Guides URL structure optimization for SEO: readability, hierarchy, and best practices.
When invoking
On
first use
, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On
subsequent use
or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
Scope (On-Page SEO)
URL hierarchy
Path structure, categories, depth
URL format
Static vs dynamic; omit file extensions
URL slug
See
url-slug-generator
for slug creation (3–5 words, under 60 chars)
Duplicate variants
See
canonical-tag
for HTTPS, www, trailing slash
Initial Assessment
Check for product marketing context first:
If
.claude/product-marketing-context.md
or
.cursor/product-marketing-context.md
exists, read it for site structure.
Identify:
Site structure
Categories, subcategories, content types
Current URLs
Existing patterns and issues
Multi-language
URL structure for zh/en (e.g., /zh/, /en/ or subdomains)
Best Practices
URL Guidelines
Principle
Guideline
Readable
Use words, not IDs;
/blog/seo-guide
not
/p/12345
Short
Shorter is generally better; avoid unnecessary depth
Keyword
Include target keyword when natural
Lowercase
Use lowercase; avoid mixed case
Hyphens
Use hyphens to separate words:
seo-guide
Avoid
Special chars, query params for core content, session IDs
Hierarchy
Pattern
Example
Use
Flat
/page-name
Simple sites
Category
/blog/post-name
,
/tools/tool-name
Content sites
Nested
/category/subcategory/page
Deep hierarchies (keep shallow)
Multi-language
Pattern
Example
Path prefix
/zh/page
,
/en/page
Subdomain
zh.example.com
,
en.example.com
ccTLD
example.cn
,
example.com
Static vs Dynamic vs Pseudo-Static URLs
Type
Example
Use
Static
/blog/seo-guide
Direct file; best SEO; content stable
Dynamic
/product?id=123
Program-generated; avoid for indexable content
Pseudo-static
/blog/seo-guide
(rewritten from
.php
)
Combines both; common in CMS
Rule
Prefer static or pseudo-static; if dynamic, keep params ≤2; use
canonical-tag
and
robots-txt
(Clean-param)
File Extensions
Omit
.html
,
.php
,
.aspx
— keeps URLs technology-agnostic, shorter, easier to refactor
Example
:
/seo-guide
not
/seo-guide.html
URL Parameter Handling
Scenario
Approach
UTM / tracking
Canonical to base URL; params in query string only
Search results
Canonical to search page; avoid indexing result URLs
Filters / sort
Canonical to base; or
robots-txt
Clean-param
Session IDs
Use cookies; never in indexable URLs
Use Cases
Scenario
Focus
New site
Plan hierarchy upfront; avoid later restructuring
Migration
301 mapping; canonical; see
canonical-tag
Large site
Dynamic URLs, params, multi-language — canonical + robots
SEO audit
Check structure, params, canonical consistency
Common Issues
Issue
Fix
Long URLs
Shorten; remove redundant words
Dynamic params
Use canonical; clean params in robots (Yandex Clean-param)
Mixed case
Redirect to lowercase
Changed URLs
301 redirect old to new
Output Format
URL structure
recommendation
Slug
conventions
Hierarchy
for key content types
Redirect
plan if changing URLs
References
:
Alignify URL optimization
;
Google URL guidelines