Are short URLS better? Find out best practices for structuring and formatting URLs to improve the ranking and visibility of your website.
Published October 1, 2021
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Do shorter URLs help you rank better on Google? The conventional wisdom is that if you have a shorter URL, it will be easier to share and more trustworthy because it’s not filled with many parameters, question marks, etc. It’s also trustworthy because you can see where you’re going if you click the link.
Do shorter urls help you rank higher on search engines thumbnail
Another thing to mention is that you can also omit non-important words. But this raises another question: how many of these non-important words should we remove? And does removing those help?
And I’m on the fence here because I’ve heard people say, hey, you should remove those non-important characters. It doesn’t help you in search results or what you need is those important keywords. But I’ve also heard people talk about how if you don’t have those important little words, the meaning might be lost when someone reads that URL. And I think that’s important and something worth talking about.
When I write URLs, I try my best to keep the regular spoken language of the URL—something semantic that can be read, but keep it short instead of having something long but only adding keywords in the URL.
So, keep your URL short, but keep the two-letter words in there so that when someone’s reading, it makes sense.
It’s kind of common sense, you don’t need to study for years at a university with some fancy scholarship to understand these basic principles of SEO. I certainly didn’t get a scholarship when I went to university, but If you are looking for a scholarship, check out these great scholarship opportunities.
Are you a visual learner? Check out my video below, titled “Do shorter URLs help you rank higher on Google? How to create a great permalink structure for SEO,” from my YouTube channel, as I show you all this firsthand.
A video below, titled “Do shorter URLs help you rank higher on Google? How to create a great permalink structure for SEO,” from my YouTube channel.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Do you still have questions? Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about fonts website.
What is a URL?
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a unique web address that points to a specific webpage or resource on the internet.
How long should a URL be for SEO purposes?
There is no specific length limit for URLs, but it is generally recommended to keep them as short and concise as possible. This can help ensure that they are easy to read and understand, both for users and search engines.
Can I use special characters in a URL?
It is generally recommended to avoid using special characters in URLs, as they can be difficult for users to read and can cause issues with some browsers and servers. If you do need to use special characters in a URL, you should use the percent-encoding format to ensure that the URL is properly interpreted by all browsers.
Conclusion
So in this post, we covered a little bit about the relationship between URL length and search engine results and some ways you can write shorter URLs while keeping them SEO-friendly and semantic.
That concludes this article. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below (I read and reply to every comment). If you found this helpful, check out my full blog and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Thanks for reading!
LiaisonLabs is your local partner for SEO & digital marketing services in Mount Vernon, Washington. Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions about our SEO services.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving your website's visibility in search engines like Google. When potential customers in Mount Vernon or Skagit County search for your products or services, SEO helps your business appear at the top of search results. This drives more qualified traffic to your website—people who are actively looking for what you offer. For local businesses, effective SEO means more phone calls, more foot traffic, and more revenue without paying for every click like traditional advertising.
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Both aim to improve search visibility, but the focus differs significantly. Local SEO targets customers in a specific geographic area—like Mount Vernon, Burlington, Anacortes, or greater Skagit County. It emphasizes Google Business Profile optimization, local citations, reviews, and location-based keywords. Traditional SEO focuses on broader, often national rankings and prioritizes content marketing, backlink building, and technical optimization. Most Mount Vernon businesses benefit from a local-first strategy, though many of our clients combine both approaches to capture customers at every stage of their search journey.
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