URLs are both an interface for users and a signal for search engines. Good structure is simple, stable and descriptive.
Principles
- Readable — /best-coffee-grinders, not /p?id=4823
- Short — fewer, meaningful words
- Lowercase and hyphenated — avoid underscores and capitals
- Stable — do not change URLs without redirects
- Descriptive — the path hints at the content
Avoid
- Dates in evergreen content (/2026/09/post) unless it is news
- Session IDs and tracking parameters in canonical URLs
- Deep nesting (/a/b/c/d/e/page)
- Changing slugs for minor edits
Hierarchy vs flat
Short flat URLs are easy to share; hierarchies communicate structure. A shallow hierarchy with descriptive slugs is a good balance — for example /tools/faq-schema-generator.
If you must change a URL
Set up a 301 redirect to the new URL and keep it permanently. Generate the rules with the free redirect generator, and update internal links so you do not create chains.