Hyphens or Underscores in URLs: What’s Best For SEO?

If you’re building a website or working in SEO, you’ve probably wondered if the tiny details in a web page’s address really make a difference. After all, your focus is on creating amazing content, not fussing over punctuation, right? Well, the truth is those small details can impact how easily people find your site on search engines like Google.

One of those details is whether to use hyphens (-) or underscores (_) in your URLs (the web page addresses). We know your time is valuable, so we’ll cut to the chase: hyphens are the way to go. But we won’t stop there. We’ll explain why hyphens are Google’s favorite, how to structure your URLs for the best SEO results, and what to do if your site is already using underscores.

Who Should Pay Attention to This?

Anyone who wants their website to be found online should care about URL structure. That includes:

• Business Owners: If you want your products or services to be discoverable by potential customers, having SEO-friendly URLs is crucial.
• Bloggers and Content Creators: Optimizing your URLs can help your articles reach a wider audience and attract more readers.
• Ecommerce Website Owners: Clear and concise URLs can enhance the user experience on your product pages and potentially boost sales.
• SEO Professionals: Understanding URL structure is essential for anyone working in the SEO field.

So, whether you’re a seasoned SEO pro or just starting, read on to learn how this seemingly minor choice can make a big difference in your website’s success.

What’s a URL and Why Should You Care?

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is essentially the address of a specific page or piece of content on the web. It’s what you see in your browser’s address bar when you visit a website. Think of it like a street address that tells your mail carrier where to deliver your package. In the same way, a URL tells search engines like Google where to find your web page and what it might be about.

Now, you might be thinking, “Why should I care about URLs? I’m not a tech whiz!” Here’s why it matters:

• Findability: A well-structured URL makes it easier for search engines to understand your content and show it to the right people. That means more potential visitors finding your website through searches.
• Clickability: If your URL looks messy or confusing, people might not click on it in search results. A clear, descriptive URL can entice users to visit your page.
• Credibility: A professional-looking URL can add a touch of polish to your website and make you look more trustworthy to potential customers.

Hyphens vs. Underscores: The Showdown

The big question is: Should you use hyphens or underscores to separate words in your URLs? While both might seem like small punctuation marks, they’re not treated the same by search engines.

Hyphens (-): Google officially recommends using hyphens to separate words in URLs. They see hyphens as word separators, making it easier for them to understand the individual words in your URL. For example, www.mywebsite.com/best-hiking-boots is clear and easy for Google to read.

Underscores (_): Google doesn’t recognize underscores as word separators. Instead, they see them as joining words together. So, www.mywebsite.com/best_hiking_boots would be interpreted as “besthikingboots,” which doesn’t make much sense.

Feature	Hyphens (-)	Underscores (_)
Google’s Stance	Recommended	Not recommended
Word Separation	Yes	No
Readability	High	Low
SEO Friendliness	High	Low
Example	/best-hiking-boots	/best_hiking_boots

Why Google Loves Hyphens (and You Should Too)

We’ve mentioned that Google prefers hyphens, but let’s dive deeper into why it’s the MVP of URL punctuation:

• Word Separation: Hyphens act like spaces in a sentence, making it crystal clear where one word ends and another begins. This helps Google understand the individual keywords in your URL, improving your chances of showing up in relevant searches.
• Readability: Hyphenated URLs are easier on the eyes for both search engines and humans. They’re cleaner, more organized, and give users a better idea of what to expect on your page.
• SEO Best Practices: Using hyphens aligns with Google’s recommended best practices for URL structure. Following these guidelines shows Google you’re serious about providing a good user experience, which can positively impact your rankings.

Let’s break down how to create SEO-friendly URLs that both Google and your visitors will appreciate.

7 Pro Tips for Crafting URLs That Boost Your SEO

1. Prioritize Clarity and Readability

Your URL should be a concise summary of your page’s content. Think of it as a mini-headline that tells users (and search engines) exactly what they’ll find. A clear, easy-to-read URL encourages clicks from search results and makes it easier for Google to understand your page.

Example: Instead of www.mywebsite.com/blog/post?id=12345, use www.mywebsite.com/best-hiking-boots-for-women

Here are a few more examples:

Example 1: Blog Post

• Before: www.myblog.com/blog/?p=12345 ❌
• After: www.myblog.com/how-to-make-the-perfect-cup-of-coffee ✅

Example 2: Product Page

• Before: www.mystore.com/product.php?id=87654 ❌
• After: www.mystore.com/organic-cotton-t-shirt ✅

Example 3: Category Page

• Before: www.mywebsite.com/category/women_shoes ❌
• After: www.mywebsite.com/womens-shoes ✅

Example 4: Local Business Page

• Before: www.mylocalbusiness.com/location.html?city=New_York ❌
• After: www.mylocalbusiness.com/new-york-city-location ✅

For more information on URL optimization.

2. Strategically Integrate Your Target Keywords

Research the keywords your audience is searching for and incorporate the most relevant one into your URL. This signals to Google what your page is about and helps you rank higher in relevant searches.

Example: If your keyword is “vegan recipes,” your URL could be www.mywebsite.com/delicious-vegan-recipes

3. Embrace Simplicity with Lowercase Letters

While URLs can technically handle uppercase letters, lowercase is the standard for a cleaner, more uniform look. This also prevents any potential issues with case-sensitive servers.

4. Eliminate Unnecessary Clutter (Stop Words)

Stop words like “a,” “the,” “and,” “or,” etc., don’t add value to your URL and can make it longer than necessary. Omitting them creates a more streamlined and focused URL.

Example: Instead of www.mywebsite.com/the-best-hiking-boots-for-women, use www.mywebsite.com/best-hiking-boots-women

5. Harness the Power of Hyphens as Word Separators

As we’ve discussed, hyphens are the gold standard for separating words in URLs. They’re visually appealing, easy to read, and favored by Google’s algorithms.

Example: Instead of www.mywebsite.com/besthikingbootsforwomen, use www.mywebsite.com/best-hiking-boots-for-women

6. Minimize Dynamic Parameters (When Feasible)

Dynamic URLs, which often contain characters like ?, &, and =, can be confusing for search engines. While they may be necessary in some cases, prioritize using static URLs whenever possible. They’re cleaner, more descriptive, and easier for Google to understand.

Example: Instead of www.mywebsite.com/product.php?id=123, use www.mywebsite.com/product-name

7. Establish a Consistent URL Structure

Consistency is key for a positive user experience and SEO success. By using a uniform URL structure across your website, you make it easier for users to navigate and help search engines understand your site’s hierarchy.

Example: If your blog post URLs follow the format /blog/post-title, maintain this structure for all blog posts.

Pro Tip: If you’re using a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, it likely has built-in settings to help you customize your URL structure. Explore these options to ensure your URLs are optimized for SEO.

What If Your URLs Already Have Underscores?

Now, if you’ve been using underscores in your URLs, don’t panic! There’s no need to overhaul everything immediately. While hyphens are preferred, underscores won’t necessarily tank your SEO. If your pages are already ranking well, there’s no urgent need to change.

However, if you’re not seeing the desired results in search rankings, switching to hyphens could be a worthwhile move. Here’s what you need to know:

To Change or Not to Change?

• If you’re ranking well: Leave your URLs as they are. Changing them could cause a temporary dip in rankings as search engines re-index your site.
• If you’re not ranking well: Consider switching to hyphens, especially for new pages or pages that aren’t performing as well as you’d like.

Start
|
v
Are your URLs using underscores?
|
+-- Yes --> Are your rankings satisfactory?
|             |
|             +-- Yes --> No need to change.
|             |
|             +-- No --> Consider switching to hyphens.
|
+-- No --> Your URLs are already optimized!

How to Make the Switch (Safely)

If you decide to make the change, use 301 redirects. This tells search engines that your page has permanently moved to a new address, preserving your hard-earned SEO juice. Here’s how it works:

1. Create a New URL with Hyphens: For example, change www.mywebsite.com/best_hiking_boots to www.mywebsite.com/best-hiking-boots
2. Set Up a 301 Redirect: This automatically sends users (and search engines) from the old URL to the new one, ensuring a smooth transition and minimizing any negative impact on your rankings.

Important Note: If your website has a lot of pages, switching all your URLs at once might not be feasible. Start with your most important pages or those that could benefit most from improved rankings.

The Case of Wikipedia:

You might be wondering why Wikipedia still uses underscores in their URLs and ranks well. While Google prefers hyphens, they understand that Wikipedia is a unique case with a massive amount of content. However, for most websites, following Google’s recommendations is the best way to optimize for SEO.

Check out this page for The Best FIFA Wonen’s Player, for instance. The webpage’s URL is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Best_FIFA_Women%27s_Player, and not The-Best-FIFA-Womens-Player.

If you make a change, Google may penalize you, as this could result in a short-term ranking loss since it’ll have to recrawl, reindex, and interpret the updated URL structure.

Hyphens and Domain Names: A Word of Caution

While we’re singing the praises of hyphens in URLs, let’s address a common point of confusion: domain names. Should you use hyphens in your domain name itself (e.g., www.my-website.com)?

The short answer is: It’s best to avoid them.

Here’s why:

• Memorability: Domain names with hyphens can be harder for people to remember. If someone hears your website address on the radio or in conversation, they might not recall the hyphen, leading them to a dead end.
• Typos: Hyphens can also increase the likelihood of typos. If someone accidentally omits or misplaces the hyphen, they won’t end up on your site.
• Word-of-Mouth Marketing: A hyphenated domain name isn’t as smooth to say or share verbally, which can hinder word-of-mouth marketing efforts.

Instead, opt for a simple, memorable domain name that’s easy to spell and pronounce.

Troubleshooting Tricky URL Structures

Even with the best intentions, sometimes your website might end up with URLs that aren’t ideal for SEO. Don’t worry, though! There are ways to fix those messy URLs and get back on track. Here are some common issues and their solutions:

• Dynamic URLs Gone Wild: If your site generates a lot of dynamic URLs (those with lots of parameters and symbols), it can create confusion for search engines. Consider using a rewrite rule or a plugin (if you’re using a CMS) to make those URLs more static and user-friendly.
• Session IDs in URLs: Session IDs are those strings of letters and numbers that sometimes get tacked onto URLs. They can make your URLs longer and harder to read. Try using cookies instead to track sessions, keeping your URLs cleaner.
• Broken Links: Broken links are bad news for both users and search engines. They can be caused by typos, deleted pages, or changes in your URL structure. Use a tool like Screaming Frog to crawl your website and identify any broken links that need fixing.
• Endless Parameters: Some websites generate URLs with endless parameters that keep going and going. This can be overwhelming for search engines and lead to indexing issues. Use a robots.txt file to block these problematic URLs or consider restructuring your site to avoid them.
• Cluttered WordPress Permalinks: If you’re using WordPress, your default permalink settings might not be the most SEO-friendly. Go to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Settings” -> “Permalinks,” and choose a structure that includes your post name (e.g., /%postname%/).

Key Takeaway: Don’t let messy URLs hold your website back. By addressing these common issues, you can improve your site’s SEO and ensure that both users and search engines can easily access and understand your content.

FAQs: Hyphens, Underscores, and Your SEO Strategy

Q: Are underscores really that bad for SEO?

A: While underscores won’t completely ruin your SEO, they’re not ideal. Google doesn’t recognize them as word separators, which can make it harder for them to understand your content. Hyphens are the preferred choice for optimal SEO performance.

Q: What if my website’s name or brand includes an underscore?

A: If your domain name or brand name already uses an underscore, it’s okay to keep it there for consistency. However, within your individual page URLs, use hyphens to separate words for better SEO.

Q: Do hyphenated URLs look messy on social media?

A: Most social media platforms automatically shorten URLs when they’re shared, so the hyphens won’t be as visible. Even if they are, the SEO benefits of using hyphens outweigh any minor aesthetic concerns.

Q: I’m using a website builder that doesn’t allow hyphens in URLs. What should I do?

A: Some older website builders might have limitations with hyphens. In that case, you have a few options:

• Check for updates: See if there are any recent updates or plugins that enable hyphenated URLs.
• Choose a different platform: If your current platform is outdated and doesn’t support SEO best practices, consider switching to a more modern option that gives you more flexibility.
• Focus on other SEO factors: While hyphens are important, they’re just one piece of the SEO puzzle. You can still improve your rankings by focusing on other factors like quality content, backlinks, and technical optimization.

Q: Are there any other punctuation marks I should avoid in URLs?

A: Yes, it’s generally best to avoid other punctuation marks like commas, colons, semicolons, and apostrophes. These can sometimes cause issues with how search engines read your URLs or how browsers interpret them.

Q: Can I mix hyphens and underscores in a single URL?

A: It’s best to stick with either hyphens or underscores consistently within a single URL. Mixing them can create confusion and potentially harm your SEO.

Q: How do I fix my existing URLs if they have underscores?

A: If you want to switch to hyphens, use 301 redirects to preserve your SEO value. This tells search engines that the page has permanently moved to a new address, preventing any loss of rankings.

Making the Right Choice: Hyphens for the SEO Win

So, what’s the final verdict? Hyphens or underscores in your URLs?

While both can technically work, hyphens are the clear winner when it comes to SEO best practices. They’re favored by Google, easier to read, and align with industry standards.

Key Takeaways:

• Google’s Preference: Google explicitly recommends using hyphens as word separators in URLs.
• Readability: Hyphenated URLs are easier for both humans and search engines to understand.
• SEO Impact: Using hyphens can improve your chances of ranking higher in relevant searches.
• Industry Standards: Most reputable websites and SEO experts advocate for hyphens over underscores.

In Conclusion

While the choice between hyphens and underscores might seem small, it can have a significant impact on your website’s SEO performance. By choosing hyphens, you’re not only following Google’s guidelines but also creating URLs that are user-friendly and easy for search engines to understand.