How to fix: Pages with an underscore in the URL

Semrush site audit tips underscore in URL

Issue: Using underscores (_) in URLs can confuse search engines, as they may treat them as part of a single word. Hyphens (-) are better for separating words in URLs, making them easier for search engines to read.

Fix: Replace underscores in your URLs with hyphens. However, if the page already ranks well, it’s better to leave it unchanged.

How to Fix for Beginners

  1. Update the URL Structure: Replace underscores with hyphens for new pages or low-ranking pages.
    • Example: Change yourdomain.com/my_page to yourdomain.com/my-page.
  2. Redirect Old URLs: If you update URLs, set up 301 redirects from the old URLs with underscores to the new URLs with hyphens.
    • Example: Redirect yourdomain.com/my_page to yourdomain.com/my-page.
  3. Avoid Changing Well-Ranked Pages: If the URL is performing well in search results, don’t make changes that could disrupt its ranking.
  4. Use Hyphens for All New URLs: When creating new content, always use hyphens as separators.

Tip: Clean, hyphenated URLs improve readability for both users and search engines.

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