What Not To Do: Long URL

Did you know you can change the URL of a page or post on your website?

When you type in the title of the page or post, CMS will automatically generate a URL that contains most of the words in your title. This can be convenient, but sometimes gives you a very long URL! It is best (and simple!) to avoid a URL that is especially long; today’s blog post will tell you how.

Why should I make a shorter URL?

There are many reasons to keep your URLs short. Firstly, it is good for accessibility purposes: if you have a link to a page and a 200-character URL sitting there, the link is not easily read, visually or otherwise (not to mention the fact that it looks ugly!). Another concern is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – a URL that contains relevant key words and less filler information will be found more quickly and attract more viewers. Did I mention changing your long URL is easy to do?

Steps

1. Edit the page or post that needs a shorter URL
2. Underneath the Title, see the Permalink. Click Edit
3. Type a new ending to the link, using the most relevant key words first. Make sure the URL is unique (don’t duplicate another page from your site).
4. Click OK
5. Update the page

That’s it – five simple steps to making your URL address bar less crowded. Thanks for reading!