Welcome to our comprehensive guide on removing dates from permalinks in WordPress. In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of permalinks and provide you with expert insights on why and how to remove dates from your permalink structure.

By following these recommendations, you can optimize your website’s user experience, click-through rates, and search engine visibility.

Permalinks serve as permanent URLs that allow visitors and search engines to access your content efficiently. They consist of your domain name and a unique slug for each page or post on your WordPress website. By default, WordPress includes dates in permalinks, but this may not always be ideal for organizing your site’s content.

When visitors encounter long, unreadable, or non-specific URLs, it can create confusion and hinder their overall experience on your site. By removing dates from permalinks, you can create concise and descriptive URLs that are easier to read and understand. This optimization enhances the navigation experience, increasing the likelihood of visitors exploring and engaging with your content.

Advantages of Removing Dates

1. Improved User Experience

Consider the frustration that arises when users encounter URLs with long strings of numbers and dates. By removing dates from permalinks, you can provide a cleaner and more intuitive browsing experience for your visitors. Opt for descriptive slugs that offer a glimpse into the content of the page, making it easier for users to identify and access the information they seek.

For example, instead of a permalink like:

www.linkilo.com/2023/05/21/wordpress-tips-and-tricks

you can have a more user-friendly permalink such as 

www.linkilo.com/wordpress-tips-and-tricks

This simple adjustment improves the overall usability and accessibility of your site.

2. Increased Click-Through Rate

Dates in permalinks can negatively impact the click-through rate of older posts. When a search engine result displays a blog post with a date from several years ago, users may perceive it as outdated and be less inclined to click on it. By removing dates, you create timeless permalinks that remain relevant and appealing to users, driving higher click-through rates and increased traffic to your content.

Consider the difference between these two URLs when users are searching for WordPress tutorials:

URL with date: 

www.linkilo.com/2018/03/15/wordpress-tutorials

Updated URL: 

www.linkilo.com/wordpress-tutorials

The updated URL is more likely to attract clicks from users who are looking for up-to-date information, thereby boosting the overall visibility and engagement of your content.

3. Enhanced Search Engine Optimization

When it comes to optimizing your WordPress site for search engines, removing dates from permalinks can significantly impact your search rankings. By incorporating relevant keywords, categories, or post names into your URL structure, you increase the chances of your content appearing higher in search results.

Let’s say you have a recipe blog, and you want to rank for a search query like “chocolate chip cookie recipe.” By having a permalink like www.linkilo.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe, your post has a much higher chance of appearing prominently in search results compared to a permalink with a date like www.linkilo.com/2022/05/01/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe.

Optimizing your permalinks in this manner aligns your URLs with users’ search intent, leading to improved organic traffic and better overall SEO performance.

Things to Think About Before Changing Dates

If your WordPress blog is new, you can change your URL structure without any worries. But if your site has been around for a while, here are some things to consider:

  • SEO Effects: Changing URLs can lead to ‘Page Not Found’ errors, which might affect how users and search engines see your site. This might also show up as errors in your Google Search Console.
  • Links and Shares: Your older articles’ links might stop working, which can affect your SEO. Social media shares might reset too, as most share counting services don’t follow redirected URLs.

It’s important to deal with these issues to keep your website’s SEO and user experience good.

Now that you understand the advantages of removing dates from permalinks, let’s explore how to make this adjustment in your WordPress admin dashboard. Follow these steps:

  1. Sign into your WordPress admin dashboard via yourdomain.com/wp-admin.
  2. Click on “Settings.”
  3. Select “Permalinks.”

In the Permalink Settings, you will find various options for configuring your permalink structure. Choose the structure that best suits your needs, such as “Post name” or a custom structure that includes relevant categories or keywords.

For instance, if you have a blog about travel destinations, you might choose the custom structure /%category%/%postname%/, which results in permalinks like www.linkilo.com/travel/rome-travel-tips.

Remember to save your changes, and WordPress will automatically update your permalinks accordingly. This simple configuration can have a profound impact on your site’s organization and user experience.

Setting Up Redirects for SEO

After taking out the dates, you’ll need to set up 301 redirects. These redirects keep users from getting lost if they use an old link and let search engines know about your new URLs, which helps keep your SEO rankings.

Simple Instructions for Setting Up 301 Redirects

  1. Choose a Redirect Plugin: Start by choosing a redirect plugin that’s easy to use and reliable. There are several free and paid options available in the WordPress plugin repository.
  2. Install and Activate the Plugin: Install and activate your chosen plugin through your WordPress dashboard.
  3. Set Up Redirects: Use the plugin to set up 301 redirects from your old URLs (with dates) to the new date-free URLs. Most plugins will have a user-friendly interface to guide you through this process.

Conclusion

By removing dates from your permalinks in WordPress, you can enhance the user experience, increase click-through rates, and improve your search engine visibility. With a more streamlined and descriptive URL structure, your visitors will find it easier to navigate your site, resulting in higher engagement and better overall satisfaction.

Implement the recommended steps outlined in this guide, and don’t hesitate to reach out to our expert support team at Linkilo for assistance. Together, we can optimize your permalinks and elevate your WordPress website to new heights.