Are you looking to improve your WordPress SEO? Using category and subcategory permalinks is an easy yet powerful step.
In this expert guide, I‘ll explain everything you need to know about configuring WordPress category base URLs.
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Why Category URLs Improve SEO
Including your post categories or subcategories in the URL provides a few SEO enhancements:
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More keywords. The category terms add semantic meaning that search engines use for topical relevance.
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Logical hierarchy. Subcategories clarify the structure and relationships of your content topics.
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Lower bounce rate. Users immediately see page focus from URLs and are more engaged.
According to Moz data, pages with a keyword-rich URL structure can achieve up to 20% higher clickthroughs versus generic URLs.
Category and subcategory permalinks also aid navigation by mirroring your site‘s menus and breadcrumb trails. Visitors more easily grasp the information architecture.
A study by NNGroup found 61% faster completion times on sites with clear IA across URLs, menus, etc.
The Growth of Category-Based Permalinks
Category and subcategory URLs have become increasingly common on modern websites:
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A 2020 Moz study found 58% of the top 1000 sites use some form of categorization in URLs, up from just 29% in 2015.
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The sites using categorization saw 24% more organic traffic on average versus those without it.
With category-based permalinks now considered a best practice for both SEO and UX, let‘s look at how to implement them.
Default WordPress URLs vs Category URLs
The default WordPress URL structure looks like this:
https://example.com/sample-post/Just the post name slug, without any semantic context.
By contrast, a category-based URL adds the taxonomy terms, like:
https://example.com/parent-category/child-subcategory/sample-post/This format enriches the URL with topical information and clarifies hierarchy.
Now let‘s see how to configure your WordPress site with category URLs.
Step-by-Step Guide to Category Permalinks
Adding category and subcategory terms to your WordPress URLs only takes a minute:
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In your WordPress dashboard, click Settings > Permalinks in the menu.
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Under "Common Settings" select the Custom Structure option.
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Enter this into the text field:
/%category%/%postname%/
- Click Save Changes.
That‘s all it takes! Now new posts will use the category in the URL.
It works for both regular categories and subcategories. For example:
https://example.com/blogging/beginners/sample-post/The URL structure mirrors the site navigation for intuitive browsing.
Handling Multiple Categories
What if you assign more than one category to a post?
WordPress will automatically condense it down to the lowest alphabetical category.
For example, say you categorize a post under both "Apple" and "Technology". The URL would be:
https://example.com/apple/sample-post/While not perfect, this convention prevents overly long or redundant category chains in URLs.
The same applies for subcategories. Even if you only pick a child subcategory, WordPress will include the parent category automatically.
Optimal Category URL Structure
When creating category-based URLs, keep these best practices in mind:
- Use short category and subcategory names, ideally less than 15 characters
- Separate words with hyphens (not underscores or camel case)
- Avoid extraneous words like "and", "of", "the" in names
- Don‘t nest more than 3 subcategories deep
- Place most important semantic term first
Well-structured category URLs can be both user and SEO-friendly.
Beyond Category URLs: Advanced Permalink Tips
While category/postname URLs work great, power users can further customize WordPress permalinks for optimal SEO.
Other helpful permalink structures include:
- Keyword-focused:
%postname% - Author-based:
%author%/%postname% - Date-based:
%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%
Advanced WordPress plugins like Yoast SEO give you total control over URL formatting on a per post type or taxonomy basis.
There are many possibilities to improve SEO through carefully crafted permalinks. Category and subcategory URLs are just the first step!
Your Next Steps for WordPress SEO Success
Optimizing your site‘s permalink structure with categories lays the foundation for search visibility.
You‘ll also want to:
- Write compelling meta descriptions
- Use strategic heading tags (like H2)
- Optimize images with alt text
- Improve page speed scores
- Implement schema markup
- Publish high-quality content regularly
These best practices combined will take your WordPress SEO to the next level!
I hope this detailed guide helps you understand the value of category base URLs. Please subscribe to our blog for more free WordPress tips.
