Article Content:
A well-structured URL not only helps search engines crawl your site but also improves user experience. When it comes to eCommerce or content-heavy websites, optimizing category and product URLs is essential for long-term SEO success.
In this guide, you’ll learn the best practices for structuring category and product URLs for search engines.
1. Why URL Structure Matters in SEO
URLs give context to both users and search engines about the content of a page. A clean and keyword-rich URL:
✅ Improves click-through rate
✅ Enhances crawling and indexing
✅ Helps in ranking for specific keywords
2. Category URL Best Practices
Let’s take a look at how you should structure category pages.
✅ Good Example:
https://example.com/electronics/https://example.com/shoes/women/
❌ Bad Example:
https://example.com/index.php?id=34&cat=shoe
Tips:
Use lowercase letters
Keep it short and meaningful
Use hyphens (
-) instead of underscoresInclude main keyword (e.g.,
mens-shoes)
3. Product URL Best Practices
✅ Good Example:
https://example.com/shoes/nike-air-max-2024
❌ Bad Example:
https://example.com/p=5432
Tips:
Add product name and model for clarity
Remove unnecessary parameters
Avoid numbers and codes unless necessary
Make URLs descriptive yet concise
4. Should You Include Categories in Product URLs?
Both styles are used:
example.com/product-name(flat)example.com/category/product-name(hierarchical)
Hierarchical structure is better for:
SEO context
Easier breadcrumb generation
Organized crawling
But if your site is very large, flat URLs may improve performance.
Choose based on your site's size and navigation strategy.
5. Avoid Duplicate URLs
If the same product appears in multiple categories, set:
Canonical Tags to avoid duplicate content
Or use one primary category in the URL
6. Dynamic vs Static Product URLs
Prefer static URLs that don’t change and are keyword-rich.
Use URL Rewriting techniques in CMS platforms to convert:example.com/viewproduct.php?pid=55 → example.com/black-running-shoes
7. Do’s and Don’ts Summary
| Do’s | Don’ts |
|---|---|
| Use keywords | Use IDs and codes only |
| Use hyphens | Use underscores or spaces |
| Make it readable | Add unnecessary filters in URL |
| Keep it short | Add session IDs or tracking tags |
8. Bonus: URL Structure for Multilingual Sites
Use language-based folders for better indexing:
example.com/en/productsexample.com/fr/products
Avoid using parameters like ?lang=en.
9. Tools for Optimizing URLs
Google Search Console – to track crawl errors
Ahrefs / SEMrush – to audit URL performance
Yoast SEO (WordPress) – for clean URL generation
10. Conclusion
Category and product URL structure plays a vital role in your site's SEO health. By keeping URLs clean, relevant, and keyword-optimized, you ensure better rankings, higher CTRs, and a smoother experience for users and search engines alike.
Take the time to plan your URL strategy—it’s a long-term investment in your website's success.