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What is a Permalink?

3 min to read

Permalinks are permanent URLs for specific online content forms, such as blog posts and product pages. The aim of using these is so that your content is always visible – even when your website layout or structure changes. In essence, it’s a digital address.

You need permalinks for search engines, and it’s equally as essential for users. Search engines index and rank pages by using permalinks, while users bookmark these so they can access pages and share your content.

Key Takeaways:
  • Permalinks are permanent web addresses for various content types
  • When structured well, permalinks can aid user experience/access and SEO; results will vary depending on implementation
  • You should be careful when changing permalinks; preserve SEO by using 301 redirects
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What is a Permalink?

Yes – you must consider the importance of permalinks in your SEO. Google, Bing, and other search engines use permalinks so they can understand the relevance of your content – along with its structure. Both of these have a direct impact on your search engine rankings. 

Well-optimized permalinks should contain relevant keywords. For example, if the content is a “Website Builder for Small Businesses”, think about using “small-business-site-builder” or something similar. Search engines may utilize information gleaned from this action to assess the relevance of your page and potentially enhance its ranking in search results. 

Pro Tip:
User experience matters too: You can make your permalinks clean and descriptive so that users know what they should expect for clicking; it’s then essential that your content delivers on these promises. 

Focus on clarity, brevity, and relevance when creating your permalinks. Use these tips: 

  • Short and Descriptive: Make your permalinks easy to read/understand as soon as the user sees them. 

  • Relevant Keywords: Accurately reflect your content in the keywords you use. While these keywords can be helpful, keep their usage limited to avoid search engine penalties. 

  • Separate Words With Hyphens: Hyphens act as spaces in permalinks; using them is essential for readability and visual appeal. 

  • Remove Needless Elements: It’s a good idea to delete dates and numbers unless the context requires them. 

  • Be Consistent: Use the same permalink structure on all of your pages. This is essential for user experience and SEO. 
Pro Tip:
Consider Your CMS: Look at content management systems (CMS) that meet your permalink needs, as they have differing customization features.

Test Permalinks: Test your permalinks before finalizing them so that they match your aesthetics and have cross-device/browser functionality. 

Changing the permalink can harm SEO if you aren’t careful, but fortunately, you can take steps to avoid this being a problem. Here are some of those:

  • 301 Redirects: Redirect old permalinks to new ones via 301 redirects. Preserving consistent URL patterns ensures your content remains discoverable for search engines and users even following an update.

  • Update Your Internal Links: Check your internal links and ensure they point to the latest permalinks.

  • Monitor Analytics: Look at your website analytics after changing your permalinks to ensure that you don’t see an impact on your SERP rankings.   
Pro Tip:
Prioritize permalink stability: To maintain search engine optimization, limit permalink changes to essential scenarios; frequent modifications can disrupt search engine indexing. Examples of when you might need to change permalinks include if there’s a typo or the content’s context has changed.  

Conclusion

Permalinks are essential for visibility and accessibility, and they’re also vital for users and SEO. Optimize your backlinks with keywords and by being succinct. You should also use a consistent permalink strategy across your website. 

Manage changes carefully by setting up 301 redirects, and only adjust the permalink if it’s 100% necessary. Assess how the insights from today can possibly be integrated into your practices to influence long-term stability and discoverability.

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