What is a URL? What elements does it consist of and what should it look like?

What is a URL?

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a unique identifier for a resource on the Internet. It consists of a string of characters that indicates the location of a particular page, file, image or other web resource. A URL works similarly to a street address – it uniquely identifies the location of a resource, allowing access to it. Every resource on the Internet, whether it is a web page, document, image or video, must have its own unique URL.

What elements does a URL consist of?

Each URL consists of several key elements:

1. Protocol – determines how the browser and server communicate. The most commonly used protocols are:
   • http:// – basic data transfer protocol,
   • https:// – a secure version of HTTP with SSL/TLS encryption.
   • ftp:// – used for file transfer.
   • mailto: – used to open email clients.
2. Domain name (host) – is the unique name of the server where the site is located, e.g. mojastrona.pl. It can include:
   • Main domain – e.g. google.com
   • Subdomain – e.g. blog.mysite.com
3. Path – points to a specific place in the structure of the site, e.g. /blog/guide-seo. Thanks to it, the user and search engines know what sub-page the address leads to.
4. Query parameters – additional information passed to the server, preceded by a ?, e.g. ?product=shoes&color=black. Parameters are often used in e-commerce systems and on sites with content filtering.
5. Anchor (snippet) – specifies a particular section on the page, marked with #, e.g. #contact. Useful for internal linking and for reducing site navigation time.

How to check the URL?

Checking a URL in your browser is very simple. We will show you how to check the URL in all the most popular places:

• On a computer – the URL is located in the browser address bar.
• On mobile devices – often shortened, but you can expand it by clicking on the address bar.
• In Google search results – the URL of a page is displayed under its title.
• In the source code – by right-clicking and selecting “Show page source”, you can see what URLs are used in links.
• In the webmaster tools – Google Search Console allows you to check the indexed URLs and their statuses.

What are the types of URLs?

There are several types of URLs:

1. Absolute addresses – contain the full path, such as https://examplesite.pl/contact.
2. Relative addresses – refer to the path relative to the current page, e.g. /contact.
3. Canonical addresses – indicate the main URL for a given content, preventing duplication.
4. Dynamic addresses – generated on the fly, e.g. https://mojastrona. pl/?id=123&kat=shoes.
5. Return addresses – used after an action has been performed, e.g. after a login.

What do friendly URLs look like?

Friendly URLs are those that are easy to read, short and descriptive. They should:

• contain relevant keywords, e.g.: for a category with red dresses in e-commerce, the URL should look like this: www.mojsklep.pl/red-dresses/product-name/
• avoid unnecessary special characters and parameters, i.e. avoid e.g.: question marks “?”, unnecessary strings of numbers or other strange parameters
• use hyphens instead of underscores (- instead of _),
• be written in lowercase letters,
• have a logical navigation structure.

Semantic URLs

Why do we mention this type of URLs? Because semantic URL-e are addresses that are understandable to users and describe the content of the page. Thanks to their clarity, they make navigation easier, and their meaning can be read without analyzing the page’s source code. If you use semantic URL-e – you will improve the user experience and help search engines better classify and index your content. Such addresses are easier to remember, more intuitive, and increase the chance of higher rankings in search results. In addition, semantic URLs eliminate the problem of addresses containing random characters, which can be difficult to understand and inconvenient to use.

Why is a website address important?

Your URL is of great importance to the performance of your site. Its structure directly affects SEO, user convenience and security. Search engines, such as Google, analyze your URL to determine the hierarchy and relevance of the content on the page. If you structure it well, you increase your chances of ranking high in search results, and users are more likely to click your link. A well-thought-out URL structure helps you maintain a logical order on your site, making it easier to navigate for both visitors and Google’s robots. A clear and descriptive URL builds user trust in your site, eliminating the risk of clicking on suspicious, complicated addresses. It’s worth keeping in mind that well-optimized URLs improve e-commerce conversion rates and make it easier to share content on social media and other digital channels. In addition, clear and structured addresses allow you to better track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and monitor website traffic, which can help you further optimize.

10 rules for creating correct URLs

Here are 10 rules to help you create effective, optimized and friendly URLs:

1. Use HTTPS – e.g. https://examplesite.com instead of http://examplesite.com. This will ensure an encrypted connection and increase user trust.

2. Maintain readability – instead of https://examplesite.com/p=12345, use https://examplesite.com/products/sports-shoes, which will allow users and search engines to better understand the content of the site.

3. Use dashes instead of underscores - https://examplesite.com/products/sports-shoes, is more readable than https://examplesite.com/products/sports_shoes. Dashes improve the interpretation of the address by search engines.

4. Avoid unnecessary special characters – addresses like ttps://examplesite.com/!@#$%^&*() can look suspicious and be difficult to remember. Bet on simple and clear URLs.

5. Use lowercase letters – https://mysite.com/Blog and https://mysite.com/blog can be treated as two different addresses. Using lowercase letters minimizes the risk of errors.

6. Add keywords – if you are running a store, it is better to use https://mywebsite.com/shoes-sports-nike instead of https://mywebsite.com/produkt123, which will help SEO and improve the visibility of the site.

7. Limit the address length – shorter addresses, such as https://mywebsite.com/contact, are easier to remember than https://mywebsite.com/user-section/contact-detail/page-contact.

8. Keep a logical structure – if you have categories, use a hierarchy, e.g. https://mojastrona. pl/clothing/mens/shirts, which makes your site easier to navigate and tidy.

9. Avoid dates in addresses – instead of https://mywebsite.com/blog/2023/05/10/seo-guide it is better to use https://mywebsite/blog/seo-guide, which will allow you to update the content without changing the URL.

10. Use canonical addresses – if your site has multiple language versions or variants, set a canonical URL, e . g. https://mywebsite.com/blog, as the main URL to avoid duplicate content and improve indexation.

Summary

A URL is the foundation of any website. Properly structuring and optimizing it affects SEO, UX and overall site effectiveness. Taking care of URL structure is a step towards better SEO, good site organization and greater user convenience.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

What is an example of a URL?

An example URL is https://www.google.com or https://mywebsite.com/blog. In practice, every resource available on the Internet has its own unique URL that leads directly to it.

How to check the URL?

You can check a URL by looking at the address bar in your web browser. For links on web pages, you can hover over the link with your mouse and see the address in the lower left corner of the screen, or right-click and select “Copy link address.”

What does URL mean?

URL is an abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator, which means uniform resource locator. It is an exact web address pointing to a specific resource, such as web pages, images, documents or videos.

How to copy a URL?

To copy a URL, right-click on the link and select “Copy Link Address”. If you want to copy the address of the currently open page, select the entire address in the browser bar and use the shortcut Ctrl + C (Cmd + C on Mac).

Where is the URL?

The URL is located in the browser’s address bar, at the very top of the screen. Every web page you open has its own unique address, which you can see and copy there.

How to shorten the URL?

If the URL is too long, you can use link shortening tools such as Bit.ly, TinyURL or Google URL Shortener. This allows you to create a shorter and easier to remember version of the original address.

How to copy a URL from YouTube?

To copy the URL of a YouTube video, click the “Share” button under the video and select “Copy Link.” You can also copy the address directly from the address bar in your browser if the video is open on a full page.