How to Create a High-Ranking, Super Search-Friendly URL [Infographic]

When we marketers think about search engine optimization (SEO), our minds usually go straight to the written word.

How can we squeeze our focus keyword into our content? Is it in our alt-tags? How about our title?

Once we’ve checked all these proverbial boxes, we figure we’re good to go, but there’s one little field many of us overlook before hitting publish that can be critical to our SEO efforts -- URL.

If your publishing platform is like HubSpot, your blog article or website page’s URL is automatically generated based on the page title entered.

Yes, this is easy and convenient, but I hate to break it to you; it’s rarely a recipe for a high-ranking page.

What does amount to an optimized page URL is hotly-debated, but luckily for us, SEO thought leader, Backlinko, and digital agency, Ignite Visibility have joined forces to compile dozens of tips and data-backed advice to eliminate the guesswork.

From length to domains and readability the infographic below illustrates advice including:

• Shorter URLs rank higher in Google
• Limit the number of keywords in your URL to one or two
• Make use of canonical links
• Use HTTPS whenever possible
• Use a folder over a subdomain to avoid splitting site authority
• Don’t exceed one or two folders per URL
• .com domains convey the most trust and authority
• Avoid dynamic URLs; they are difficult to read, remember, and offer no search-value
• If you’re looking to geotarget, look into a country-specific domain or sub-directory
• Certain “special characters” can hurt the strength of your URL
• When it comes to eCommerce, remove your categories as folders.

Check out the all the details and full design below and let us know your thoughts of the tips and tricks in the comments!