When a new page is created on a website that uses the Lucid CMS, an optimised URL is generated that will be used as the address for that page. Compare the following URLs…
http://domain.co.uk/index.php?pagid=413&scnid=7
This is typical of a non-optimised CMS URL (Dirty)
http://domain.co.uk/services/research/
This is an optimised URL of the type produced by the Lucid CMS (Meadow Fresh)
So what exactly is an optimised URL?
An optimised URL is one that has been deliberately created using clearly defined rules and conventions that take full advantage of the fact that the page's URL can contain information that is of significant benefit to both humans and robots.
What are the advantages of using optimised URLs?
While it's only been in the last few years that website developers have caught on to the benefits of using optimised URLs, there have always been valid reasons for using them.
Benefits for human visitors
- Visitors know exactly what the page is about, just by looking at the address
- They are very easy to remember and communicate
- Users can use them as a navigation device
Benefits for website owners
- They have SEO value
- They're future proof
- They look both approachable & professional
Benefits for search engine robot visitors
- The URL becomes an abstraction layer to content
How does a URL of this type help with search engine optimisation?
They help in a number of ways, but most relevant is that if other sites link to your pages and use your URL as the link text (which is quite common), they'll automatically include keywords relevant to your page, which improves your search rankings for those terms.
What do the experts think?
When Usability Expert Jakob Nielsen comes out as a big fan of using URL as UI, and Google dedicates over 20% of their Search Engine Optimisation Guide to encouraging you to improve the structure of your URLs, it's time to sit up and listen…