Question 1

What is the difference between a URL slug and a permalink?

Accepted Answer

A permalink is the full permanent URL of a page (e.g., https://OffRankSEO.com/blog/post). A slug is just the last part that identifies the specific page (e.g., 'post'). Think of the slug as the page's unique identifier within your site structure.

Question 2

Should I use hyphens or underscores in URL slugs?

Accepted Answer

Always use hyphens (-). Google treats hyphens as word separators but does not treat underscores the same way. 'my-amazing-post' is read as three words. 'my_amazing_post' may be read as one long word. Hyphens are the SEO industry standard.

Question 3

How long should a URL slug be?

Accepted Answer

Aim for 50-60 characters maximum. Shorter slugs are easier to read, share, and remember. They also display fully in search results without being truncated. If your title is very long, remove stop words and focus on the core keywords.

Question 4

Should I include the date in my URL slug?

Accepted Answer

Generally no. Dates in slugs make content look outdated quickly and discourage clicks on older but still relevant content. If you must include dates, use the year only and place it at the end: 'seo-tips-2025' not '2025-01-15-seo-tips'.

Question 5

Can I change a slug after publishing?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but with caution. Changing a slug breaks existing links to that page. Always set up a 301 redirect from the old slug to the new one. If the page already ranks well, consider keeping the original slug to avoid losing rankings.

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