SEO On-Page: URL Structure
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 project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-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
Related Skills
website-structure: Plan structure and URL paths; apply url-structure rules after structure is defined
canonical-tag: HTTPS, www, trailing slash — handles duplicate URL variants
url-slug-generator: Slug creation for content pages; length, keywords, format
category-page-generator: E-commerce category URL hierarchy, faceted URLs
products-page-generator: Product URL hierarchy
services-page-generator: Service URL hierarchy
robots-txt: Clean-param for query params
internal-links: URL structure affects link patterns
1---
2name: url-structure
3description: When the user wants to optimize URL structure, fix URL issues, or plan URL hierarchy. Also use when the user mentions "URL structure," "URL optimization," "slug," "clean URLs," "URL hierarchy," "URL path," "permalink structure," "URL best practices," "dynamic URLs," or "URL parameters." For per-page slug wording, use url-slug-generator. For canonical consolidation, use canonical-tag.
4metadata:
5 version: 1.1.0
6---
7
8# SEO On-Page: URL Structure
9
10Guides URL structure optimization for SEO: readability, hierarchy, and best practices.
11
12**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.
13
14## Scope (On-Page SEO)
15
16- **URL hierarchy**: Path structure, categories, depth
17- **URL format**: Static vs dynamic; omit file extensions
18- **URL slug**: See **url-slug-generator** for slug creation (3–5 words, under 60 chars)
19- **Duplicate variants**: See **canonical-tag** for HTTPS, www, trailing slash
20
21## Initial Assessment
22
23**Check for project context first:** If `.claude/project-context.md` or `.cursor/project-context.md` exists, read it for site structure.
24
25Identify:
261. **Site structure**: Categories, subcategories, content types
272. **Current URLs**: Existing patterns and issues
283. **Multi-language**: URL structure for zh/en (e.g., /zh/, /en/ or subdomains)
29
30## Best Practices
31
32### URL Guidelines
33
34| Principle | Guideline |
35|-----------|-----------|
36| **Readable** | Use words, not IDs; `/blog/seo-guide` not `/p/12345` |
37| **Short** | Shorter is generally better; avoid unnecessary depth |
38| **Keyword** | Include target keyword when natural |
39| **Lowercase** | Use lowercase; avoid mixed case |
40| **Hyphens** | Use hyphens to separate words: `seo-guide` |
41| **Avoid** | Special chars, query params for core content, session IDs |
42
43### Hierarchy
44
45| Pattern | Example | Use |
46|---------|---------|-----|
47| **Flat** | `/page-name` | Simple sites |
48| **Category** | `/blog/post-name`, `/tools/tool-name` | Content sites |
49| **Nested** | `/category/subcategory/page` | Deep hierarchies (keep shallow) |
50
51### Multi-language
52
53| Pattern | Example |
54|---------|---------|
55| **Path prefix** | `/zh/page`, `/en/page` |
56| **Subdomain** | `zh.example.com`, `en.example.com` |
57| **ccTLD** | `example.cn`, `example.com` |
58
59### Static vs Dynamic vs Pseudo-Static URLs
60
61| Type | Example | Use |
62|------|---------|-----|
63| **Static** | `/blog/seo-guide` | Direct file; best SEO; content stable |
64| **Dynamic** | `/product?id=123` | Program-generated; avoid for indexable content |
65| **Pseudo-static** | `/blog/seo-guide` (rewritten from `.php`) | Combines both; common in CMS |
66| **Rule** | Prefer static or pseudo-static; if dynamic, keep params ≤2; use **canonical-tag** and **robots-txt** (Clean-param) |
67
68### File Extensions
69
70- **Omit** `.html`, `.php`, `.aspx` — keeps URLs technology-agnostic, shorter, easier to refactor
71- **Example**: `/seo-guide` not `/seo-guide.html`
72
73### URL Parameter Handling
74
75| Scenario | Approach |
76|----------|----------|
77| **UTM / tracking** | Canonical to base URL; params in query string only |
78| **Search results** | Canonical to search page; avoid indexing result URLs |
79| **Filters / sort** | Canonical to base; or **robots-txt** Clean-param |
80| **Session IDs** | Use cookies; never in indexable URLs |
81
82### Use Cases
83
84| Scenario | Focus |
85|----------|-------|
86| **New site** | Plan hierarchy upfront; avoid later restructuring |
87| **Migration** | 301 mapping; canonical; see **canonical-tag** |
88| **Large site** | Dynamic URLs, params, multi-language — canonical + robots |
89| **SEO audit** | Check structure, params, canonical consistency |
90
91## Common Issues
92
93| Issue | Fix |
94|-------|-----|
95| Long URLs | Shorten; remove redundant words |
96| Dynamic params | Use canonical; clean params in robots (Yandex Clean-param) |
97| Mixed case | Redirect to lowercase |
98| Changed URLs | 301 redirect old to new |
99
100## Output Format
101
102- **URL structure** recommendation
103- **Slug** conventions
104- **Hierarchy** for key content types
105- **Redirect** plan if changing URLs
106- **References**: [Alignify URL optimization](https://alignify.co/zh/seo/url-optimization); [Google URL guidelines](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/url-structure)
107
108## Related Skills
109
110- **website-structure**: Plan structure and URL paths; apply url-structure rules after structure is defined
111
112- **canonical-tag**: HTTPS, www, trailing slash — handles duplicate URL variants
113- **url-slug-generator**: Slug creation for content pages; length, keywords, format
114- **category-page-generator**: E-commerce category URL hierarchy, faceted URLs
115- **products-page-generator**: Product URL hierarchy
116- **services-page-generator**: Service URL hierarchy
117- **robots-txt**: Clean-param for query params
118- **internal-links**: URL structure affects link patterns
gabrielmoreira