In this post, we’ll dive deeper into how to set up a WordPress permalink structure to optimize your blog for SEO.

Are you wondering how to create URLs that are both user-friendly and search engine-friendly?

I’ll guide you through each step, ensuring your links are clean, concise, and effective.

Permalinks are crucial for your website’s structure, influencing both user experience and SEO performance.

From setting up the initial structure to customizing individual slugs for posts and pages, I’ve got you covered.

I’ll also delve into the importance of maintaining consistent permalinks and how to use 301 redirects if changes are necessary.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a thorough understanding of what permalinks are, how they benefit your site, and best practices for managing them.

Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your existing setup, this post will provide valuable insights and actionable tips to enhance your WordPress blog’s performance.

Let’s dive in…

How to set up an SEO optimized permalink structure for your WordPress blog

If you’re just starting a blog, then you probably hear everyone talking about how you can change everything inside WordPress whenever you want.

Even I say that you can do this, however there is an exception from the rule.

The one thing that you shouldn’t change, unless you really have to, is permalinks and slugs.

This is simply because if you do that, you can loose backlinks, rankings, user experience just to mention a few.

Hence why it’s so important to get it right the first time.

So this is one of the few things on your blog website that is a set and forget kind of deal.

Do it properly once and never change it again unless you have a really good reason to do so.

Here’s how you set up a solid permalink structure for your WordPress blog.

How to set up the WordPress permalink structure

If you’ve never dabbled around in WordPress then I understand that it sounds difficult to set up permalinks correctly.

However, it’s actually a very straightforward process that only includes a few key steps.

Start by logging in to your WordPress dashboard.

If you use Bluehost like me, then once you log in to your Bluehost account, click on “Edit Site”. This will take you to your WordPress dashboard.

Now, in the left side menu, head over to “Settings” then “Permalinks”.

Once there, you’ll see a menu of your permalinks options.

You have these to choose from:

1. Plain:
   • The default setting, which looks like http://example.com/?p=123. It’s not SEO-friendly.
2. Day and Name:
   • Includes the date and post name, e.g., http://example.com/2024/06/02/sample-post/. Good for time-sensitive content like news.
3. Month and Name:
   • Similar to Day and Name but omits the day, e.g., http://example.com/2024/06/sample-post/. Suitable for blogs with regular but not daily updates.
4. Numeric:
   • Uses the post ID, e.g., http://example.com/archives/123. Not user-friendly or SEO-optimized.
5. Post Name:
   • The most SEO-friendly and user-friendly option, e.g., http://example.com/sample-post/. Ideal for most blogs and websites.
6. Custom Structure:
   • Allows you to create a custom URL structure using available tags like %year%, %monthnum%, %postname%, etc. An example could be /blog/%postname%/.

What you want to choose here, if you have a regular blog like mine, is “Post Name”.

So go ahead and check that box.

Once you’ve done the changes, smach “Save Changes” and you’re done.

Tips for choosing the best permalink structure

1. Simplicity and Clarity: Choose a structure that is easy to read and understand. Simple URLs are more likely to be shared and remembered.
2. Keyword Optimization: Use keywords relevant to your content in the URL. This helps search engines understand the topic of your post and improves your SEO.
3. Avoid Dates Unless Necessary: Including dates can make your content appear outdated. Stick to post names unless your content is time-sensitive.
4. Consistency: Keep your permalink structure consistent across your site to maintain a cohesive user experience and avoid confusion.

As you can see “Post Name” checks all of these, so it’s always a solid option.

How to change permalinks (or slugs) for individual blog posts

There are more things you can change than just the overall design of your permalink structure.

It can also be set up for individual blog posts in WordPress, which can help you create more SEO-friendly and descriptive URLs.

These are now called “Slugs” and is basically a unique permalink each and every blog post you publish.

It’s very easy to change these, but again, once a post is indexed in search engines your opportunity to change it is closed.

To start, know that once you create a new blog post and hit “Save Draft”, WordPress automatically creates a slug for you.

This however is typically just your H1 headline, which is good, but now prefect for SEO and user-experience.

So, to alter the slug of your blog post, open the post editor for any of your posts.

From there scroll down to the bottom and you’ll find the Yoast SEO tap (if you have that SEO plugin installed). Click on it to open it.

Then click on the SEO tab and scroll down until you see “Slug”.

Now, Type in a new, descriptive slug that reflects the content of your post. For example, if your post is about SEO tips, a good slug might be seo-tips.

Once you’re happy with your slug, hit “Save Draft” again to update it.

Again, remember that once the post is live and indexed, I don’t recommend that you change it, unless you know how to use 301 redirects, which is covered later in this guide.

My top tips for creating great slugs

1. Keep it Short and Descriptive: Shorter slugs are easier to read and remember. Aim for slugs that clearly describe the content of the post.
2. Use Keywords: Include your target keywords in your slugs to help improve your post’s SEO. Avoid keyword stuffing; focus on natural integration.
3. Avoid Using Numbers: Use only lowercase letters in your slugs. Numbers are okay but if you update a slug for a list then the number can’t be changed. See example below…
4. Make it Human-Readable: Ensure your slugs are easy to read and understand for humans. Avoid using too many technical terms or jargon.

Example

Let’s say you have a post titled “10 Best Practices for SEO”. The default slug might be something like 10-best-practices-for-seo.

You could simplify this to seo-best-practices for a cleaner, more SEO-friendly URL.

Also, if you add a thing to your list so it has 12 items, the slug is still relevant.

How to change permalinks for WordPress pages

Changing the permalinks for individual WordPress pages follows a similar process to modifying blog post slugs.

Start by heading over to the pages menu, and click on “All Pages”.

Once there, click on the title of the page you want to edit and open the page editor.

From here it’s you basically do the same thing as you did with the blog posts earlier.

Scroll down to Yoast SEO > Open SEO tab > Edit Slug > hit update or publish.

And just like with the posts, you want a descriptive slug that reflects the content on the page.

Example

Let’s say you have a page titled “About Our Company”. The default slug might be something like about-our-company.

You could simplify this to about-us for a cleaner, more SEO-friendly URL.

And if your page is about contact information, a good slug might be contact-us.

Simple as that.

How to change WordPress category and tag permalinks

Now that we’ve covered site, pages, and posts, let’s also cover categories and tags.

Why not set up the a permalink structure for them as well, so your new WordPress blog is as complete as can be.

Start by going to “Posts”, then click on “Categories”.

Now, if you don’t have any categories, you can easily create a new one by using the field on the left.

Start by giving it a name, then a descriptive slug, and lastly hit “Add New Category”.

Now the new category you just created will end up in the menu on the right.

To change the permalink for a existing category, hover over the one you want to change, then click “Edit”.

Then, in the new menu, enter the new slug you want to use in the “Slug” field and click “Update” at the bottom.

That’s it, to change permalinks for tags, choose the “Tag” menu on the left and repeat the process you just did.

What is a permalink?

A permalink, short for permanent link, is a URL that leads directly to a specific page or post on your website.

Unlike dynamic URLs that can change over time due to, let’s call it witchcraft, permalinks are intended to remain constant and unchanged.

This consistency is crucial for maintaining the integrity of links shared across the web, whether they are found in search engine results, social media posts, or other websites.

Permalinks come in several forms, including plain, almost pretty, and pretty.

The default structure in WordPress looks like this: http://example.com/?p=123, which is not very user-friendly or SEO-optimized.

In contrast, a “pretty” permalink looks like this: http://example.com/sample-post/, making it more readable and informative.

Why permalinks are important?

Permalinks may seem like a drop in the oceans of things to focus on, but they are too important to ignore.

This is why it’s so important set up WordPress correctly with a solid permalink structure from day one.

Some real life benefits are of doing this right are:

1. Improved User Experience: A well-structured permalink provides users with an immediate understanding of the content they are about to view, which will improve their overall experience on your site.
2. SEO Benefits: Although there is no real proof, I believe that search engines favor URLs that are clean and descriptive. A good permalink structure can enhance your site’s search engine optimization (SEO) by including relevant keywords and providing clear pathways for search engines to index your content.
3. Link Sharing: When your URLs are straightforward and meaningful, it’s easier for your audience to share your content. This can increase your reach and drive more traffic to your site, nice.

As you can see, there are some real benefits of paying attention to how you set up your permalink structure for your WordPress blog.

It’s actually one of the building blocks of creating a well-organized, SEO-friendly website.

How does a good permalink structure benefit SEO

I don’t know how familiar you are to SEO, but there are however a universal rule you need to follow if you want to see some gains with your blog…

You want to be liked, ney loved, by search engines.

Why?

Because they’ll stand for a large portion of the traffic you’ll receive.

So, a well-structured permalink is more than just a clean URL; it’s a somewhat important element in optimizing your blog.

Here’s how a good permalink structure can enhance your SEO efforts:

1. Keyword Inclusion: Including relevant keywords in your permalinks helps search engines understand the content of your page. For instance, a URL like: http://example.com/seo-tips clearly indicates that the page contains tips about SEO. This relevance boosts your page’s ranking for those keywords.
2. Improved Click-Through Rates: Descriptive URLs are more attractive to users. When a URL clearly describes the content, users are more likely to click on it. For example, http://example.com/how-to-boost-seo is more engaging than http://example.com/?p=123.
3. User Experience: Clear and concise URLs improve user experience by making it easier for visitors to understand and navigate your site. A good user experience is a very important factor that search engines consider when ranking websites.
4. Link Sharing: URLs that are easy to read and remember are more likely to be shared across social media and other platforms. This can drive more traffic to your site and enhance your SEO through increased backlinks.
5. Easier Indexing: Search engines index websites by following links. A logical and hierarchical URL structure makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index your site. For example, a structure like http://example.com/category/post-name clearly indicates the relationship between different pieces of content.

Why you shouldn’t change permalinks and slugs after they’ve been set

There is a reason why I call this a set and forget kind of a deal…

Changing your permalinks and slugs after they have been set will crate a cascade effect of problems if it isn’t done right.

Here’s my top reasons why you shouldn’t changes to your permalinks once they’re live:

1. Broken Links: When you change a permalink, any existing links to that URL will break. This includes links from other websites, social media, and even internal links within your own site. Visitors clicking these outdated links will encounter 404 errors, which can be frustrating and may lead them to leave your site altogether.
2. Loss of SEO Value: Your existing URLs may have accumulated SEO value through backlinks, social shares, and search engine indexing. Changing the URL means starting from scratch, as the new URL will not inherit the SEO benefits of the old one. This WILL significantly impact your rankings and traffic.
3. Impact on User Experience: Consistency is key to a good user experience. Frequent changes to your permalinks can confuse visitors and make it harder for them to find the content they are looking for.
4. Indexing Issues: Search engines index your site based on the URLs they have crawled. Changing permalinks can lead to indexing issues, where search engines might index both the old and new URLs as separate pages, resulting in duplicate content issues and diluting your SEO efforts.
5. Time-Consuming Redirects: If you must change a permalink, it’s essential to set up 301 redirects from the old URL to the new one. While this preserves some of the SEO value and directs users to the correct page, it can be time-consuming to manage, especially if you have a large number of pages.

Real-life examples

Consider a scenario where a well-established blog changes its permalink structure.

The immediate aftermath often includes a significant drop in traffic as search engines and users struggle to find the updated URLs.

This can take months to recover, and in some cases, the site might never regain its former rankings.

And without proper 301 redirects andy backlinks they might have will now end up in a 404 error.

Ultimately, there are only two ways to properly fix this…

One, set it up the way you want it from the first day the blog is launched.

Or two, create 301 redirect rules for every URL that is affected by this permalink change.

Why 301 redirects are the solution

As we just established, 301 redirects is a pretty much the only solution to fixing broken permalinks.

At least it’s the only way unless you want to send your blog back to the stone ages and start from zero again.

Below you’ll see three reasons why you 301’s are important.

1. Preserve SEO Value: 301 redirects inform search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new URL. This transfer helps preserve the SEO value of the original page, including backlinks and ranking authority.
2. Prevent 404 Errors: Redirecting old URLs to new ones prevents users from encountering 404 errors, enhancing their browsing experience and reducing bounce rates.
3. Maintain Traffic Flow: Redirects ensure that any traffic directed to the old URL is seamlessly funneled to the new URL, helping you maintain consistent site traffic.

Tools for managing 301 redirects

There are many ways to implement 301 redirects, some hard, some a bit easier.

You could be the cool kid on the block and write these redirects directly into the source code of your site, however most of us aren’t that cool.

For most of us, it’s much more likely that we want to work smart not hard.

And we also want to be a bit lazy, am I right?

So here are a few tools that can help you with 301 redirects:

• 301 Redirects: A popular and user-friendly plugin that helps manage 301 redirects and monitor 404 errors.
• Yoast SEO: A comprehensive SEO plugin that includes a robust redirect manager for handling URL changes efficiently. The only downside is that redirects are a premium feature.
• All In One SEO: Another SEO plugin with powerful redirection management capabilities. Basically this is a direct competitor for Yoast SEO and can do the same things. The only difference is what you like to use.

How to use 301 redirects when you want to change your WordPress permalink structure

Sometimes, changing your permalink structure is unavoidable.

It happens, even to the best of us.

The good news is that we can set up 301 redirects to protect ourselves the best we can from the damage the change caused.

By using these redirects we can minimize our SEO rank drop and ensure that the user experience is on point.

However, you should know that there will always be a little drop in SEO rankings when doing this type of major adjustment to your site.

Anyway, here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up 301 redirects:

Step 1: Install a redirection plugin

To manage 301 redirects effectively, I like to use the plugin called 301 Redirects. This plugin is easy to use, monitors 404’s and is free.

And here’s how you install it:

From your WordPress dashboard, head over to “Plugins” then click on “Add New Plugin”.

In the search bar in the right top corner, enter: “301 Redirects”.

It’ll be the first result called: “301 Redirects – Easy Redirect Manager”.

From there click on “Install Now”, then “Activate” and your ready to move on to step two.

Step 2: Set up a new redirect

After installing and activating the plugin, follow these simple steps to set up a 301 redirect.

From the dashboard, head over to “Settings”, then click on “301 Redirects”.

Now you’ll see the the dashboard, which should be pretty empty in your case.

To add a redirect, do like this:

1. Under “ID” choose 301.
2. Then choose where you want to redirect from. Note that your source URL is already pre filled, all you need to do is to add the permalink or slug afterwards.
3. Now choose where you want the old address to redirect to. I usually pick “Custom” in the dropdown and enter the new URL in full. But there are other options here like page, media, template, etc.
4. And lastly, hit save and you’re done.

Congratulations, your first 301 redirect done in under two minutes.

Now let’s see if it works.

Step 3: Test your redirects

After setting up your redirects, it’s important to test them to ensure they work correctly:

1. Open an incognito window in your browser.
2. Enter the old URL in the address bar.
3. Verify that the old URL redirects to the new URL correctly.

Yes, it’s really is that simple.

Step 4: Monitor and maintain your redirects

Regularly monitor your redirects to ensure they remain functional and update them as necessary.

The good thing about the “301 Redirects” plugin is that it will also show you 404 errors in your WordPress dashboard. So it’s easy to keep track of things.

Conclusion

There you have it, now you know why setting up a WordPress permalink structure is vital for both SEO and user experience.

I’ve walked you through the process of configuring your permalinks, changing slugs for individual posts and pages, plus how you adjust category and tag URLs.

By following these steps, you can create clean, SEO-friendly URLs that enhance your website’s visibility and usability.

And whenever you need to make changes, remember to use 301 redirects to avoid broken links, loss in traffic and SEO issues.

Now I’d like to hear from you:

How have you optimized your permalink structure for SEO on your WordPress blog?

Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.