Good URLs are short, readable, lowercase, hyphen-separated and stable. When a URL does have to change, a server-side permanent redirect (301 or 308) from the old address to the closest equivalent new address passes the signals along and keeps visitors from hitting dead ends. Design URLs so you rarely need to redirect, and map carefully when you must.
URL design rules
Google’s URL structure guidance boils down to a handful of habits:
- Use readable words, not ID numbers. A path that describes the page is easier for people and crawlers to understand.
- Separate words with hyphens. Hyphens mark word boundaries more clearly than underscores or joined words.
- Stay consistent on case. URLs are case sensitive, so /Apple and /apple can be treated as different pages. Pick lowercase and stick to it.
- Keep parameters few. Remove those that do not change the content. Session IDs, referral tags and sorting options often create duplicate URLs.
- Avoid fragments for content. Google generally does not support content that changes via the part after #. Use the History API for JavaScript-driven pages.
- Encode non-ASCII characters properly in links.
Add some habits of your own: keep the hierarchy shallow, mirror the real structure of the site, avoid dates in paths for content that will not date, and never include words you may later change, such as “new” or a year.
| Prefer | Avoid |
|---|---|
| /services/website-design | /index.php?id=482 |
| /insights/url-structure-and-redirects | /Insights/URL_Structure |
| /products/automation-kits | /products/automation-kits-new-2026 |
When you need a redirect
Typical triggers: a rebrand, a platform move, merged pages, cleaning up messy URLs, switching to HTTPS or choosing between www and non-www. These are the moments when a redesign can lose search visibility if redirects are skipped. A platform change often alters URL patterns too, as discussed in Astro vs WordPress.
Redirect types and methods
Google’s redirect documentation distinguishes:
- Permanent redirects (301, 308 and instant meta refresh) signal that the target should be the canonical URL. Use them when you are sure the move will not be reverted.
- Temporary redirects (302, 303, 307) let the source URL stay in results. They suit short-term situations such as a service that is briefly unavailable.
- Server-side redirects are preferred. Meta refresh is for cases where the server cannot do it, and JavaScript redirects are riskier, since rendering can fail and Google may never see the redirect.
Building the redirect map
- Inventory old URLs from sitemaps, analytics, server logs and the CMS, including images and files.
- Map each one to the most relevant new URL in a spreadsheet with columns for old URL, new URL and status.
- Redirect straight to the final destination. Google’s site move guide says to avoid chains and, if unavoidable, keep them to about 3 hops and never more than 5.
- Do not send everything to the home page. The same guide warns that redirecting many unrelated old URLs to one page can look like a soft 404. Merging several pages into one new page is fine.
- Retire the truly gone with 404 or 410 responses.
- Update internal links to the new URLs so visitors do not depend on redirects.
- Test with a crawler or script, and check individual URLs in Search Console’s URL Inspection tool.
How long to keep redirects
Google’s site move guidance says to keep them at least one year, so signals can transfer and links pointing to old URLs are recrawled, and notes that for users, keeping them indefinitely is better. In practice, keep them as long as old links still exist.
Common mistakes
- Redirect chains created by stacking a new redirect on top of an old one.
- Redirect loops caused by conflicting HTTPS and www rules.
- Changing URLs for cosmetic reasons.
- Forgetting parameters, trailing slash variants and uppercase variants.
- Leaving staging noindex rules live on the launch site.
For the conversion side of site structure, see what makes a modern business website convert.
Limitations
Redirects preserve most signals but not rankings automatically, and results can fluctuate for weeks. Server configuration differs by host, so check your platform’s documentation for how to implement rules safely.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Technology division builds and redesigns business websites, including URL planning for platform moves. See /technology or contact us.
Sources
- URL structure best practices for Google Search, Google Search Central
- Redirects and Google Search, Google Search Central
- Site moves with URL changes, Google Search Central
