What is URL Folders?


What You Need to Know about URL Folders

Clear Hierarchy Signals Relevance

Folder depth and naming tell search engines how important pages are relative to your homepage. Shallow, descriptive folders like /services/ typically rank better than deeply nested structures like /a/b/c/services/.

Consistent Structure Aids Crawling

Logical folder organization helps search engine bots crawl your site efficiently. Sites with predictable patterns allow crawlers to discover and index pages more effectively than chaotic structures.

Keyword-Rich Folders Provide Context

Including relevant keywords in folder names (like /seo-services/ instead of /category1/) gives search engines additional context about page content and can improve rankings for those terms.

Avoid Excessive Depth

Google can crawl deep folder structures, but pages buried five or more levels deep often receive less authority and crawl priority. Keep important pages within three folder levels when possible.

Subdomains vs. Subfolders Matter

Subfolders (site.com/blog/) typically pass more authority to your main domain than subdomains (blog.site.com). Use subfolders for content you want to benefit from your root domain’s authority.

Folder Changes Require Redirects

Changing folder structure without proper 301 redirects loses accumulated page authority and creates broken links. Plan folder architecture carefully during initial site development to avoid costly restructuring later.


Frequently Asked Questions about URL Folders

1. How deep should URL folders go for SEO?

Keep important pages within three folder levels of your homepage. While search engines can crawl deeper structures, excessive depth dilutes page authority and reduces crawl priority for buried content.

2. Should I use keywords in folder names?

Yes, descriptive keywords in folder names provide search engines with content context and can improve rankings. Choose clear, relevant terms that reflect actual content rather than keyword stuffing.

3. Do subfolders or subdomains work better for SEO?

Subfolders generally work better because they consolidate authority under your main domain. Subdomains are treated more independently, which means they don’t benefit as much from your root domain’s established authority.

4. Can I change my URL folder structure?

You can change folder structure, but it requires careful planning and proper 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones. Without redirects, you’ll lose accumulated page authority and create broken links that harm rankings.


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Related Terms

2XX Status Codes

HTTP status codes from 200-299 confirm successful request processing and proper server-client communication.

2xx status codes

HTTPS

HTTPS is the secure, encrypted web protocol that protects data transmission and serves as a confirmed Google ranking signal.

HTTPS

Information Retrieval

Information retrieval is the science of finding and ranking relevant content from large databases in response to queries.

Information Retrieval

De-Index

Deindexing means to remove pages from search indexes to prevent them from appearing in search results and potentially harming site performance.

De-index


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