In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, standing out from the competition is a constant challenge. For merchants with large product catalogs or for merchants in highly competitive industries, a
In this blog post, we’ll explore how customizing your URL structure can help your search engine visibility, improve user experience, and ultimately increase traffic to your online store.
Why SEO is Important for Business Owners
If you’re an eCommerce entrepreneur, you’ve probably heard about the importance of SEO. But why does it matter so much?
Simply put, SEO is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). Higher positions mean more visibility, which can translate into more traffic and ultimately more sales.
Consumers rely heavily on search engines to find products and services in today’s digital environment. If your business isn’t appearing on the first page of search results, you’re missing out on potential customers. Investing in SEO can make your products more discoverable, leading to more traffic and a higher conversion rate.
What are custom slugs?
Custom slugs are specific parts of a URL that you can customize to better reflect the page’s content. The slug is the part of the URL that follows the domain name and is usually separated by dashes.
For example, in the URL “
Now compare the two URLs. Which one do you think customers are most likely to click on?
- onlinestore.com/products/733g894hy5 — the slug is not adapted
onlinestore.com/products/denim-jacket — A custom slug is easy to understand and looks more professional and trustworthy.
Using custom slugs allows you to create more descriptive and
Shoppers are more likely to click on URLs when they are clear and concise
Why Custom Slugs Are Important for SEO (and Your Business)
Now let’s see exactly how custom slugs can help up your SEO game:
Improved SEO-ranking
Search engines like Google prefer short and descriptive URLs. A simplified URL structure not only helps search engines crawl your site more efficiently, but also makes your links look cleaner and more professional.
By removing unnecessary elements such as numbers and special characters, you can create URLs that are simple and easy to read.
Improved user experience
User experience (UX) is a crucial factor that search engines consider when ranking websites. Simplifying your product URLs can greatly improve the user experience by making your site easier to navigate.
Additionally, descriptive custom slugs increase the credibility of the URL. When users see a clean, descriptive URL, they’re more likely to click on it and trust the content behind it.
This increased confidence can lead to higher
Easy to share and remember
Short custom URLs are much easier to share, whether via social media, email, or anywhere online. When your product URLs are short and to the point, customers can easily remember them and share them with others. This easy sharing can greatly increase your site’s reach and attract more potential customers.
You’ll also appreciate the convenience of custom slugs when sharing product links in your marketing campaigns.
Improved navigation
A clean URL structure makes it easier for users to understand the hierarchy and organization of your site. This improved navigation not only improves the user experience, but also encourages visitors to spend more time exploring your products. The longer visitors stay on your site, the higher the chance you will convert them into paying customers.
Creating custom slugs for products
Given the importance of custom slugs to SEO, choosing an ecommerce platform that supports them is critical. If your online store does not allow customization of product and category URLs, it can prevent you from fully optimizing your SEO strategy.
Take Lightspeed’s Ecwid for example. It is a powerful e-commerce platform designed to help business owners succeed online.
One feature of Ecwid is its ability to create custom slugs for your product and category URLs. With Ecwid, you have complete control over your URL structure, allowing you to optimize for SEO and improve user experience.
An example of a custom slug for an Ecwid store product URL
Ecwid
This level of customization gives you the flexibility to create a cohesive and effective SEO strategy.
Sign up for Ecwid to create a new online store or migrate your existing online store to Ecwid.
Creating custom slugs for products and categories in your Ecwid couldn’t be easier. It literally takes a few clicks in the product or category settings. See the Ecwid Help Center for details.
Customizing the slug for the product in the Ecwid admin
Note: Creating custom slugs is only available for the latest version of Instant Site. Here’s how to find out what version you have.
Best practices for making your own slugs
Now let’s go over best practices for customizing URLs:
Evaluate your current URL structure
Start by assessing your existing URL structure. Identify any elements that are complex, lengthy or irrelevant. Look for opportunities to simplify and streamline your URLs to make them even better
Include relevant keywords
Keywords are the backbone of any SEO strategy. Make sure your custom slugs contain relevant keywords that accurately describe the content of the page. This inclusion helps search engines understand the context of your page and increases your chances of ranking higher in search results.
For best results, add keywords when customizing your product URLs
Remove unnecessary elements
Remove numbers, special characters, and other unnecessary elements from your URLs. Focus on creating clean, descriptive URLs that clearly convey the purpose of the page. This simplification not only improves SEO, but also improves the overall user experience.
Common pitfalls to avoid
When creating your own slugs, keep these common mistakes in mind to ensure your URLs are optimized for SEO and user experience:
Overstuffed keywords
While incorporating keywords into your URL is essential, overdoing it can backfire. Keyword overuse makes URLs look spammy and can negatively impact your SEO. Aim for a natural balance that increases readability without compromising on SEO.
Ignoring URL consistency
Consistency is key when it comes to URL customization. Make sure the URL structure follows a consistent pattern across the site. This consistency not only improves SEO, but also makes it easier for shoppers to navigate your online store.
Some other ways to improve SEO for an online store
Custom slugs are just one aspect of SEO. Here are some other ways to improve your online store’s search engine rankings:
Register your own domain name
A domain name is the unique address of your website. For example, if you want to visit the Ecwid website, you would enter ecwid.com.
To succeed in search engine optimization, your website must have its own domain instead of using the default domain provided when you set up a new store. A unique domain helps to consolidate your content, links, keywords and other SEO elements, thereby increasing the performance of your website.
Ecwid resellers can easily purchase a custom domain from an Ecwid administrator. It is set automatically so no manual configuration is required. Plus, you can generate the domain name with AI to speed up the process!
Domain name generation using AI in the Ecwid store
Everything you need to know about registering your own domain for your online store can be found in this article:
Learn more: The easiest way to buy a domain for an online store
Optimize product descriptions and titles
Make sure product descriptions and names are descriptive, accurate and
To speed up the generation process
Set up a 301 URL redirect
If your site has inactive or deleted pages, it is important to set up proper redirects from the old URLs to the new ones. Failure to do so may result in broken links and poor user experience. Use 301 redirects to ensure that customers and search engines are redirected to the correct pages.
If you use Ecwid for your online store, setting up 301 redirects is a piece of cake right in the Ecwid admin. They are especially useful if you move your store to Ecwid from another e-commerce platform.
Creating redirects in the Ecwid store
Learn how to set up a 301 redirect in the Ecwid Help Center.
Start improving your SEO
In the competitive world of e-commerce, making your products more discoverable is critical to success. Custom slugs are a powerful tool that can improve your SEO, improve user experience and boost
Ecwid makes it easy for business owners to create their own slugs. With an intuitive interface and powerful features, Ecwid allows you to optimize your URLs and achieve better SEO results. Don’t miss the opportunity to improve your online presence – start using custom slugs today and see what a difference they can make to your business.