If you are wondering what is WordPress slug? You are at the right place, Here, SEO Syrup will discuss what is WordPress slug and what are the strategies to optimise it for SEO.
WordPress is a popular Website Management System that is widely used to publish content on websites such as Wix and Shopify. WordPress is popular system to publish content online for its user-friendly, free and economical tools. WordPress Slug is one of its prominent features.
So, let’s get started with our blog!
What is WordPress Slug?
A WordPress slug is part of a URL in WordPress that indicates a specific post or page on a website. It is an attractive version of page or post titles (describing what the content is about). That appears after the domain name.
The slug often contains day, month, year, author name, etc., depending on permalink structure. A good slug is short, descriptive and relevant to the content of the page or post it represents.
What is the Importance of WordPress Slug in SEO?
Changing the WordPress slug can ensure many benefits in SEO. In fact, creating a good slug is important for WordPress SEO because it can heavily influence the rankings and user experience. Customising the webpage or web post slug in WordPress means you can include primary keywords, remove unnecessary words or numbers to make it more user-friendly and ensure a higher ranking in SERPs.
Difference Between Permalink and WordPress Slug:
When it comes to permalink and Slug, they are often considered identical. However, there is a difference. When we use Permalink, it is a crucial part of the URL of a page post or content on WordPress. A permalink should not be changed once the content is published online.
On the other hand, Slug is just part of the permalink, and it is like a name of content or post that makes it easy for the readers to understand what is the page about.
Tips To Optimise WordPress Slugs For SEO:
WordPress Slugs can play a vital role in website optimisation as it is helpful for search engine bots and users to find relevant content on SERPs. Here are a few tips to optimise WordPress slugs for SEO.
Target The Keywords:
Keywords in the Slug means you get more chances of high ranking on search engine page results. The researchers and search engines look at the URL to identify the content on the WordPress page. Therefore, it is important to include the primary keyword in a WordPress Slug.
For example, the primary keyword for a blog is “URL structure for SEO. Therefore, the ideal slug looks like this: https://seosyrup.co.uk/url-structure-for-seo/
Simple And Descriptive:
A slug of the post does not need to be long as the title of blog or page post. It is important to keep it short yet precise so more visitors can find it online. The user-friendly slug is helpful to improve high ranking chances in the SERPs.
The post slug does not have to be as long as its title. Keeping your slugs short makes them more user-friendly, improving the chances of ranking higher in SERPs.
For example, your primary keyword is “Global Warming Challenges.” The title can be “Day 22: How to deal with Global Warming Challenges Effectively.”
Delete Redundant Words:
There is no use of putting unnecessary or redundant words in the slug. These words might make slug longer and do not help users to find the relevant content. So if users can find and understand the slug without these words, it is better to exclude them.
For instance, the prepositions and pronouns can be unnecessary such as a, the, on, in, and at, etc.
Avoid Numbers And Dates:
It is better to consider using numbers and dates in the slug. Think what your URL will look like that contains a number with the passing time. Obviously, it will look old or outdated. There is always a possibility to change the post or blog content, but changing the slug means you are putting ranking and traffic at stake.
For example, suppose you are writing a blog on ‘8 ways to optimise web content in 2024’; instead of using, “8-ways-to-optimise-web-content-in-2024” as a slug, you can use the words “optimise-web-content” instead.
Try To Use Redirects:
Sometimes, changing the slug is unavoidable, but once it is changed and content is published online, it will change the entire URL. Therefore, users or search engines will not find the slug without any redirections. Using a redirection is very helpful in avoiding any broken links to the website.
Therefore, you can use redirections like 301 redirects for pages and posts.
Conclusion:
So that’s all about What is WordPress slug, its importance and essential tips to optimise for SEO. By using focus keyword, avoiding numbers and unnecessary words you can ensure the chances of higher ranking in search engine results. Making changes in slug is not difficult and a smart strategy can boost your website unexpectedently.
