Understanding the concept of the Slug and its usefulness for web and SEO purposes

Through our SEO Agency Optimize 360

on the theme : Technical SEO

The digital world is full of jargon and terms that are often mysterious to novices.

Among them is the word slugwhich is of particular importance in terms of web and referencing natural (SEO).

But what exactly is it?

Why is it important to improve the visibility of a website ?

Definition of a web slug

A slug is the identifier of a page or article on a website.. In practical terms, this is a string of characters that forms an integral part of the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the page concerned.

The URL is the address used by browsers to locate and display specific content on the Internet.

Example URL: https://www.example.com/nos-articles/slug-de-l-article
Slug : article-slug

A slug is a kind of publication name, also known as a text tag, which allows you to quickly locate a page without having to go through the full URL path. It is generally made up of keywords relating to the subject and separated by hyphens (-).

The role of the slug in search engine optimisation (SEO)

The slug plays an essential role in the referencing of an article or web page. This is because, Google and other search engines attach great importance to the structure of URL to assess the relevance of content and determine their position in the search results pages (SERP). The choice of slug is therefore a crucial step in optimising the visibility of a site on the Internet.

The slug as a readability factor

To be effective, a slug must above all be easy for users to read and understand. A well-structured and clearly identified URL increases the chances that users will click on the link presented in the SERPs. There are a number of best practices to follow in order to create a relevant slug:

1. Use keywords : Choose terms that relate directly to the subject of your article or page. For example, for an article talking about the best smartphone brands, a slug such as "best-brands-smartphones" would be appropriate.
2. Use hyphens : Dashes (-) are recommended to separate the different words making up the slug, as they make the URL easier to read and the information more comprehensible.
3. Avoid special characters : Certain characters can make the URL difficult to read and cause display problems. It is preferable to stick to the letters of the alphabet, numbers and hyphens.

The slug to improve content relevance

By including relevant keywords in the slug, you increase the chances that Google will consider your article to be of interest to Internet users searching on these terms. A good choice of keywords will optimise the visibility of your content and generate more organic traffic.

Customising the slug for different CMS

A large number of Content Management Systems (CMS) have been developed. CMS) allow you to easily create and modify slugs for your various pages and articles. Let's find out how to do this with some of the main CMS in existence:

WordPress

In WordPressThe slug is generally found just below the title of the publication. To modify it, simply click on the "Modify" button next to the tag, then enter the new text and press "OK" to confirm.

Note that it is also possible to define a default URL format for all publications by accessing the permalink settings, under the "Settings" tab.

Joomla!

Visit Joomla ! the slug is called an "Alias" and can be found in the "Details" section when editing an item or menu. To change it, simply replace the existing text with the new slug you want and save the changes.

Wix

To change the slug of a page on WixIn the "URL" section, click on the pencil icon to edit the text. In the "URL" section, click on the pencil icon to edit the text and confirm by pressing "Done".

In short, the choice of slug is a crucial step in ensuring the visibility and readability of your publications on the Internet.

Don't hesitate to take the time to choose your keywords carefully and to follow good practice in creating powerful URLs that are adapted to the world of the web and natural search engine optimisation (SEO).