Post by bitheerani11223 on Oct 26, 2024 8:53:31 GMT
The URL is one of the elements to take into account when it comes to optimizing your website's SEO . We already know that the URL is the address that allows you to access a page, not only the main one, but also the indexed ones . But today I want to talk to you about URL parameters , a series of text strings that are added to the address and that serve to modify not only the content , but also the functionality of the site. Why are these parameters so important for SEO?
What are URL parameters?
URL parameters can modify the content and functionality of the site. They also allow you to collect data about user behavior, adapting to their experience . Remember that UX is essential to increase traffic to the website , dwell time, and generate conversions.
I already mentioned that URL parameters are simply text strings that are added to the address of the page, modifying its content and functionality. These text strings are the ones that are added after a question mark (?) .
URL parameters improve user experience
As I explain below, parameters can be of different types and include multiple elements that follow after the question mark (the start of the parameters). For example, parameters can include a layout , discovery layout, how the user arrived at the page, etc.
How URL Parameters Work
URL parameters are capable of changing the content and behavior of a website without the need to create a separate URL. When a user enters a page with a parameterized URL, the server reads the parameters, adjusting the content of the website. It does all of this without generating many separate pages.
Parameters always include the format “key=value” . “Key” is what social media marketing service you want to set or track, while “Value” is what defines the key. Traffic ( which is what you track), indicates the source , i.e. where the users are coming from. This could be, for example, Facebook, so the URL parameter would be “fb”.
If we take Facebook and its ads as a reference , we find that this type of URL will include parameters like “utm_medium=cpc” . In this case, “utm_medium” is the key and refers to the average traffic . On the other hand, “cpc” (PPC) is the cost per click . Facebook URLs with parameters also include codes like “utm_campaign”, a key that serves to indicate the name of the campaign . It is important to note that a URL can have several parameters and these separate the “key-value” pair by an “&” sign.
Types of URL parameters
Active parameters
Active parameters are those that dynamically change the content and functionality of the website to meet the needs of users. These URL parameters include keywords . For example, if a user searches for “Apple Airpods” and enters one of the pages that Google displays (an online store), the URL parameter will display the user’s search terms.
What are active parameters for?
Modify the behavior and appearance of page elements. This serves to optimize the user experience and adjust it to what the user has defined. For example, Google's dark theme.
Personalize content . Active URL parameters allow you to tailor the content shown to the user to match their preferences, history, and behavior. This makes for a highly personalized experience. For example, when searching in an online store or booking accommodation, if you apply filters to narrow down the results, the URL is automatically modified.
It helps in creating dynamic content , so that it adapts to user preferences, contextual information, etc. For example, if you search for restaurants, shops, and even check the weather, URL parameters will show you results in your location, once you enter the website.
URL parameters can be active and passive
Passive parameters
Passive parameters are those that are used for tracking and analysis , but do not change the functionality or content of the page. These types of parameters collect data , but they need to be configured in different ways. Web developers usually add them manually when creating a website. However, when users enter the website, the parameters can be generated automatically .
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Additionally, servers can also create these parameters, so that content is organized . Marketing tools can also add passive tracking parameters to URLs, so that it is possible to see the performance of specific campaigns.
Why are URL parameters important?
It's clear that URL parameters are a great way to improve user experience . A good experience ultimately translates into increased website traffic , dwell time , and conversions . But beyond bringing benefits to your business, URL parameters also help analyze marketing campaigns . These parameters are important because they allow you to:
Identify which channels drive traffic to your page.
Understanding the behavior of users and visitors on the website. For example, which sections are most visited, the time spent, etc.
Adapt content and user experience based on visitor behavior.
Evaluate performance and ROI .
Measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
Make changes to improve your marketing and SEO strategies.
I want to point out that Google, the most widely used search engine, also understands URL parameters . Basically, Google's spiders (crawlers) crawl the parameters, in order to then index them . The fact that Google participates in this crawling and indexing is a great way to know which parameters matter and which ones can be left out.
Google's crawling process is not perfect, so it is essential to know how to manage parameters correctly.
Do URL parameters affect SEO?
You already know that the URL is vital for SEO , but I must tell you that sometimes parameters can become a problem when it comes to optimizing positioning . These text strings harm your SEO strategy in several ways.
Google recommends that links be short and precise
Duplicate content
When using URL parameters to sort or filter items on a website , multiple URLs may display nearly identical content, which can confuse Google. As a result, the search engine may have a hard time identifying which version of a page is best for users. In other words, Google would not know which page to display.
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Crawling budget
Crawling is a method that allows websites to start showing up in Google search results. The search engine has a time limit for crawling the content of a single website, and this is known as the crawl budget . Keep in mind that there are over a billion active pages on the Internet today. Why is this so important? Because when the website has many parameter variations, it can cause problems with the crawl budget.
That is, the crawler would have to spend a lot of time crawling pages that are practically similar. When the Google spider crawls your website, if there is duplicate content , it would waste a lot of time crawling and indexing these pages, overlooking other pages that are more valuable.
Unoptimized URLs
When too many parameters are added to the URL , the result is a long and uncomfortable address for users. Google, in fact, has several suggestions regarding URL structures. For the search engine, it is best for links to be short , with simple and easy-to-read structures .