Google’s John Mueller has put down some robust language in opposition to altering your URLs for search engine optimization causes alone. He mainly mentioned generally, altering URLs may have a damaging impression on search engine optimization and that you just most likely mustn’t change URLs only for search engine optimization causes.
This got here up in two completely different websites, one on Reddit and the opposite on Twitter over the course of the identical 24-hour interval.
John wrote on Reddit “When you’re an search engine optimization, and billing by the hour to implement this alteration, then it will assist your backside line. Will it assist the positioning? Very, very not often (if they’ve horrible URLs that you may’t even copy & paste, possibly). Will a change negatively have an effect on the positioning for some time till it is reprocessed? In all probability. Some threat + normally no achieve = … ?”
That’s some robust language in opposition to altering URLs for search engine optimization causes…
Then John wrote on Twitter “When you change URLs, you need to do redirects per web page. There isn’t any most variety of redirects per website. Additionally, probably you are capturing your self within the foot for some time for no seen achieve. Change URLs for actual causes, not for handwavy “good for search engine optimization” causes.”
Perhaps even robust language in opposition to altering URLs.
I’ve additionally by no means been a fan of fixing URLs for search engine optimization causes. In actual fact, my previous tales on this website nonetheless have the unique URL construction, as a result of I did not need these URLs to vary for search engine optimization causes. I’d typically go to nice lengths to keep away from altering URLs for search engine optimization and different causes, even whether it is extra work for my builders.
