What is an URL Handle?
Understanding URL Handle in E-commerce
Quick Definition
A URL handle is the unique, SEO-friendly portion of a web address that identifies a specific webpage, typically representing the page's content in a readable, concise format. In e-commerce, it's the clean, simplified version of a product or page name used in the website's URL structure, optimized for both user experience and search engine indexing.
Understanding URL Handles in E-commerce
What Makes a Great URL Handle?
- •Readable: Clear, human-understandable text
- •Concise: Short and to the point
- •Descriptive: Reflects page or product content
- •SEO-Friendly: Includes relevant keywords
URL Handle Best Practices
Use Lowercase
Prevents URL inconsistencies and potential duplicate content issues
Separate Words with Hyphens
Improves readability and SEO performance
Avoid Special Characters
Prevent potential URL encoding issues and improve compatibility
Keep It Short
Aim for 3-5 words maximum
Examples of Good vs. Bad URL Handles
| Type | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Good Handle | womens-leather-jacket | Clear, descriptive, keyword-rich |
| Bad Handle | product12345_new | Unclear, non-descriptive, lacks keywords |
| Good Handle | summer-beach-sunglasses | Specific, readable, includes context |
| Bad Handle | item-234-a | Meaningless, provides no information |
URL Handles and E-commerce Performance
Well-crafted URL handles are crucial for both user experience and search engine optimization. They help potential customers understand page content before clicking and improve your site's search ranking potential.
Tools like Growth Suite can help merchants analyze page performance and ensure that URL handles are effectively supporting conversion strategies. By creating clean, descriptive URLs, you make it easier for customers to navigate your site and for search engines to understand your content.
Remember: A great URL handle is your first opportunity to communicate value to both users and search algorithms.
Put URL Handle into Practice
Ready to apply these concepts to your store? Growth Suite provides the tools you need to implement effective url handle strategies.
Other Terms in "U"
- UGC (User Generated Content)
- UI (User Interface)
- Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
- Unit Price
- URL Shortening
- User Intent
- User Session