What it is
A page address made of words rather than numbers: /services/websites instead of /index.php?id=73. It is easy to read, to dictate and to understand from the search results what the page is about.
How we use it
Every address on our sites is made of words that match the page. When moving off an old CMS we check how it really built addresses: in Joomla an article address depended on the menu item, not the category, and the redirect map was built from the real addresses.
Where it helps a business
- Page addresses look like
/index.php?id=73&cat=5 and are awkward to send to customers. - You want the address in search results to show what the page is about.
How we use it
- Words that match the page. Addresses on our sites are short words:
/services/websites, /cases/internet-magazin-rubashek. - Checking how the CMS really built addresses. In the Joomla migration Joomla turned out to build article addresses from the menu item, not the category, so redirects were built from the real addresses.
Common problems
- Addresses changed without redirects. All rankings start from zero.
- Non-Latin characters in addresses. They work, but turn into a long string of percent codes when copied.
- Addresses that are too long. Two or three words are enough.
When you do not need it
Closed sections such as an admin panel need no readable addresses: they are not in search.