Published: December 13, 2021
Google’s John Mueller Says: Putting the Category Name or Topic Name in Your URL Slug Has Zero Impact on Rankings
Google’s John Mueller just said that putting the category name or topic name in your URL slug has no impact on rankings. And he used a GIF to make his point! I am not 100% sure if he meant ZERO, but he used a GIF that says ZERO.
I think John Mueller is right. I don’t think there is any SEO value in putting the category name or topic name in your URL slug. It could even hurt your rankings because it might make your website’s URLs longer and more challenging to remember.
Google did say both in 2021 and 2020 that the impact of keywords in URLs is “very low” – not “zero influence.” However, I believe it’s close to zero?
“How essential is a category/topic in the URL slug?” was the question. He simply stated ZERO.
So what should you do? Leave the category name or topic name out of your URL slug and focus on creating great content to help your website visitors.
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FAQ
What is a website Category?
A website category is a group of pages that have been grouped by a webmaster to share similar characteristics. Categorization makes it easier for visitors to find the type of website they are looking for, and it also helps search engines to more accurately index and rank websites. There are many different ways to categorize websites, but the most common method is by topic. For example, websites about cars would be placed in the “automotive” category, while websites about cooking would be placed in the “food & drink” category. Other common website categories include “news & media,” “sports,” and “shopping.” While most websites fit into one or more of these broad categories, some websites may be assigned to more specific subcategories. For instance, a website about antique cars might be placed in the “automotive” category as well as the “antiques & collectibles” subcategory. Ultimately, the goal of website categorization is to help visitors find the type of information they are looking for as quickly and easily as possible.
What is an SEO slug?
Slugs refer to the end part of a URL after the backslash. It explains the page’s content and, when done right, could benefit your SEO ranking.
