What are some of the best practices for structuring a website's URL?

 

What are some of the best practices for structuring a website’s URL?

 

Using clear and descriptive keywords in the URL to indicate the content of the page
Keeping the URL short and concise
Using hyphens to separate words rather than underscores or spaces
Using lowercase letters
Using a consistent structure for the entire website, such as using the same format for date-based URLs
Avoiding using special characters in the URL
Using a hierarchy to organize the content of the website, with the most important sections at the top level of the URL.

Avoiding the use of query strings in the URL, as they can make the URL appear cluttered and can make it more difficult for search engines to crawl the website
Using a 301 redirect to redirect old or outdated URLs to new pages, to avoid broken links and to ensure that users and search engines are directed to the correct page
Avoiding the use of dynamic URLs if possible, as they can be more difficult for search engines to crawl and can make it more difficult for users to share or remember the URL
Using a consistent subdomain strategy, like using ‘www’ or not using it, in all the pages of website.
Having a consistent domain name throughout the site, whether it’s www or non-www.
Utilizing the Canonicals links and hreflang tags to help search engines understand the relationship of different language or regional versions of pages.

• Using a well-defined URL naming convention, such as using a consistent naming structure for categories and subcategories, which can help make the website more organized and easier to navigate for both users and search engines
• Creating a sitemap for your website and submitting it to search engines, which can help search engines find and index your pages more easily
• Making sure that the URLs are mobile-friendly, as more and more users are accessing the web from mobile devices.
• Having a clear and simple 404 error page, which can help users when they land on a broken link or a page that no longer exists.
• Using the rel=”nofollow” attribute on links that point to low-value or untrusted pages, which can help prevent search engines from following those links and potentially wasting crawl budget on low-quality pages.
• Regularly monitoring and cleaning up broken links, which can help ensure that users and search engines can easily access the content on your website.