Google Revises URL Structure Guide, Adds New Practical Examples

Google has revised its guidance on URL structure, expanding its best practices documentation with detailed examples. The update is designed to offer clearer direction for site owners, developers, and SEOs working to create more accessible and optimized URL formats. This article outlines what’s changed, what it means for your website, and how to align your current URLs with the updated recommendations.

Why URL Structure Still Matters in 2025

URLs remain a foundational element of how content is organized and accessed on the web. While Google has advanced in interpreting different formats, the structure of your URLs can still influence crawling, indexing, and user understanding.

A well-structured URL provides three main benefits:

• It helps users understand the page content before clicking.

• It improves crawl efficiency for search engine bots.

• It reduces confusion in site architecture and maintenance.

The latest documentation reflects Google’s commitment to clear, consistent practices for web professionals.

What’s New in Google’s URL Structure Documentation

Google updates its URL structure best practices document with added examples to show real-world scenarios of both good and problematic URL formats. The new version doesn’t change fundamental advice but provides more practical insights and common errors.

Some of the key additions include:

1. Clear Examples of Optimal URL Paths Google now illustrates preferred URL formats using examples like:

• ✅ /products/women/shoes instead of ❌ /prdct-wmns-23?type=7

These clean, descriptive URLs are easier for users to read and provide better context to search engines.

2. Use of Hyphens Over Underscores or Concatenation The document emphasizes using hyphens (-) to separate words in URLs. For example:

• ✅ /blog/seo-url-tips

• ❌ /blog/seourltips or /blog/seo_url_tips

3. Avoiding Dynamic Parameters When Possible Though Google can crawl and index dynamic URLs (those with ?id=123), the new guidance suggests keeping URLs static where possible.

• ✅ /category/kitchen-appliances/toasters

• ❌ /product?id=487&cat=14&sub=toasters

While not penalized outright, dynamic URLs can limit performance in search and analytics reporting.

4. Duplicate Content From URL Variations Google highlights the issue of duplicate content caused by slight URL changes. The updated documentation advises consolidating or canonicalizing URLs to avoid indexing multiple versions of the same content. Examples include:

• /article

• /article/

• /article/index.html

Ensuring consistent linking and use of rel=“canonical” helps maintain SEO integrity.

How to Align Your Site With Google's Recommendations

To comply with the updated best practices, follow these steps:

1. Conduct a URL Audit Use tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console to review your current URL structure. Flag dynamic, unclear, or overly long URLs for revision.

2. Use Consistent URL Formatting Ensure uniform formatting across all pages. Avoid mixing lowercase and uppercase letters or adding unnecessary extensions like .html or .php unless required.

3. Simplify URL Hierarchies Keep URLs as short as practical. Limit subfolders to maintain clarity.

• Good: /blog/seo-trends-2025

• Better: /seo-trends-2025 (if the blog structure allows)

4. Apply Redirects Correctly If changing URLs, use 301 redirects to preserve SEO signals. Monitor for crawl errors after implementation to ensure smooth transitions.

5. Use Canonical Tags Where Necessary When multiple URLs point to the same content, use canonical tags to inform Google of the preferred version. This is especially useful for e-commerce product filtering or tracking parameters.

Addressing Common Misconceptions

Despite improvements in how Google interprets URLs, certain myths persist. Here’s what the updated document clarifies:

• Myth: Keywords in URLs are critical ranking factors. → Reality: Keywords help users and may offer slight context, but they’re not major ranking signals.

• Myth: Dynamic URLs are always bad. → Reality: Dynamic URLs are acceptable but should be managed carefully to avoid duplication and crawl inefficiency.

• Myth: Changing URLs will boost rankings. → Reality: Unnecessary URL changes can harm SEO unless properly redirected and justified.

Summary of Google’s Updated Guidance

Google updates its URL structure best practices document with added examples to provide a more visual and actionable guide for site optimization. These changes don’t alter the core principles but enhance understanding and help avoid common implementation issues.

For website owners, developers, and SEO professionals, aligning with this documentation is part of maintaining long-term site health and visibility in search results. As websites grow in size and complexity, URL clarity becomes even more essential.

Conclusion

The recent update to Google's URL structure best practices document underscores the importance of clarity, consistency, and simplicity. With added examples, web professionals now have clearer guidance on how to build URLs that are both user- and search-friendly.

If your site has not reviewed its URL structure in a while, now is the right time. Use the update as a checklist to improve both your technical SEO and user experience.