Website URL structure for SEO

A URL is the address people bookmark, share and link to. Changing it after a page earns links creates a migration job, so the best URL plan is one the business can keep.

Short answer: Use stable, descriptive URLs that people can read. Pick one version for each page, link to it consistently, and map any changed address to its closest new equivalent with a permanent redirect.

Make the address explain the page

Use words a person can recognize, such as /roof-repair/ for a roof repair service. Short, readable paths are easier to inspect in reports and share with customers. Keep tracking parameters out of the canonical address.

Choose one version

Decide how the site handles uppercase letters, trailing slashes, www and HTTPS. The navigation, sitemap and canonical tag should point to the same chosen URL. When a second URL has the same content, use a redirect or a canonical signal as appropriate rather than leaving two competing versions.

When an address must change

Write a map from each old URL to the most relevant new page before launch. Redirect directly to the destination with a permanent server response, update internal links, and test both the redirect and the new page. A homepage redirect is a poor replacement for a deleted service page that had a specific purpose.

Check after publishing

Crawl the new site for broken links and redirect chains. Check Search Console for pages Google still requests at old addresses. Keep the redirect map with the site so future changes do not erase it. A full domain or platform move needs a wider plan than URL naming alone.

Sources for technical rules

Google's documentation is the authority for its own search systems. This guide explains the work in our words.