URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. URLs are the locations or addresses for individual pieces of content on the web. Like title tags and meta descriptions, search engines display URLs on the SERPs, so URL naming and format can impact click-through rates. Not only do searchers use them to make decisions about which web pages to click on, but URLs are also used by search engines in evaluating and ranking pages.
Clear page naming
Search engines require unique URLs for each page on your website so they can display your pages in search results, but clear URL structure and naming is also helpful for people who are trying to understand what a specific URL is about. For example, which URL is clearer?
example.com/desserts/chocolate-pie
or
example.com/asdf/453?=recipe-23432-1123
Searchers are more likely to click on URLs that reinforce and clarify what information is contained on that page, and less likely to click on URLs that confuse them.
The URL is a minor ranking signal, but you cannot expect to rank on the basis of the words in your domain/page names alone (see Google EMD update). When naming your pages or selecting a domain name, have your audience in mind first.
Static URLs
The best URLs are those that can easily be read by humans, so you should avoid the overuse of parameters, numbers, and symbols. Using technologies like mod_rewrite for Apache and ISAPI_rewrite for Microsoft, you can easily transform dynamic URLs like this:
http://example.com/blog?id=123
into a more readable static version like this:
https://example.com/blog-post-name
