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Dash or Underscore in URL? Here’s How It’s Affecting Your SEO

Dash or Underscore in URL? Here’s How It’s Affecting Your SEO
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When creating a website, one important decision you’ll face is how to format your URLs. You probably do not think much about it, but your search engine optimization (SEO) can depend on whether you use dashes (‘-’) or underscores (‘_’). In this article, we’ll explore what is the difference between the two characters, what both mean for your SEO and some best practices for creating user-friendly URLs.

What's the Difference?

Dashes (-)

Dashes (‘-’) are a great way to separate words in URLs, making the URL more readable. For example: ‘www.example.com/this-is-a-sample-url’, the words “this”, “is”, “a”, “sample”, and “url” are clearly separated. This readability benefits not only the end users but also the search engines in better understanding what the page contains, leading to higher overall SEO performance.

Underscores (_)

Underscores (‘_’) are not usually used in URLs. One example of an underscore in a URL is ‘www.example.com/this_is_a_sample_url’. In this format, words are connected by underscores as part of a single word, resulting in losing readability.

Search engines tend to look at underscores as part of a single word while indexing which makes it harder for them to understand the content effectively.

The Importance of URL Structure in SEO

The structure of your URLs is important in terms of SEO. An organized hierarchy of URLs helps search engines understand the relationships between different pages on your site, such as using subdirectories to facilitate clarity of relevance.

A more descriptive format, such as ‘www.example.com/category/page1’, offers context for both users and search engines, rather than a flat structure like ‘www.example.com/page1’. Applying this logical structure consistently improves SEO but also enhances navigation for users and ultimately will lead to a better overall experience on your website.

SEO Impact: Dashes vs. Underscores

How Search Engines Read URLs

Web search engines such as Google read the URLs to understand what a webpage contains. They decode the words in a URL to figure out if it is relevant to any query. This is the point where dashes and underscores come into play.

  1. Dashes are Better
  • Search engines treat dashes as spaces. That means whenever they come across ‘this-is-a-sample-url’, they have read it as “this is a sample URL.”
  • Dashes make your URL easier to read to both search engines and your users.
  1. Underscores are NOT spaces
  • Search engines don't recognize underscores as a space. In this URL, ‘this_is_a_sample_url’, the search engine will read it as one word: “thisisasampleurl.”
  • This makes it trickier for search engines to understand what's going on, which might negatively impact your SEO.

User Experience Matters

Another consideration would be user experience along with SEO. The more readable and understandable the URL is, the better the user experience. Compare dashes and underscores as follows:

Dashes:

  • More readable, more recognizable.
  • Users can easily discern the different words, making it more likely they’ll click on it.

Underscores:

  • Less readable since words can blend together.
  • Users may struggle to easily comprehend what the URL is.

How to Format URLs

To get the best result in terms of SEO and user-friendliness in your URLs, try these best practices:

Use Dashes to Separate Words

Every time you create a URL, you should make sure that you use dashes to separate words. For example:

  • Use ‘www.example.com/what-is-seo’ Instead of ‘www.example.com/what_is_seo’.

Simple and Short

A short URL is usually a better choice for SEO. Try to have a concise URL that still points to the content of the page. For example:

  • Instead of using ‘www.example.com/2024/10/15/why-dashes-are-better-than-underscores-in-urls’, use ‘www.example.com/dashes-vs-underscores’.

Keyword Usage

Use keywords naturally because keyword stuffing can be bad for SEO. Examples:

  • Use ‘www.example.com/budget-phones’, instead of ‘www.example.com/cheap-affordable-budget-friendly-phones’

Avoid Special Characters

Only use letters, numbers, and dashes. Special characters can confuse users and lead to errors. Avoid using symbols like &, %, or #.

The Role of Mobile Optimization in URL Structure

As mobile browsing increases, making your URLs mobile-friendly is crucial for SEO and user experience. Short, clear URLs are easier to read and share on smaller screens. Complicated URLs with underscores can be cumbersome. Using dashes for separation can improve mobile usability and boost your search engine rankings, as search engines favour mobile-friendly sites.

Consistency is Must

Create a unified structure for your URLs across all pages of your website. This will make search engines crawl more easily, and it will go a long way in helping users navigate and understand.

Conclusion

Choosing between dashes and underscores in your URLs might seem minor, but it can significantly impact your SEO and user experience. Search engines prefer dashes between words in URLs, so, dashes are the better option.

Remember, a properly formatted URL is one part of a more comprehensive SEO plan, but it is an important part that assists in climbing that search engine rank.

If you're looking to improve your online presence, consider partnering with an SEO company in Dubai for expert guidance. Next time you build that URL, use dashes and prepare for success!