When it comes to E-commerce and SEO, the URL structure of your website may not immediately leap to mind as a consideration for improving your rankings. However, this has a significant impact on your site both in functionality and in terms of visibility. You should consider your URL as the address to your online store; if the address looks messy or complicated, the customer may not be willing to click on it. On the other hand, a clean and descriptive URL could attract many potential buyers and make search engines understand better what your content is all about.
Now think of a person looking for the newest running shoes on the internet. If, for instance, users are confronted with a friendly URL comprising obscene numbers and symbols, they will not think twice about getting out of there as soon as possible. But if they scan through a simple URL that already declares what is in store for them, it becomes much more appealing. This is where BigCommerce SEO experts can come in handy, showing you how to make URLs that will improve your site.
In this blog post, we will explore important things you need to know about generating the most optimal SEO URLs for your BigCommerce site. From the selection of keywords to URL structure, there is the necessary information that will help increase the visibility of your online store in search. These tips will come in handy whether you are just starting with a new website or improving an already existing one in terms of traffic and conversion rates.
1. Keep It Short and Descriptive
URLs should be as short as possible. If the URL is shorter and consists of easily understandable words and phrases, it will be much easier to read and memorize. Instead of using a big broad URL like:
You could go for something more concise:
This shorter version also makes it easier to understand the content of the page without straining with too many extra frills. One thing about BigCommerce is that changing URLs is relatively easy, so ensure you maintain clean and understandable URLs.
2. Use Relevant Keywords
Using the right keywords as you create your URLs is the best way to get a good SEO result. Keywords in the URL are always important to search engines because when crawling for your site, they get brief information about what to expect on the specific page. For example, if you sell organic coffee, using a URL like:
is far more effective than:
The use of descriptive keywords helps the search engines and the potential buyers look at the page and understand the type of product offered.
3. Avoid Special Characters
There are additional characters like &, %, $ etc. which may make your URLs more complex and unattractive. Beware of complexity; use only those words that can be easily placed beside one another connected only with a hyphen. For example, rather than:
You should use:
This keeps your URLs simple and easy to read for users and will ultimately enhance the rankings of the pages in the search engine result pages.
4. Establish a Logical Hierarchy
It underlines that the URL structure should mirror the site structure, which is particularly helpful for the search engine robots and visitors. If you use categories on your website, ensure that your URL structure also allows for the use of categories. For instance, if you sell women’s clothing, your URLs might look like this:
This layout not only aids search engines in terms of how they are able to identify the content on your site, but it also guides the user in terms of the direction they need to take when browsing your site.
5. Utilize Canonical URLs
Duplicate content is not good for the ranking of a website and can even make search engines confused. To overcome this problem, search engines use what is known as a canonical URL which shows which version of the page is preferred. This is especially important if you’ve got similar items or contents contained in different URLs for instance, www.domain.com and www.domain.com/home. Considering the option of setting the URL as canonical, one is able to ensure that this particular page is favored by the search engines hence attaining the intended higher rank.
6. Update URLs with Care
If you find yourself in a position where you have to change a URL, be wise. Managing URLs can result in ranking loss and broken links if not well handled, with the modifications having impacts on the website positioning. Implement 301 redirects to inform users and search engines about the new location of the site and direct them there. This way the SEO value of the original URL with parameters stays preserved and your visitors don’t get confused and are offered a new URL referring to the same page.
7. Avoid Keyword Stuffing
Nevertheless, it should also be remembered that excessive focus on keywords in the URLs can also be detrimental due to the phenomenon known as keyword stuffing. It is recommended to avoid the use of technical terms. For example, instead of a URL like:
Stick with something simpler:
This not only helps to keep the URL short and friendly for users to type, but also includes the needed keywords.
8. Test Your URLs
When you are creating or selecting your URL, make sure to check them. Blink how they work in searches, showcase the websites on social media, sign in, and be sure they are user-friendly. This testing phase will assist you to identify any challenges and fix them before going live.
Summing Up
As part of SEO optimization of your BigCommerce store, you should consider developing relevant and effective SEO URLs. This way, you will positively impact your SEO works and make it easier for the users to understand what they can expect to find on your web page. Remember these tips as good URL practices pay customers back with a well-optimized shopping experience that enables consumers to locate what they want effectively and in the process convert.
To get more specific recommendations, feel free to take Bigcommerce Design Development Services from a reputable service provider. By following the right strategies and implementing the right techniques of social marketing, you should be on the right path to enhancing your online visibility and consequently gaining more clients for your online store.
