SEO Glossary: Permalink

 

 

Dynamic link or permalink? Permalink usually wins!

A dynamic link changes. A good example of this are news pages and blogs whose content is constantly updated: If new content is regularly published under the link "http://www.blog-beispiel.com/aktuelles", there is no permalink. In these cases, it makes sense to assign a dynamic link.

 

The situation is different for news pages and blogs, where content from certain time periods is grouped together under one URL. All websites that were created in one month, for example, can then be collected under one URL that refers to the content from this month. As the content from this month does not change, the content under the URL remains the same and a permalink can be used.

 

Ultimately, the decision for or against the use of permalinks depends on the URL structure and the concept of the online presence. Over the last few years, permalinks have become increasingly important because they are beneficial for long-term link building. The internal links set between the subpages of your own website and the backlinks received from other websites remain constantly up-to-date when using permalinks and there are no dead links.

 

 

 

 

The importance of a good URL structure: About speaking permalinks and click depth

A good URL structure is essential for a successful online presence. The sitemap of a website is symbolic of the URL structure. As a table of contents of the website, it provides an overview of how all subpages are hierarchically structured and related to each other. The flatter the hierarchies are, the more subpages the search engine crawlers can examine during a visit to the website; this is because the crawl budget is limited.

 

It is said that you should define URLs that go to a maximum of 3 directory depths. This recommendation also applies to permalinks. Take, for example, a website with several categories and hierarchically structured subpages:

 

• The main page, i.e. the domain and therefore the URL of the start page, is the first directory depth: https://www.ernährung-beispielwebsite.de/
• This is followed by the second directory depth, one of the categories that deals with a specific sub-topic and thus organizes the content of the website thematically in a meaningful way: https://www.ernährung-beispielwebsite.de/ernährungstrends/
• Next is one of the articles that belongs to the category mentioned. This page is located in the third directory level and is named as follows: https://www.ernährung-beispielwebsite.de/ernährungstrends/low-carb

 

A URL structure with a maximum of three directory depths is not feasible for every web project. Larger platforms, encyclopaedias and comparison portals often work with more directory depths. The disadvantage that the crawl budget is quickly used up as a result is offset by the large amount of content and several internal links, among other things. If, on the other hand, there is the possibility, the low directory depth is preferred in online marketing and especially in on-page SEO.

 

The flat hierarchy of websites also has advantages for users: website visitors find it easier to click through the content of the website and gain a more compact impression of the topics. In addition - if you create a logical structure and this is reflected in every URL - it is easier for users to find their way around and categorize the URLs thematically. URLs that reveal something about the content of a page and its thematic classification are referred to as "speaking URLs".

 

Speaking URLs are popular among users and search engine algorithms alike and play a role in search engine optimization that should not be underestimated. Taking up the example from the list above again, it is noticeable that every URL has something to say:

 

• https://www.ernährung-beispielwebsite.de/ -> Diese URL verrät das Thema der gesamten Domain. Es geht um Ernährung.
• https://www.ernährung-beispielwebsite.de/ernährungstrends/ -> Aus dieser URL lässt sich schlussfolgern, dass in der Kategorie – als ein Sub-Thema – mehrere Ernährungstrends erläutert werden.
• https://www.ernährung-beispielwebsite.de/ernährungstrends/low-carb -> Jeder Nutzer und jede Suchmaschine merkt bei dieser URL, dass der Inhalt von dem Ernährungstrend „Low-Carb“ handelt.

 

This structure, together with the terms "nutrition", "nutrition trends" and "low-carb", not only provides users and search engines with useful information about the respective subpage, but also allows them to draw conclusions about a subject area or part of the entire website.

 

 

Permalinks are a must in online marketing and off-page SEO!

The term "permalink" is a portmanteau of "permanent" and "hyperlink". As such, the term expresses what is most important about a permalink: the hyperlink is permanently available.

 

Due to the permanent availability, so many years can pass: Users will always find the relevant content under the link. For example, they can save the respective website as a bookmark, come back after 3 months and make a purchase or perform another action via the website. The permalink therefore allows the website operator to exploit more customer and conversion potential.

 

Permalinks are a must in connection with off-page SEO, especially backlinks. In online marketing, buying, renting and exchanging backlinks are frequently used principles to improve the organic ranking of websites. Backlinks are by far the most effective measure of off-page SEO and at the same time almost the only one.

 

If changes are made to links, the backlinks will no longer work. In view of the great added value for online marketing that backlinks offer, their permanent availability and long-term functionality should be ensured. If the link no longer works, it is a "broken link" or "dead link". This means that the link juice obtained via this link is lost. This problem does not occur with a permanent link - provided that all other technical criteria for the functionality of the link are met.