# URL Structure & Best Practices — SEO for Developers

Source: https://www.geekswithgeeks.com/en/seo-developers/seo-url-structure

> Design URLs that are clean, descriptive, and SEO-friendly.

## What makes a good URL

Good URLs: use hyphens (not underscores), include keywords, are short, and are descriptive. Bad URLs: use numbers, special characters, or are cryptic. Example: `/blog/seo-for-developers-2025` beats `/blog/post-123.html`.

## Avoid query strings

Query strings (`?page=1&sort=date`) can create duplicate content and confuse crawlers. Use clean paths whenever possible: `/blog/page/2` instead of `/blog?page=2`.

## Stick with lowercase

`/Blog` and `/blog` are technically different URLs on servers with case-sensitive URLs, creating duplicates. Always use lowercase for consistency.

## Test URL changes with 301s

If changing URL structure, test with 301 redirects on a small subset of pages first. Monitor rankings for 4-6 weeks before rolling out site-wide.