Keyword in URL & SEO: Does It Still Matter for Rankings?
What Is Keyword in URL in SEO?
Including target keywords in a page’s URL acts as a minor ranking signal that helps:
✅ Google understand page relevance
✅ Users recognize topic relevance before clicking
✅ Improve click-through rates (CTR) when URLs appear in search results
🚀 John Mueller (Google, 2021):
“Having keywords in URLs is a very small ranking factor, but it can still help with relevance.”
How Keywords in URLs Affect SEO
1. Helps Google Understand Page Relevance
- Google scans URL structure to determine content relevance.
- Descriptive URLs with keywords provide an additional signal to reinforce topic focus.
🚀 Example:
✅ SEO-Optimized URL:
https://example.com/seo-strategies
❌ Unoptimized URL:
https://example.com/page12345
2. Improves User Click-Through Rates (CTR) in Search Results
- Users prefer readable URLs with relevant keywords over generic, unclear ones.
- Shorter, cleaner URLs tend to have a higher CTR.
🚀 Example of URL in Google Search Results:
✅ Clickable URL:
https://example.com/best-running-shoes
❌ Less Attractive URL:
https://example.com/index.php?id=3487&cat=shoes&discount=25
3. URL Keywords Provide a Small Ranking Boost, but Aren’t Critical
- Google prioritizes page content, title tags, and backlinks over URLs.
- Keyword stuffing in URLs has no ranking benefit.
🚀 Example:
✅ Good Practice:
https://example.com/technical-seo-guide
❌ Bad Practice (Keyword Stuffing):
https://example.com/seo-seo-tips-best-seo-strategies
How to Optimize URLs with Keywords for SEO
✅ Use Keywords Naturally (Don’t Force Them)
- Example:
✅https://example.com/seo-checklist
❌https://example.com/best-seo-checklist-for-2024-and-beyond
✅ Keep URLs Short & Descriptive (Under 60 Characters)
- Avoid long, complex URLs that dilute the keyword signal.
✅ Use Hyphens (-) Instead of Underscores (_) for Readability
- Google recognizes hyphens as word separators but not underscores.
✅ Match URLs to Page Titles Where Possible
- Example:
Title: “Best SEO Strategies for 2024”
URL:https://example.com/best-seo-strategies
✅ Avoid Dynamic Parameters & Stop Words (e.g., and, of, the, to)
- ❌
https://example.com/best-of-the-seo-tips-2024 - ✅
https://example.com/best-seo-tips-2024
✅ Do Not Change Existing URLs Just to Add Keywords (Unless Necessary)
- If updating URLs, set up a 301 redirect to prevent ranking drops.
10 Technical Questions & Answers on Keywords in URLs & SEO
1. Does having keywords in a URL improve rankings?
Yes, but it’s a minor ranking factor compared to content & backlinks.
2. Should I change existing URLs to include keywords?
No, unless there’s a compelling reason—changing URLs can hurt rankings if not redirected properly.
3. How many keywords should be in a URL?
Just one primary keyword—avoid keyword stuffing.
4. Does keyword placement in the URL matter?
Not significantly, but having the keyword early in the URL is better for readability.
5. Does Google prefer short URLs?
Yes, Google tends to favor concise, clear URLs over long ones.
6. Do hyphens or underscores impact keyword recognition in URLs?
Yes, Google recommends hyphens (-) over underscores (_).
7. Does using uppercase letters in URLs affect rankings?
Yes, URLs are case-sensitive—always use lowercase letters.
8. Should I include dates or numbers in URLs?
Only if necessary—dates can make content look outdated over time.
9. Can I remove stop words from URLs?
Yes, removing words like “the,” “and,” “of” makes URLs cleaner.
10. Should category names be in URLs?
It depends—if the category is relevant, it can help, but avoid deep folder structures.
Final Thoughts
🚀 For better SEO performance:
✅ Use keywords naturally in URLs (1-2 words max).
✅ Keep URLs short, readable, and descriptive.
✅ Use hyphens (-) instead of underscores (_) for better indexing.
✅ Avoid changing old URLs unless necessary—use 301 redirects if you do.
Keywords in URLs are a small ranking factor, but clean, optimized URLs improve usability & search visibility!