A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is used to identify a resource that is accessible via a network protocol such as HTTP or FTP.
As a special form of Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), URLs are often used synonymously and are generally referred to as "internet address" or "web address". They refer to the exact address of a website, such as https://www.dreikon.de/.
Building blocks of a URL
A URL is made up of the following components:
- Protocol prefix: https://, ftp://
- Domain name: e.g. www.dreikon.de
- File path and file name: e.g. /glossar/url/
What is the difference between domain and URL?
A URL is the complete Internet address that enables access to a specific resource. A domain, on the other hand, is merely a part of the URL that specifies the unique name of a website (e.g. dreikon.de) and is translated into an IP address via the Domain Name System (DNS). In short, the domain is a component of the URL that defines the exact location and path to a resource on the Internet.
URLs in search engine optimization
URLs play a crucial role in on-page SEO (search engine optimization), as they reflect the structure of a website. From the search engines' perspective, it is important that the URL structure is retained once it has been defined. Changes can lead to the search engines recognizing the changed URLs as new addresses, which can lead to duplicate content. It is therefore advisable to think about the structure and layout of the URLs at an early stage. Once URLs have been indexed by search engines, they should ideally not be changed for reasons of consistency. URLs must also be readable for search engines, which is why umlauts should preferably be converted to ASCII characters.
The use of speaking URLs for SEO
Speaking URLs, also known as SEO-friendly URLs, are web addresses that are easy to read and understand for both users and search engines. They often contain keywords that reflect the content of the page and thus already give an indication of the topic of the website. This applies, for example, when a URL is shared on social media or in the snippet in Google search results. The user recognizes what to expect on the website even before clicking on the URL.
In contrast to dynamic URLs, which consist of a long series of characters, speaking URLs make the structure of the website clearer and improve the user experience by enabling intuitive navigation. They are particularly valuable for search engine optimization, as they contribute to the relevance of the page and can therefore potentially lead to a better ranking in search results. The use of speaking URLs is therefore an important part of an effective SEO strategy.Examples:- Speaking URL: https://www.dreikon.de/aktuell/online-marketing-wissen/google-shopping/
Here it becomes immediately clear that this is a page with online marketing information about Google Shopping
- Dynamic URL: https://www.beispielshop.de/produkte?kategorie=elektronik&product_id=12345
Mainly dynamic URLs are used for applications such as web forms, product catalogs, session management or interactive websites.
Relative URLs
Not only absolute (complete) URLs but also relative URLs are used in the source code of a website and require the appropriate context, as they are inserted without specifying the domain name (example: "/news/online-marketing-knowledge/"). The paths are always based on the underlying domain. A major advantage of relative URLs is that the full path to the resource does not have to be specified at every opportunity for internal links. This simplifies adjustments, especially when changing the domain. Google considers relative and absolute URLs on a website to be of equal value. However, the cannonical tag may only be used with an absolute URL.
What may a URL contain?
Special characters for URLs
In general, it is recommended that URLs only contain the letters from "a" to "z" and the numbers from "0" to "9". In addition, the characters "-" and "_" are acceptable. Although other characters from the ASCII character set could also be used in principle, there is a risk that such characters could be misunderstood by servers.
Uppercase and lowercase letters in URLs
It is possible to use both upper and lower case letters in URLs. However, for practical reasons, it is recommended that lowercase letters are used consistently. The background to this recommendation is that some server operating systems differentiate between upper and lower case. This may seem unproblematic at first, but it leads to duplicates in the search engine index for external links that appear in a different spelling.
The solution to this problem does not require a great deal of effort. Adjustments to the server configuration can ensure that URLs that are entered in the wrong spelling are automatically redirected to the correct URL. Either 301 redirects or canonical tags can be used to define the correct URL version and thus avoid duplicates.
Permitted separators in the URL
In principle, different separators such as "-", "_", " " or "+" can be used to separate words in URLs. However, it is advisable to separate words preferably with a hyphen "-". This character is uniformly recognized by search engines and leaves no room for misinterpretation. Spaces in particular should be avoided as they can be interpreted as the end of the URL, potentially leading to unwanted 404 errors.
Keywords in the URL
Google advises webmasters to integrate important and relevant keywords into the URL of a page. By including suitable search terms in the URL, a search engine bot can more easily recognize what content the page contains. Should Google implement case-sensitive search in the future, the capitalization of the keywords contained in the URL could also become more important.
Conclusion
In summary, URLs serve as a crucial component of on-page search engine optimization by mapping the structure of a website and helping search engines to identify content. The domain is an element of the URL that points the way to an online resource. For optimal SEO, speaking URLs that contain relevant keywords are recommended, as they are better understood by both users and search engines. They improve the user experience and can have a positive impact on rankings. When designing URLs, attention should be paid to the consistent use of lowercase letters and simple separators such as the hyphen to avoid complications and confusion.
