Don’t groan and yawn. We get it—URL structure might not sound like the most thrilling topic in digital marketing. But here’s the thing: URLs play a critical role in your website’s SEO and overall web traffic. Think of URLs as the signposts of the internet. They guide search engines and users to your content, and when crafted properly, they can significantly boost your visibility and relevance online. At Presentation Multimedia, we’re passionate about helping businesses like yours understand and implement effective URL strategies. Dive into this guide to learn how optimizing your URLs can make a real difference in your digital marketing efforts. Whether you’re looking to improve search engine rankings or enhance user experience, mastering URL structure is a key step toward achieving your goals. Check it out:
The Formula
At Presentation Multimedia, our SEO writing team has an educated formula for crafting the perfect URLs. We’re happy to pass this knowledge onto you. Here’s the formula you should stick to:
www.nameofyourwebsite.com/search-keyword-fake-town-state-abbreviation
To see it in action, here’s an example (or look at the URL for this blog post):
www.presentationmultimedia.com/SEO-westchester-ny
Use Hyphens Instead of Underscores
When separating words in a URL, always use hyphens (-) rather than underscores (_). Google treats hyphens as word separators, while underscores are not. For example, use:
www.fakeautorepairshop.com/auto-repair-fake-town
Instead of:
www.fakeautorepairshop.com/auto_repair_fake_town
Keywords are “Key” for a Reason
Google values URLs that are relevant. The best way to be relevant is to craft a URL is with the search term directly in it. This matters a lot as far as SEO is concerned. To clarify, we’re talking about pages within your website, not your homepage or contact page, but content like blogs, landing pages, and service pages. So, if you’re writing a blog with the keyword “auto repair”, you would make sure that the URL looks something like this:
www.fakeautorepairshop.com/auto-repair
Location, Location, Location
The other half of the equally crucial URL is the location. Most of the time, people don’t search for services anywhere – they search within their towns or towns near them. So, going by the example above, your URL will ideally look like this:
www.fakeautorepairshop.com/auto-repair-fake-town-state-abbreviation
Incorporate Local Landmarks
For hyper-local SEO, consider including recognizable local landmarks in your URL if applicable. For instance, if your business is near a well-known park or building, you might use it in the URL to attract searches related to that landmark.
Example: www.fakeautorepairshop.com/auto-repair-near-fake-park
Stop with the Stop Words
While not a major issue, stop words can be hindering factors for the success of URLs (bad for SEO). Stop words are the small, sort of unnecessary words like “a”, “the”, “for”, “to”, etc. Generally, searchers won’t type “auto repair shop in fake town”. They’ll search “auto repair fake town”. The stop words make it harder for Google to match your URL to the search term.
Short, Sweet, and to the Point
Say you’re writing a blog entitled “The Best European Cars of 2017 and How You Can Find Them Cheaply”. Most blogs will auto-generate a URL based on the title, which in this case, will be painstakingly long. Use our formula above, which should keep your URL around 60 characters. This makes it easier for Google to sift through your page and decide if the page is relevant as a search result.
Maintain Consistency
Consistency in URL structure across your site helps with both user experience and SEO. Ensure that all URLs follow a similar format and structure to make it easier for search engines to index your pages and for users to navigate your site.
Want More SEO Suggestions?
Our SEO team in Westchester, NY, is always ready to give advice and analyze your business. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your current strategy, we’re committed to offering practical solutions tailored to your unique business needs. From optimizing your URLs to developing comprehensive SEO strategies, we’re ready to help you navigate the complexities of digital marketing. If you want more tips about URLs, SEO, or marketing your business, you know who to call. The team at Presentation Multimedia is ready when you are!
OUR TEAM AT PRESENTATION MULTIMEDIA ARE THE EXPERTS IN SEO. AT PRESENTATION MULTIMEDIA, WE SERVE BUSINESSES IN A VARIETY OF INDUSTRIES ON THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL. WE ALSO LOVE DOING LOCAL WORK IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY, NYC, PEEKSKILL, NY, AND THE HUDSON VALLEY, NY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO WEBSITE DESIGN, SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, SEO, REPUTATION MANAGEMENT, GOOGLE ADWORDS, OR PPC CAMPAIGNS, OR WOULD LIKE TO GET STARTED MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS, CONTACT OUR TEAM AT PRESENTATION MULTIMEDIA AT: 914-236-1522