links.

Different Types of URLs You’ll See

Absolute URL

An absolute URL shows the full web address, including protocol, domain, and path.

• Example: https://example.com/blog/seo-friendly-urls

• Use case: Best for linking pages across different websites or for SEO clarity.

Relative URL

A relative URL points to a page within the same website without including the full domain.

• Example: /blog/seo-friendly-urls

• Use case: Saves space and works well for internal linking.

Canonical URL

A canonical URL tells search engines which version of a page is the “main” one to avoid duplicate content issues.

• Example:

  • Original page: https://example.com/products/laptops

  • Duplicate filtered URL: https://example.com/products/laptops?sort=latest

  • Canonical tag points to the main page: <link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/products/laptops" />

• Use case: Essential for SEO when multiple URLs show the same content.

Vanity URL

A vanity URL is a custom, easy-to-remember URL often used for marketing or social sharing.

• Example: https://example.com/black-friday-deals instead of https://example.com/promo?id=2345

• Use case: Makes links more user-friendly and shareable, often used in campaigns.

Do’s of Building SEO-Friendly URLs

• ✅ Keep them short, descriptive, and keyword-rich.

• ✅ Use hyphens (-) to separate words.

• ✅ Stick to lowercase letters.

• ✅ Organize with a logical folder structure.

• ✅ Use HTTPS always.

• ✅ Add canonical tags when duplicates exist.

Don’ts to Avoid in Your URLs

• ❌ Don’t stuff keywords (example: /seo-seo-seo-seo-guide).

• ❌ Don’t use special characters (&, %, $, @).

• ❌ Don’t make them too long with dates or random numbers.

• ❌ Don’t mix styles (/blog/seo-tips vs /articles/seo-tips).

• ❌ Don’t leave auto-generated IDs (/post?id=12345).

Proven Best Practices for Strong URL Structures

1. Always Use HTTPS → Improves security & SEO.

2. Keep URLs Short & Simple → Under 60 characters.

3. Include Keywords Naturally → Add your focus keyword once.

4. Use Hyphens, Not Underscores → seo-tips not seo_tips.

5. Stick to Lowercase → Avoids duplicate content.

6. Maintain Logical Hierarchy → /blog/seo/seo-friendly-urls.

7. Avoid Special Characters → Clean URLs look professional.

8. Redirect Old URLs → Use 301 redirects when changing slugs.

Good vs Bad URL Examples

Page Topic	✅ SEO-Friendly (Good)	❌ Not SEO-Friendly (Bad)	Why?
SEO Tips Blog	example.com/blog/seo-tips	example.com/post?id=12345	Clear vs meaningless
Product Category	example.com/products/laptops	example.com/cat=12&type=3	Descriptive vs messy
About Us	example.com/about-us	example.com/AboutUs	Lowercase & hyphens win
Service Page	example.com/services/digital-marketing	example.com/2025/10/03/service-page-987	Simple vs long & cluttered
Contact	example.com/contact	example.com/index.php?page=contact	Clean vs code-heavy

Final Takeaway

SEO-friendly URLs are not complicated. They just need to be short, descriptive, secure, and easy to read. If you follow these do’s, avoid the don’ts, and stick to best practices, your URLs will help boost both rankings and user experience.