Google’s John Mueller has put down some robust language in opposition to altering your URLs for website positioning causes alone. He mainly stated generally, altering URLs can have a detrimental impression on website positioning and that you just most likely mustn’t change URLs only for website positioning causes.

This got here up in two completely different websites, one on Reddit and the opposite on Twitter over the course of the identical 24-hour interval.

John wrote on Reddit “In case you’re an website positioning, and billing by the hour to implement this alteration, then it will assist your backside line. Will it assist the location? Very, very not often (if they’ve horrible URLs which you can’t even copy & paste, perhaps). Will a change negatively have an effect on the location for some time till it is reprocessed? Most likely. Some threat + often no acquire = … ?”

That’s some robust language in opposition to altering URLs for website positioning causes…

Then John wrote on Twitter “In case you change URLs, you need to do redirects per web page. There isn’t any most variety of redirects per website. Additionally, doubtless you are capturing your self within the foot for some time for no seen acquire. Change URLs for actual causes, not for handwavy “good for website positioning” causes.”

Possibly even robust language in opposition to altering URLs.

I’ve additionally by no means been a fan of adjusting URLs for website positioning causes. In truth, my previous tales on this website nonetheless have the unique URL construction, as a result of I did not need these URLs to vary for website positioning causes. I’d typically go to nice lengths to keep away from altering URLs for website positioning and different causes, even whether it is extra work for my builders.

Discussion board dialogue at Reddit and Twitter.