How to Fix Shopify SEO Problems: URLs

Best Practices for URL Slugs

What is a Slug? 

A slug is the part of your URL that comes after your root domain name. 

When it comes to user experience and search engine optimization (SEO), well-crafted URL slugs can be a secret weapon. These short identifiers at the end of your website addresses play a significant role in how users perceive your content and how search engines understand it. Here are some key practices to keep your URL slugs in top shape:

• Clarity and Concision: Strive for clear, concise slugs that accurately reflect your content's topic. Use keywords strategically, but avoid keyword stuffing. Aim for 3-5 words that are easy to read and understand. For instance, instead of a cryptic slug like "project-x-2023-final," opt for something like "kitchen-renovation-guide."
• User-friendliness: Think of your URL slug as a label. It should be human-readable and easy for users to remember. Avoid technical jargon, symbols, or uppercase letters.
• Readability: Use hyphens (this-is-a-hyphen) not underscores (this_is_not) to to separate words for better readability.
• SEO Optimization: While clarity is key, don't neglect SEO. Incorporate relevant keywords naturally into your slug. This helps search engines understand your content and potentially improve your ranking for those keywords. However, prioritize readability over keyword density.

Key Takeaways:

Like most ideas in SEO it starts by optimizing for your website users. Follow these practices to improve your user's experience of shopping on your store and increase your organic traffic. 

Pro Tips 

Keywords

Use keywords in your slug. The best way to do this is to match the H1 heading from the page with your URL slug. Replace spaces and punctuation with hyphens. 

URL Punctuation

It is not recommended to use underscores in the URL slug. Use hyphens instead. 

Search engines like Google, Bing, and others treat hyphens as word separators within URLs. This means they can more easily understand the meaning and context of your slug, potentially benefiting your SEO. Underscores are not typically treated as word separators within URLs. 

Hyphens are simply easier for humans to read when separating words in a URL. They create a clear visual distinction between terms, making the slug more understandable at a glance. Underscores, especially when underlined (a common browser behavior), can blend in with the text, causing confusion for users trying to decipher the URL.

URL Length

At the time this article is being published neither Google nor Bing provide official character limits for URL slugs. However, both search engines prioritize user experience and crawl-ability, which indirectly influence ideal slug length. Here's what we know:

• Focus on Clarity: Both search engines emphasize the importance of clear and concise URLs that accurately reflect the content's topic.
  Prioritize Readability: Search engines understand the user experience benefits of shorter, human-readable URLs.

While there's no magic number, here are some general guidelines:

• Aim for 3-5 words: This is a good sweet spot for clarity, readability, and potentially including relevant keywords.
• Keep it under 60 characters: This ensures your URL stays user-friendly and avoids potential display issues in search results or browser tabs.

The SEO Shop Scanner report will put up a warning if the URL slug is over 80 characters.