Page URL Settings for SEO Optimization: Which is Better, Characters or Numbers?
Are you debating whether to set your page URL to characters or numbers for search engine optimization (SEO) of your blog or website? In this article, we compare the pros and cons of character-based URLs and numeric-based URLs and suggest the optimal method for website address configuration. Check out how page URL decisions impact user experience and click-through rates (CTR), and find tips for SEO-effective post address settings.
Importance of Page URL Settings from an SEO Perspective: Characters vs. Numbers
One of the key factors to consider for SEO optimization when running a blog or website is the page URL setting method. Specifically, choosing whether to use characters or numbers for a post address is more than just a technical issue; it deeply affects search visibility and user experience. Many SEO experts recommend character-based URLs. Although Google may not treat the URL string as a direct ranking factor, it positively influences indirect factors like user experience and readability. It is crucial to understand the impact of page URL settings on CTR, ease of sharing, and the structural navigability of a website.
In this post, we will clearly compare the pros and cons of character-based URLs and numeric-based URLs and analyze which approach is better suited for a long-term search engine optimization strategy.
Character-Based URLs vs. Numeric-Based URLs: A Clear Comparative Analysis Table
The following table provides an at-a-glance comparison of the primary advantages and disadvantages of setting page URLs with characters versus numbers. Each method offers different strengths in terms of SEO, system performance, and user experience.
| Criteria | Character-Based URL | Numeric-Based URL |
|---|---|---|
| SEO Impact (Indirect) | Excellent: Readability, improved CTR, potential for keyword inclusion. User-friendly address settings contribute to SEO. | Average: No direct ranking impact. Provides insufficient information to users. |
| User Experience / Readability | Best: Content can be inferred, easy to remember, and highly reliable. Easy to share on social media. | Lowest: Content cannot be inferred; appears as a random string. |
| System Performance Efficiency | Average: URLs can become long or complex. | Excellent: Short and concise, uses database IDs directly to minimize server load and improve processing speed. |
| Maintenance Stability | Caution required: Title changes require URL modification and 301 redirects. Consistency can be difficult to maintain. | Best: URL remains constant even if content changes, easy to maintain uniqueness. A structure that requires no URL changes. |
| Security/Privacy | Inadequate: Content topic can be exposed through the URL alone. | Good: Prevents title/content exposure, advantageous for protecting sensitive information. |
In addition to the above, clear character URLs can improve click-through rates (CTR), and maintaining URL consistency is a vital element for SEO indexing. Numeric URLs offer systemic advantages in large-scale service environments.
How to Set Page URLs for SEO Optimization
Ultimately, from an SEO perspective, character-based URL settings are considered more advantageous due to their positive impact on user experience and click-through rates (CTR). Character URLs clearly communicate the content topic to both users and search engines, maximizing indirect SEO benefits.
Recommended Best Practices for URL Settings
- Small-scale/Content-driven blogs and websites: We strongly recommend using character-based URLs that include core keywords (including related keywords). This is the best way to maximize SEO effectiveness when deciding page addresses. (e.g.,
/seo-url-character-numeric-comparison) - Large-scale websites and platforms: Use numeric-based URLs (Unique IDs) for system efficiency (ease of maintaining uniqueness, system performance optimization), but ensure that title tags or anchor text provide sufficient information and keywords to users. (e.g.,
/articles/123456)
Regardless of the method chosen, maintaining a consistent website address structure across the entire site is the most important factor for search engine crawling and indexing. Additionally, it is best to keep URLs short and concise.
Q1. Is using non-English characters (like Korean) in a page address good for SEO?
A1. Directly using non-English characters in page addresses is not recommended. Depending on the browser, these characters undergo an encoding process (percent-encoding) and turn into long, complex strings, which significantly reduces readability and can cause issues when sharing. Instead, it is better to use English or English-numeric combinations that include core keywords. This is also more suitable for SEO strategies using long-tail keywords.
Q2. When putting keywords in a URL, should I use dashes (-) or underscores (_)?
A2. Google explicitly recommends using hyphens or dashes (-) as word separators. Search engines may not recognize underscores (_) as word boundaries and might instead view the connected words as a single term. Therefore, to optimize for SEO, you must use dashes (-).
Q3. Is it okay to change an existing page address?
A3. Changing a page URL causes the original address to result in a 404 error; therefore, you must set up a 301 redirect (permanent move) from the old URL to the new one. Through a 301 redirect, you can safely transfer the existing page's SEO value to the new page. It is best to minimize changes once a page address has been established.