When it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), your blog’s url (i.e. web address) is highly relevant. One of things you can do to optimize your search engine rankings is to insert keywords into your url.
So for example, if someone goes to Google Search and does a search for baked chocolate chip cookies, which web address do you think Googlebot is going to think is most relevant for its user:
- http://funcooking.com/?p=1
- http://funcooking.com/baked-chocolate-chip-cookies
Number 2, of course. So here’s how you can change your WordPress permalink structure to maximize your site’s search engine optimization.
Doing It Yourself
By following the steps in the video tutorial, WordPress does all the work for you. If you’re good with that, don’t even bother with this part.
If, however, you want to add the code to your .htaccess file yourself, here’s what you need to do.
Go to your blog’s root directory and create a file named .htaccess if there’s not already one there. Once created, open the file and add these lines of code in it:
# BEGIN WordPress
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
# END WordPress
Questions? Leave a comment below.
August 25th, 2009 at 1:29 am
WooHoo John,
I did something right. But…I remember I didn’t set up my blog that way in the beginning and at that time I had to do a permalink “redirect”. Now when I’m setting up new sites, the permalink structure is one of the first things I change.
Great advice, as always.
P.S. Thank you for adding me to your blogroll. You know I truly appreciate that.
BTW: I LOVE this new site. It’s a real beauty. And your photo’s not bad either, you handsome dude.
August 25th, 2009 at 5:43 am
Hey Barbara. Yeah when I first install a new version of WordPress for me or anyone else, this is probably the first thing I do once it’s all installed. I also move my core files out of the root directory.
Glad you like the site and thanks for the personal compliment. I’d like a little better picture though. Maybe one day.
July 5th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
How do I do this without screwing anything up-when I have had it on default since the site started-over a year ago.
July 6th, 2010 at 7:44 am
Hi Marco. Great question. I believe there are some plugins out there which might help you with this.
Try the Permalink Redirect WordPress Plugin and see if that helps.
If you give it a try, please come back and let me know if it worked. I’m curious.
Thanks and I hope that helps.
May 12th, 2011 at 12:33 pm
hi i did as u told in ur post
but i have problem with it ,that is when did like u told me.when we stumbling the post it cannot accepting because it is coding with ‘%’in between post url like http://cini143.com/kim-kardashian%E2%80%93midori-melon-liqueur-trunk-show-in-west-hollywood/ u can observe this ‘%E2%80%93′ in url here,so tell me how can i solve this problem in my site.
May 12th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
Hi cini, looks like you got it all sorted out.