What Is a Slug and How Do You Optimize It

Content:

1. What Is a Slug?
2. How Do You Edit a URL Slug
3. Why Are URL Slugs Necessary for Efficient SEO?
4. Conduct a Website Audit with Netpeak Spider
5. Final words

Some URLs you stumble upon online are complex and quite lengthy, while others look much simpler and shorter because of the SEO (or URL) slug. A well-groomed slug can increase the visibility of a specific page in search results as well as the likelihood of people clicking on it.

What Is a Slug?

An SEO slug, a URL slug, or a permalink is a keyword added to the URL of a specific page. It follows the domain name and provides you and a search engine with a brief summary of what a web page is about. A URL slug makes it easier for visitors to remember and share the link while surfing the search engines to helpbetter understand the on-page content.

How Do You Edit a URL Slug

It's possible to add and edit a website slug via content management systems. Let's look at how you can change it in WordPress and Shopify since they're among the most popular CMSs out there.

Editing a URL slug in WordPress

Once you're in WordPress, you can locate the field where you can edit a URL slug as soon as you add and edit a post. It will work only if you've set up the proper permalink settings. In case you're not sure about that, it's possible to edit them too. To do so, go to Settings, then Permalinks. It's best to pick an option where the URL contains relevant words; it allows users and search engines to get more information about your page.

Remember not to change permalink settings once your website is already live.

Editing a URL slug in Shopify

To edit an SEO slug via the built-in Shopify feature, you'll need to click on "Edit website SEO" first. Open the Search engine listing preview options, and manage or edit a slug if necessary. Remember that Shopify calls the slug differently — the "handle" — although there's no technical difference.

Why Are URL Slugs Necessary for Efficient SEO?

Now that you know the answer to the question: “What is an SEO slug?”, let's take a look at why it's essential to add it to your URL.

Increase in organic traffic flows

Adding SEO slugs to the URLs of your website pages will help a search engine understand your content better. Moreover, by adding relevant and organic keywords in the URL slug, you let your visitors know that your page (and website in general) is where they can find the necessary information about a specific topic. Eventually, this will improve your website rankings and increase the organic flow of users.

Enhancing user experience

A clear, concise SEO slug also helps enhance the user experience on your website. Your site visitors might feel more comfortable and confident searching your page for the information they need if they see that a URL matches their query. Make sure to add a proper keyword to secure better engagement and a chance of converting your website visitors into loyal customers.

Conduct a Website Audit with Netpeak Spider

To make sure your website slug works just fine, you need to run regular SEO checks. A website crawler tool would be just perfect for that purpose. Try Netpeak Spider — a multi-functional analytical tool that'll run an in-depth checkup for any number of websites or separate pages in just a few moments.

Netpeak Spider can detect URL-related issues and show you the threats they might carry. Moreover, you'll also find a list of useful tips on how to solve each one of them right after the crawling is done.

It's simple to work with a tool: all you have to do is paste the list of the URLs you need to check, select the parameters, and wait until the results are in.

There are other things you can do with our app. Here's a quick overview of some functions Netpeak Spider can provide you with:

Data filters and segmentation

Netpeak Spider crawls your website data segment by segment, letting you choose and focus on the necessary parameters. Thanks to this filtering, you can break the data into separate categories and enjoy customizable options.

Internal PageRank calculator

The PageRank calculator tool evaluates the internal linking of any target page. Hence, you keep track of the link weight distribution and can detect whether your pages get any incoming link equity or burn it all.

Integrations with Google Analytics and Google Search Console

Netpeak Spider enables data retrieval from Google Analytics and Search Console that will enrich your website analysis. You get to track the real-time traffic, SEO goals, conversion rates, and other eCommerce parameters that influence your site's performance.

Final words

SEO slugs are vital for improving your page's high performance, convenient user experience, and high organic traffic flows. This small yet significant element helps search engines and your page visitors understand what your website is about and whether they can trust it. If you want to ensure your slugs work nicely on every page, running regular SEO audits should be a unanimous part of your optimization workflow.

For that purpose, try Netpeak Spider — a powerful website crawler that can detect any kind of URL-related issues and provide helpful tips on solving them. Try it today and boost your slug SEO!