1 Learn the concept
The structure of your URL has an impact on how search engines and people understand a page. A good URL is short, readable and describes the content. This lesson goes over the parts of a URL and gives tips for making them clear, consistent and easy to share.
2 See it in action
- Use readable words, not random numbers or symbols.
- Include the main keyword naturally.
- Keep it short and use hyphens between words.
- Avoid changing URLs after publishing without a redirect.
Worked example
Cleaning up three addresses
Before: example.com/page1 After: example.com/services/custom-cakes
Before: example.com/blog/2024/03/post-52 After: example.com/blog/how-to-store-bread
Before: example.com/?p=12 After: example.com/about
If you change an existing address, set up a redirect so old links still work.
Check: could someone guess what the page is about from the address alone?
3 Study an example
Example scenario
Compare example.com/p?id=4837 with example.com/blog/choose-running-shoes. The second tells people and search engines exactly what to expect.
4 Apply it and download
- Review five URLs on a site.
- Rewrite any that are unclear.
- Apply the on-page checklist.
Worksheet Keyword research and on-page SEO checklistOpen, print or save as PDF