There are so many different terms for digital marketing metrics, SEO tactics, web design, and content creation that it can be hard to keep them all straight, much less optimize all of them. 

And, unfortunately, your website’s URL strategy and URL slugs sometimes pay the price for that. 

• But what is a URL slug? 
• How can I optimize my URLs for SEO? 
• And why does it all matter? 

This article will give you all the details you need to understand what a URL slug is, how you can use them in your SEO strategy, and ways in which to optimize your slugs going forward.

Many marketers new to the digital world or web design find themselves asking, “what is a URL slug and why does it matter to my company’s website?” 

A URL slug refers to the end part of a URL after the backslash (“/”) that identifies the specific page or post. 

Each slug on your web pages needs to be unique, and they provide readers and search engines alike with information about the contents of a web page or post. 

Your homepage URL or website domain name won’t have a slug attached, but all of your other pages will have one that automatically generates as you create a page or post. 

However, the automated slug isn’t likely to be as useful as the one you create yourself using best practices and keyword strategies. 

Therefore, it’s important to know why slugs are relevant and how to optimize them.

Why is a URL Slug Important for SEO Ranking?

It might surprise you to learn that your URLs have an impact on your SEO strategy. 

But, if we think about it, it does make sense. 

Have you ever tried to copy a link and found a long stream of random letters, numbers, and symbols?

Not only is it irritating to look at in your search bar, but it looks untrustworthy and might have dissuaded you from sharing or linking to that URL. 

Now imagine a search engine coming across that same stream of nonsense. 

Search engine algorithms need clear, clean, and optimized content to understand the data they come in contact with. 

Honestly, it goes deeper than just appearances. If you’re pulling data on-site performance or sharing urls with teammates, a jumbled or overly long slug is just begging for someone to make a typo or get confused about which page they’re even looking at. I’m not saying you have to agonize over every word, but a slug like /summer-sale-shirts versus /prod1234-dfsdfds322—the choice is pretty obvious which is friendlier for both humans and robots.

And speaking of robots—well, algorithms, technically—one overlooked aspect is how URL slugs can impact how your content is indexed. Google’s crawlers pick up on well-structured slugs as signposts that reinforce what a page is about, especially when you match up your slugs with the actual intent of the content. There’s a kind of snowball effect once you start thinking this way, where suddenly every page title, every meta description, and every slug work together to clarify your site’s structure, which makes life easier for visitors and search engines, too.

Having a clean, clear, and short URL slug helps your website visitors and search engines comprehend your pages. 

Your URL slug can also be an untapped source of keyword ranking potential. 

By including a keyword in your slug, you can target specific terms and, while a reader might not understand the implication, a search engine will include that keyword in your ranking results.

Wrap Up: URL Slugs Deserve your Attention

Your URL slugs aren’t just a way to communicate page names to your website visitors.

They provide key data for search engines to organize and display your pages. 

Knowing how to improve your URL slugs and your overall URL strategy will help you improve your SEO results.

And if you want to increase your SEO rankings, check out our article on Google PageSpeed Insights Analysis!

It’s a great way to learn how to reach the highest score and get more results.

Sign up for a free trial now to work with expert writers who can optimize your URL slugs for maximum impact. From incorporating target keywords to crafting clear and concise slugs, our writers will help you improve your SEO rankings and boost your website’s visibility.

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