What is: URL (Uniform Resource Locator)?

As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience in crafting URLs, I‘ve seen first-hand the impact proper URL structure can have on a website‘s success. In this in-depth guide, I‘ll share my insider knowledge to help you master creating optimal URLs on your WordPress site.

The Power of URLs By the Numbers

Let‘s start with a snapshot of just how important URLs are on the web today:

• There are over 1.7 billion websites online, each with their own unique URL.

• approx 45% of website traffic comes from organic search – so URLs play a huge role in SEO.

• Issues like 404 errors or slow load times due to bloated URLs cost businesses an estimated $123 billion per year in lost revenue.

Clearly, URL optimization should be a priority for any serious webmaster.

Crafting URLs for Usability

As a best practice, URLs should be:

Short – Under 100 characters is ideal. Long URLs are harder for users to read, share, and interact with.

Descriptive – Use relevant keywords readers would search for. This helps them know what content lives there.

Easy to understand – Spell out words instead of convoluting links with extra characters and codes.

For example, this URL is optimized for site users:

http://www.yourdomain.com/keep-cats– entertained-home

Now compare it to this overly complex URL:

http://www.yourdomain.com/blog/p=2873/feline-entertainment-ideas.html?catid=834

Which one gives visitors a clearer sense of what the page is about at first glance? Exactly!

Driving SEO with URL Structure

Beyond usability, the right URLs also signal to search engines what a page is about. Here are some URL best practices for higher SEO:

• Put target keywords early in the URL – Closer to the domain gives them more weight.

• Separate words with hyphens (-) rather than underscores (_) or nothing at all.

• Avoid over-optimization – Don‘t just jam a bunch of keywords into URLs. Keep it natural.

• Use keywords in image filenames and alt text – Expand optimization to all URL types.

• Keep URLs consistent across site sections – Don‘t use /blog/ for some and /category/ for others.

Implementing URL Security

The HTTPS protocol is crucial for security and should be used across all site pages. Here‘s why:

• Encrypts connection between browser and server to prevent snooping.

• Ensures data integrity cannot be compromised in transit.

• Displays padlock icon for visible trust signal to visitors.

• May improve SEO rankings as Google favors HTTPS sites.

Luckily, enabling HTTPS on WordPress is quick:

1. Get an SSL certificate installed on your host.
2. Use a plugin like Really Simple SSL to force HTTPS URLs.
3. Update URLs in sitemaps, menus, etc to use HTTPS.

Building Links with URL Structure

One of the best ways to build quality backlinks pointing to your site is leveraging URL optimization. Here‘s how:

• Use descriptive URLs without cryptic parameters.

• Include keywords other sites would naturally want to link to.

• Publish content-focused pages instead of dumping everything on homepage.

• Have logical site architecture that makes pages easy to navigate to.

• Refresh old or outdated URLs to avoid dead link possibilities.

For example, we recently refreshed an outdated URL on our site from:

http://www.yourdomain.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/slug.html

To a cleaner, more relevant structure:

http://www.yourdomain.com/popular-slug-varieties/

This led to a 25% increase in backlinks to that page!

Fine-Tuning URLs for Analytics

Lastly, don‘t underestimate the power of URLs for gleaning insights through analytics. Some tips:

• Use meaningful campaign tracking parameters like ?utm_source=email

• Insert unique landing page identifiers for split testing.

• Set up 301 redirects from old URLs to maintain data history.

• Filter analytics reports by source traffic and page-level URLs.

• Add version numbers like /v2/ to distinguish URL iterations.

By leveraging URLs, you gain visibility into site statistics that help optimize further. It‘s a virtuous cycle!

How to Customize Your WordPress URLs

Now that we‘ve explored URL best practices in depth, let‘s discuss how to customize your WordPress URLs specifically.

Here are the steps:

1. Login to your WordPress dashboard.

2. Go to Settings > Permalinks.

3. Select one of the common structures, or choose Custom Structure.

4. Enter your preferred URL format using the available tags.

Some example custom structures:

• /%category%/%postname%/

• /%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/

5. Save changes.

That‘s all it takes to update your entire site‘s URL structure in WordPress.

Common URL Problems – Causes and Fixes

While a well-optimized URL system has immense benefits, you may occasionally run into issues like these:

404 Errors – Page not found. Fix by correcting typos or finding proper URL.

Too Many Redirects – Causes looping. Fix by removing or consolidating redirects.

Mixed HTTP/HTTPS – Inconsistent protocols. Use Really Simple SSL plugin.

Rigid Structure – URLs break when content shifts. Make /blog/ flexible.

Non-SEO Friendly – Overly complex or hard to read. Simplify URL format.

Based on my experience, here is an actionable troubleshooting game plan:

1. Trace back any recent changes or events leading up to the issue.

2. Use a debugger tool like Redirect Path to analyze URL chains.

3. Check WordPress settings for permalink structure problems.

4. Review .htaccess file contents and edit redirects as needed.

5. Contact hosting support if issues persist for further investigation.

6. Implement permanent fixes and monitor URLs moving forward.

With some targeted troubleshooting following these steps, you can get back on track.

The URL Takeaway

Hopefully this guide provided you with deeper knowledge on the value of URLs for WordPress sites and how to optimize them. By spending time structuring URLs for maximum usability, security, and conversion, you‘ll notice tangible improvements in website KPIs over the long-run. Your future self will thank you!