This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our full Affiliate Disclosure
SEO-friendly URLs are short, clean, and straightforward links. They include simple words and your main Keyword, making it clear to both users and Google what the page is about.
Example:
- Good: /on-page-seo-basics
- Bad: /index.php?id=5482
When someone sees the good URL, they already know the topic.
Think of your URL like a label on a folder:
- Label 1: File 5482
- Label 2: SEO Checklist for Beginners
Which one feels easier to trust and open?
Yes, definitely it’s Label 2.
SEO-friendly URLs are like clear labels for your content.
Table of Contents
What Makes a URL SEO-Friendly?
To create an SEO-friendly URL, follow these simple points:
- Short: Keep it concise and to the point.
- Easy to Read: Make it understandable for both users and search engines.
All Lowercase: Use lowercase letters only.
Words Separated by Hyphens: Use hyphens (-) between words, not underscores (_).
One Main Keyword Inside: Include the main Keyword relevant to the content.
No Random Numbers or Symbols: Avoid unnecessary characters like ?, =, &, etc.
Good vs. Bad URL Examples
Good:
- /on-page-seo-basics
- /seo-checklist-beginners
- /affiliate-marketing-for-beginners
- /keyword-research-simple-guide
Bad:
- /index.php?id=5482
- /2025/01/seo-article-88
- /blog/post.php?ref=abc123
- /SEO_Tips_For_Beginners
Good URLs are short and precise, while bad URLs look messy or unclear.
Rules for SEO-Friendly URLs
Keep these rules in mind:
- Use Lowercase Letters: Example: yourdomain.com/seo-tips. Not: yourdomain.com/SEO-Tips
- Use Hyphens Between Words: Example: seo-tips-beginners. Not: seo_tips_beginners
- Include One Main Keyword: If your post is about on-page SEO basics, use /on-page-seo-basics.
- Avoid Random Numbers and Symbols: Skip characters like ?, =, &, or id in your URLs.
- Keep It Short: Aim for three to five words. Remove filler words like “the”, “a”, or “for” if needed.
SEO-Friendly URLs for Affiliate Sites
In affiliate marketing, having clean URLs is essential for your niche. Here are some examples of good patterns:
For Review Posts:
- /hostinger-review
- /systeme-io-review
- For Comparison Posts:
- /hostinger-vs-namecheap
- /systeme-io-vs-clickfunnels
For Guides:
- /start-affiliate-marketing
- /low-budget-blog-setup
- For Checklists:
- /seo-checklist-beginners
- /affiliate-launch-checklist
These URLs are:
- Clear: Users can easily understand the content.
- Easy to Remember: They’re simple.
Full of Long-Tail Keywords: They help with ranking for specific search queries.
Look Safe: Clean URLs are more trustworthy.
E-E-A-T Angle: Building Trust
Clean URLs contribute to trust. Spammy sites often use messy, hard-to-read URLs, which can appear untrustworthy. On the other hand, well-structured URLs signal to Google and users that your site is legitimate and professional.
Examples for your brand:
- /my-first-affiliate-income-report
- /tools-i-use-on-the-passive-circle
- /affiliate-marketing-in-bangladesh-beginners
These URLs reflect real human content and experiences, supporting Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T).
Why SEO-Friendly URLs Matter?
Better Readability
Users can understand the topic just by looking at the URL.
- Higher Trust: People are more likely to click on a clean, descriptive URL than on a messy one.
- Better SEO Signals: Including keywords in the URL gives Google an additional clue about the content, which can positively impact rankings.
- Easy Internal Linking: Clean URLs are easier to type, remember, and link to across your site.
Here is the simple process I follow for my website that you can copy:
For each new post, follow this simple rule:
- Decide the main topic in three to five words.
- Turn those words into a URL with hyphens.
- Make it all lowercase.
- Remove extra filler words if needed.
- Save it and do not change it later unless necessary.
Example Post Title:
“How To Start Affiliate Marketing As A Beginner In 2025”
Good URL Choices:
- /start-affiliate-marketing
- /affiliate-marketing-beginners
Both options are short and precise.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using the full long title as the URL:
Example: /how-to-start-affiliate-marketing-as-a-beginner-in-2025-with-low-budget
Adding dates unnecessarily:
- Dates can make your content look outdated later. Keep the date in the title, not the URL.
- Leaving default URLs like /p=123 or /post-88:
- Fix these early, as it’s harder to change them later.
7 Quick Checklist Before You Publish
- Before publishing, check your URL against this list:
- Is it short and easy to read?
- Is it all lowercase?
- Does it use hyphens between words?
- Does it include one explicit Keyword or phrase?
- Does it avoid random numbers and symbols?
- Could a beginner guess the topic from the URL alone?
If you can answer yes to most of these, you have an SEO-friendly URL that works well for both users and Google.
An SEO-friendly URL improves readability, trust, SEO performance, and internal linking. It’s a small but powerful element in your site’s structure that can make a big difference in both user experience and search engine optimization. Keep your URLs clear, simple, and relevant for the best results.
If you want, you can check your URLs through SEO-Friendly URLs checker.
SEO Structure And Headings Navigation
H1 Tag | H2/H3 Tags | Heading Structure | URL Structure | SEO Friendly URLs | Canonical Tag | Breadcrumb Navigation
