The average person has come to rely on Google for anything and everything. Whether you’re looking up directions or trying to find out if Incredibles 2 is really worth a trip to the movie theater, think of how many times you use Google in a day. With over 40,000 Google searches per second, how can you make sure your page doesn’t get lost in the shuffle? By utilizing different search engine optimization (SEO) guidelines and including an SEO-friendly URL, your page will be easily accessible by Google and your visitors.
Here are some tips to help you create an SEO-friendly URL for your website:
Make it Easy to Read
Your URL is intended for two audiences: Google and your web visitors. That being said, it’s important to make an SEO-friendly URL as well as a visitor-friendly URL. The topic of your page should be easily understood just by looking at the URL. This means you should avoid using stop words like “and” or “the” that are unnecessary to include. Additionally, you’ll want to forgo characters and punctuation, as they will create messiness in your URL. Instead, you should create consistency by matching your link to your page title, excluding the unnecessary stop words, and using only lower case letters and standard characters such as slashes and hyphens.
Hyphens vs. Underscores
Coke vs. Pepsi, chocolate vs. vanilla, tea vs. coffee, and hyphens vs. underscores. For all the debates that go unsettled, hyphens vs. underscores is the most important in the case of SEO-friendly URLs because there’s a bigger difference than you realize. To Google, hyphens are word separators. For example; “these-are-hyphens” would be translated to Google as “these are hyphens.” However, underscores, according to Google, are word joiners. For example; “these_are_underscores” would be translated to Google as “theseareunderscores.” Hyphens make it much easier for Google and other search engines to process and will allow for greater search engine optimization.
Avoid Keyword Repetition
That’s right we said avoid. When it comes to creating an SEO-friendly URL, keyword repetition is your enemy. Keyword stuffing in hopes of increasing search engine rankings will only lead to a sloppy URL structure, making it difficult for search engines to decipher. If the search engine can’t understand your URL, chances are your visitors won’t either. The key is to keep your URL short and uncluttered. Once is enough for your keyword. Feel free to be a little more generous with keyword repetition within your blogs and the rest of your website’s written content, but keep it out of your URL.
Generating 3.5 billion searches each day, Google and similar search engines rule the web. Make your web page stands out amongst the competition by creating a URL that is short, avoids unnecessary words and characters, and uses hyphens and your keyword. To find out more about how to stand out against the billions with cutting edge SEO, contact Jessica Chabot, Vice President, Client Services of Millennium Agency at www.mill.agency.com.
About Millennium Agency
Millennium Agency is a nationally recognized, top woman led B2B branding, positioning, and digital marketing firm who knows how to create value that emotionally influences your customer’s buying decision, giving you the competitive advantage. As your trusted partner in B2B software technology and manufacturing, we provide the branding and positioning framework that make an impact – so you can focus on what you do best – run your business successfully. With offices in Boston and New Hampshire, and a worldwide presence, the professionals at Millennium Agency would like to learn more about your business. Visit www.mill.agency or book time here.
