Designing the URL structure for online stores for optimization in Google

Designing the URL structure for online stores for optimization in Google

The correct URL structure helps Google effectively find and index the pages of your online store. If you yourself control the URL structure (for example, develop a site from scratch), then this guide will help you create the optimal structure to avoid indexing problems that may occur in online stores.

If you use a platform to create an online store, this part is probably not relevant, since many platforms have already taken into account these points.

Why is the URL structure important for your Google site

The correct URL design helps Google in indexing your site, and the wrong one can lead to the following problems:

  • Content can be missed if Googlebot mistakenly considers two URLs identical and load only one of them (the other will be thrown back as a duplicate). This can happen if fragmented identifiers are used (for example, #fragment), since Google does not take into account such fragments during indexation.

    Example: /Product /T-Shirt#Black and /Product /T-Shirt#White are considered the same pages in Google.

  • The same content can be loaded several times if Google considers two URLs different, although they lead to the same page. This can slow down the indexation and increase the load on the server of your site.

    Example: /Product /Black-T-Shirt and /Product? SKU = 1234 can show the same product page, but Google will not be able to immediately understand this by URL.

  • Google can calculate your site endless if the URL contains changing parameters, such as temporary marks. This can slow down the process of finding useful pages on the site.

    Example: /ABOUT? Now = 12: 34AM and /ABOUT? Now = 12: 35am can be perceived as different URLs, even if both pages contain the same content.

Read more about how Google works and how its search boot indexes sites can be read in Google materials.

Recommendations for a good design of the URL structure for your site in Google

To improve the indexing of the site and simplify the search, follow these recommendations for the design of the URL structure.

General recommendations for URL

  • Minimize the number of alternative URLs leading to the same content to avoid unnecessary requests for your site. Google may not immediately understand that two URLs refer to one page, which leads to additional load.

  • If the server of your site does not distinguish the upper and lower register of letters in the URL, make sure that all URLs are written in one register to simplify indexation.

  • Each page in the Paginated results should have a unique URL. Especially often errors are found in pagination.

  • Add descriptive words along the URL path to so that Google understands the content of the page better.

    Recommended: /Product /Black-T-SHIRT-WITH-A-WHITE-COLLAR

    Not recommended: /Product /3243

Recommendations for the use of parameters in the URL

To facilitate Google indexing your site, follow these recommendations when using parameters in the URL.

  • Use the parameters of the type of? Key = Value instead of simple? Value, so that Google is easier to understand the structure of your site.

    It is recommended: /Photo-Frames? Page = 2, /t-shirt? Color = green

    Not recommended: /Photo-Frames? 2, /t-shirt? Green

  • Do not use the same parameters twice. Google can ignore one of them.

    Recommended:? Type = Candy, Sweet

    Not recommended:? Type = Candy & Type = Sweet

  • Avoid the use of temporary parameters, such as sessions identifiers, tracking codes, values depending on the user (for example, location = Nearby), and the parameters of the current time. This will lead to short -term or duplicated URLs.

    Recommended: /t-shirt? Location = uk

    It is not recommended: /t-shirt? Location = Nearby, /t-shirt? Current-Time = 12: 02

How Google understands the URL for the grocery options of your site in Google

On online stores, the question often arises of how to build url if the product is available in several sizes or colors. Each combination of product attributes is called a product option. In order for Google to index these options correctly, create unique URLs for each of them.

  • The path, for example, /t-shirt /green
  • Request parameter, for example, /t-shirt? Color = green

If the query parameters are used for variations of the goods, it is recommended to specify the URL without a canonical parameter to help Google better understand the connection between options.

Using the URL in the content of your site in Google

For the correct indexing of products and their options in Google, follow the best practices of using the URL in the content of your site:

  • Use the same URL for internal links, site card files and tags . For example, if you refer to the first page in a plowed sequence, always indicate or exclude? Page = 1 from the URL.
  • Use a self -reference tag On all indexed pages and include these URLs in the site card.
  • For goods with unique URLs for each option, use the tag For each option of goods, pointing to the main page of the product.
  • Add links directly to the pages using tags ; Do not use JavaScript for navigation. Googlebot may not detect navigation through JavaScript.
  • Use descriptive phrases between tags And , for example, the name of the goods to which the link leads. Avoid using phrases like "Click here."
  • Do not refer to pages without useful content. If the category is empty, use the Noindex methag. If the category was deleted, return the status of 404 (not found).

Recommendations to improve indexing your site in Google

The navigation structure of the online store for a better understanding of Google

How to help Google understand the structure of navigation of your online store to promote the best categories and products of your site in Google.

The best practices of Pagination for Google

How to use pagination on the site to properly index your content in Google.

URL optimization for facet navigation of your site in Google

How to optimize the indexation of a large number of URL with facet navigation in Google.

For additional assistance in SEO questions for your site in Google, contact our SEO compania "Seo.computer" by e-mail info@seo.computer Or through WhatsApp +79202044461.

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