Changing the URLs of certain pages on a website is an action you will need to perform from time to time when managing your site. This action can be problematic because changing a URL can create broken links throughout your site if you do not update the URL across all site locations where it appears (menu, footer, posts, etc.). Google released a statement advising users not to change URLs because the risk of broken links on the site “outweighs the benefit” that your site might gain from refining URLs for SEO purposes. Despite Google’s advice, there are several cases where we still want to change URLs of certain pages on the site, and in this article we will review these scenarios and teach you how to change the URL without harming your rankings.
What does a proper URL look like?
To understand how the URL structure is displayed on your website, and assuming you work with a CMS (Content Management System) like WordPress – you have the option to define in advance in the site settings how you want the URL to appear on pages, categories, and posts. It is important to note that with this setting, you can choose several options that are equally effective and valid. For example, on the Fialkov Digital website, you can see that the URL on service pages displays the main parent page in the address (the Services page), and for blog posts, the URL displays the category under which the post appears:
- fialkov.co.il/services
- fialkov.co.il/services/facebook-campaign
- fialkov.co.il/online-marketing/what-is-supermetrics
On the other hand, there are many websites that omit the category / parent page of the page or post from the URL, and yet structurally the site functions properly and ranks well on Google.
When should you change the URL for SEO-related reasons?
Ideally, it is not recommended to change URLs for any reason, regardless of SEO. However, we do not live in an ideal world, and sometimes you will need to change the URLs of pages on your website. One common case for changing a URL is when using URLs that do not reflect what is on the page. For example – if we look at the example above of the post on Fialkov Digital about Supermetrics, you can see that in the URL you gain an understanding of both the content category and the content itself. On certain sites, you can see blog posts represented in the URL in a format like fialkov.co.il/?p=12039, which essentially represents the post ID on the site and provides no concrete information about the content.
Generally speaking, for your URL to be optimal for organic search, it needs to represent what is on the page content-wise and, ideally, contain the relevant keyword in the URL. Take, for example, a blog article from our website discussing content writing software.
- fialkov.co.il/online-marketing/best-ai-writers
You can see that the slug after the domain and category – “best ai writers” is the exact keyword for the content on the page and therefore the most relevant, which helps Google understand what the page is about even before crawling it. Additionally, on Hebrew websites the English keyword in the URL is significant, but on English websites it is even more crucial because on English websites, a Google search for the keyword found in the URL slug can lead directly to the page on your site.
When to change the URL for other reasons?
SEO optimization is not the only reason to change URLs on your websites, and alongside technical SEO there are several other important principles in organic search optimization such as user experience and browsing convenience for site visitors that should also be emphasized. Now let’s go over additional reasons for changing URLs on websites:
- Content Findability – If you have a complex website with many content categories or product categories and pages, you might want to make sure they also appear in the URL so that users know where they are within the site’s hierarchy. A URL without a category slug might confuse visitors on your site. Consider changing URLs and making your site’s content more convenient in terms of hierarchy, especially if many users rely on the site to find content.
- Usability – URLs that are too long or generic appearing in the browser’s address bar can be unhelpful. When a visitor sees a URL, they have no way of knowing where it leads if it contains a random mix of numbers, letters, and symbols, which is both unclear to them and makes it hard to remember.
- Shareability – There are several ways to share content from your website to social networks, WhatsApp, Skype, etc. The most popular way is copying the page’s URL and pasting it where you want to share it. The problem with unusable URLs from the previous point is that these URLs look bad when shared, which may discourage users from clicking them and visiting the site. In addition, URLs in Hebrew generate a link full of characters like percentages and symbols when shared, making the link completely unusable.
How to change the URL without harming organic ranking?
Once you realize that your site has several URLs that might need to be changed to improve organic rankings and eliminate broken links, it’s time to update the addresses without hurting your SEO. Here are several tips on how to do it:
Use a descriptive slug
Using random numbers or letters in the URLs of posts and pages on your website will not help users understand what the page is about, will not entice them to click the link, and will harm your organic rankings. Write URLs for pages and posts as descriptively as possible. You can use numbers within a URL if it serves the users and helps them better understand the topic. Example of a well-described URL:
- fialkov.co.il/online-marketing/10-freelance-skills
Don't stuff keywords
One of the main mistakes website owners make regarding URLs is trying to stuff keywords and significantly lengthening the slug, resulting in a very long, cluttered, and unfocused URL. A URL containing 3-4 words already adequately represents a keyword, and attempting to add more will harm the site’s SEO and deter users from clicking the link.
Use a 301 redirect
If you choose to change a URL on your website to a completely different URL, you must redirect the old address to the new address to avoid broken links leading to dead ends, and this redirection is done using a 301 redirect. A 301 redirect is effective for site visitors who won’t notice the transition as well as for Google’s crawling bots, but make sure not to create redirect chains or an excessive number of 301 redirects, which can complicate site crawling. To create 301 redirects on your website, install the Redirection plugin (if your site is built on WordPress).
Summary
Changing a URL on your website can be problematic if the address you want to change already appears in various places across the site. We should only change URLs when we want to align the URL accurately with the content or when there is an issue with the URL that requires fixing. Although the change may not directly affect the organic rankings of your site, using focused URLs that reflect a clear keyword to the reader helps visitors understand what content lies behind the address and encourages them to click. To properly implement redirects on your site, use the Redirection plugin, which allows you to create redirects with the click of a button.
About the Author
Dvir Naaman, 27, graduate of the Digital Marketing course at HackerU College. Experienced in building WordPress websites, LinkedIn advertising, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Specializes in organic search optimization (SEO) at Fialkov Digital. Highly experienced in eCommerce and dropshipping, and owner of Merchant Center – a website providing information on eCommerce systems and advanced marketing tools to boost business conversions with a focus on eCommerce store sales.
