How to fix: URLs longer than 200 characters

longer than 200 characters Semrush site audit tips

Issue: URLs longer than 200 characters are not SEO-friendly. They look intimidating to users, reducing clicks, shares, and overall usability, which hurts your SEO performance.

Fix: Shorten your URLs to a reasonable length while keeping them clear and descriptive.

How to Fix for Beginners

  1. Identify Long URLs: Use an SEO tool to find URLs over 200 characters.
    • Example: https://example.com/category/subcategory/specific-page-title-with-too-many-words-and-details
  2. Simplify the Structure: Remove unnecessary words, parameters, or folder levels.
    • Example: Change https://example.com/category/subcategory/this-is-a-long-title-that-needs-shortening to https://example.com/category/short-title.
  3. Use Descriptive Keywords: Keep the URL meaningful and focused on the page’s topic.
    • Example: Replace https://example.com/p=123456789 with https://example.com/product-name.
  4. Set Up Redirects: If you shorten an existing URL, implement a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one.
    • Example: Redirect https://example.com/very-long-url to https://example.com/short-url.
  5. Avoid Dynamic Parameters (If Possible): Replace unnecessary URL parameters with static, readable keywords.
    • Example: Change https://example.com/page?id=123&ref=abc to https://example.com/page-name.

Tip: Short, clean URLs are easier for users to remember and improve your click-through rate and SEO.

Related Posts