Talking URLs, also known as semantic or user-friendly URLs, are web addresses that are structured in a way that is easy to understand and follow. They contain clearly recognizable words instead of cryptic strings that are difficult for humans to read. Speakable URLs are beneficial to both search engines and website visitors because they better reflect the content of the page, providing an improved user experience and better discoverability in search results.
Speaking URLs structure
In contrast to non-speaking URLs, which often consist of numbers, letters and special characters, speaking URLs are made up of meaningful words and phrases. They are logically structured and often use keywords that describe the content of the respective page. For example, it is easy to deduce from the URL "www.beispielshop.de/schuhe/damenschuhe" that it is a page about women's shoes.
Advantages of speaking URLs
- Usability: Talking URLs are easier for users to understand and remember. This contributes to a better user experience and increased user satisfaction.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Using talking URLs with relevant keywords can improve a website's ranking in search results, as search engines can better capture the content of the page.
- Social media and link sharing: Since talking URLs are easier to read and understand, they tend to be shared more often and can therefore achieve a higher reach.
Implementation of speaking URLs for web projects
The implementation of speaking URLs can be done differently depending on the content management system (CMS) or web development environment. With some CMSs such as WordPress, speaking URLs are usually generated automatically or can be customized via appropriate settings. For individually developed web projects, it is advisable to implement a clean, logically structured URL architecture right from the start.
Summary
Talking URLs are user-friendly and search engine optimized web addresses that present the content of a page in a clear way. They contribute to an improved user experience and better findability in search engines. Speaking URLs should always be considered when creating web projects to achieve optimal results for users and search engines.
