How to Create a Custom Permalink: Rules & Best SEO Practices
Writer: Exponect.com Team
Creating
a custom permalink is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to improve
your blog’s SEO and user experience. A permalink is the URL of a post or page
on your website. A clean, well-structured URL not only helps search engines
understand your content but also makes it easier for readers to remember and
share your page.
In this
guide, we will cover universal rules and SEO best practices for creating custom
permalinks, without diving into platform-specific steps like WordPress or
Blogger.
1
What is a Custom Permalink?
A custom
permalink is a URL that you define manually for your blog post or webpage,
instead of using an automatically generated URL by your platform.
Why it
matters:
SEO:
Search engines use URLs to understand your page’s topic.
User
experience: Clear, readable URLs are easier to share and remember.
Click-through
rates: A descriptive URL can encourage people to click on your link.
Example:
Auto-generated
URL: www.exponect.com/?p=123
Custom
permalink: www.example.com/custom-permalink-rules-seo
Clearly,
the second URL is shorter, readable, and keyword-rich — perfect for both users
and search engines.
2
Common Rules for Creating a Custom Permalink
(For Blogger
& WordPress)
Whether
you’re using Blogger, WordPress, or any other platform, these rules are
universal:
1.
Keep it
short and clear
Long,
complicated URLs confuse users and search engines. A concise URL conveys the
topic quickly.
2.
Use
lowercase letters
URLs are
case-sensitive in some systems. Lowercase letters avoid confusion and broken
links.
3.
Use
hyphens (-), not underscores
Hyphens
are considered spaces by Google, whereas underscores are not.
Correct: custom-permalink-tips
Wrong:
custom_permalink_tips
4.
Include
the main keyword
This
helps both search engines and readers understand your topic at a glance.
5.
Remove
dates, stop words, and special characters
Words
like “a,” “and,” or “the,” and symbols like ? or & make URLs unnecessarily
long.
6.
Make it
readable for humans
Even if
the URL is SEO-friendly, it should also make sense when read aloud or shared.
7.
Don’t Use Spaces
As a blogger, you
should avoid spaces while creating custom
permalink
Effect of Space in Custom Permalink:
Spaces
in URLs are automatically converted to %20 by browsers, making them ugly and
unreadable.
Example:
https://www.exponect.com/2025/12/how-to-create-custom-permalink-rules-best-seo-practices.html
If you use space then custom permalink becomes like this
www.exponect.com/How%20to%20Create%20Permalink
8.
Don’t use Capital
Letters
URLs can
be case-sensitive on some servers.
Example:
www.example.com/My-Post
≠ www.example.com/my-post
Lowercase
letters avoid broken links and confusion.
3.
Best SEO Practices for Custom Permalinks
Following
these practices ensures your URLs work optimally for both search engines and
users:
1.
Use
lowercase letters only
Avoid
capital letters to prevent broken links or confusion.
Example:
https://www.exponect.com/2025/12/niche-types-and-importance-for-bloggers.html
2.
Use
hyphens (-) instead of spaces
Hyphens
improve readability and are preferred by Google.
Wrong Custom Permalink:
https://www.exponect.com/2025/12/blog_vs_blogger_vs-blogging_key_differences.html
It includes underscores _
Correct Custom Permalink:
https://www.exponect.com/2025/12/blog-vs-blogger-vs-blogging-key-differences.html
It includes hyphens - only ( without
Shift + Hyphen - → produces underscore _
3.
Keep
URLs short and clear
Long
URLs are harder to read and may be truncated in search results.
Focus on
the main topic and remove unnecessary words.
4.
Include
your main keyword
Helps
search engines understand your page’s topic.
Don’t
overstuff; one keyword or a natural phrase is enough.
5.
Match
search intent
Ensure
the URL clearly reflects what users are searching for.
Example:
For a
tutorial, include “how-to” + main topic.
6.
Avoid
dates, numbers, and stop words
Dates may
become outdated, and stop words (like “the,” “and”) clutter URLs.
Clean
URLs are timeless and more shareable.
7.
One URL
= one topic
Each
page should focus on a single topic for clarity and SEO value.
Avoid
combining multiple topics in one URL.
8.
Avoid
changing permalinks after publishing
Changing
URLs can break existing links and hurt search rankings.
If
changes are necessary, always use 301 redirects.
9.
Use
readable, human-friendly URLs
A
visitor should understand what the page is about just by looking at the URL.
Avoid
random numbers or auto-generated strings.
10.
Keep
URLs future-proof
Avoid
including info that may change over time, like categories or dates that might
become irrelevant.
Example
of an Optimized Permalink:
www.example.com/how-to-create-custom-permalink
Clean,
readable, keyword-focused, lowercase, hyphenated, and future-proof.
Mistakes
to Avoid:
For Best SEO Friendly Custom Permalink
Even
small mistakes in your permalinks can hurt SEO and user experience. Avoid:
Keyword
stuffing:
Don’t
cram multiple keywords; it looks spammy.
Auto-generated
or long URLs:
URLs
like ?p=5482&cat=7 are confusing.
Changing
URLs without redirects:
Leads to
broken links, 404 errors, and lost traffic.
Conclusion
A custom
permalink is more than just a URL — it’s an important part of your SEO strategy
and user experience. By following the universal rules and best practices
outlined above, you can make your links short, readable, keyword-rich, and
future-proof, helping both your audience and search engines.
Remember:
A well-crafted
permalink is a small effort with a big payoff for your blog’s growth and
credibility.
This post has been published by Exponect.com Team
Also Read:
How
To Redirect Deleted Post on Blogger To Fix 404 Error