Using Absolute and Relative URLs in SEO
Commonly known as web addresses or URLs, Uniform Resource Locators specify the address of a webpage on the internet. It also gives you information about the protocols like HTTP or HTTPS. Certain types of URLs are used more in certain environments.
This reading will provide more detail about the two types of URLs, absolute and relative. Knowing both is important to determine whether you are doing SEO correctly.
What is an Absolute URL?
Absolute URLs contain the protocol(https/http), subdomain(www), domain(brandixsoft.co.uk), and the path(/search-engine-optimisation) to the page. In other words, it is a full URL or path of a specific page.
An example would be something like this:
https://brandixsoft.co.uk/search-engine-optimisation/
What is a Relative URL?
A URL containing only a specific page’s path is known as a relative URL. A relative URL assumes that the URL is part of the same domain. It looks something like this:
…/search-engine-optimisation/
Advantages and Disadvantages
Absolute URL
The advantages that absolute URLs enjoy include the following:
- They let you maintain consistency across different pages. This will help maintain a uniform structure and ensure a pleasant UX.
- You can save your website from duplicate content issues and penalties. As they are quite detailed ones, they prevent confusion between different versions of the same site.
- They help Google crawler in the crawling process, thus saving the crawl budget.
- These are easier to link and share externally as they include the protocol and complete webpage address. As a result, if someone is sharing your link, he would be capable of sharing it completely and accurately without the fear of being misled.
- If you want to migrate your site in the future, these are better as they specify the complete address, streamline the migration process and avoid broken links.
The disadvantages are as follows:
- These are usually large and can be difficult to remember, thus making it difficult for users to remember.
- There is a high potential for these links to be broken if a change in domain leads to a 404 error.
Relative URL
The advantages of relative URLs are as follows:
- Coding a large website becomes easier with relative URLs as it is easy for developers to move the website from a coding environment to a production server. They don’t need to adjust the links, as relative URLs will automatically adjust with the new domain.
- They are smaller, simpler, and have fast loading times.
- They are easy to manage during the procedure of change in any website structure, as the relative links will work immediately without the need to be redirected.
The disadvantages are as follows:
- Relative URLs can lead to confusion during external linking or when referencing from different contexts. As the full path is unclear, if someone outside of the website would like to access the particular webpage, he might not get the expected results. Thus, they have limited usability.
SEO Consideration for Absolute and Relative URLs
When choosing the right URL, it all trickles down to what your website is all about.
Using absolute URL
An absolute URL will be the best option if you want to avoid the canonicalisation issue on your website. This way, you can make it clear which page version to look at from the very start. Likewise, XML sitemaps serve as a roadmap to your site, thus enabling better navigation and content discovery; therefore, absolute URLs are preferred. You can also reap the fruits of the hreflang attribute by making use of the absolute URL.
Using Relative URL
You can easily go with a relative URL if your website has only one version, i.e., HTTPS, as your website won’t have the issue of duplicity with other versions like HTTP. If you are working in a staging environment, relative URLs should be your way to go.
To code efficiently, relative URLs are used, as it is much easier to code /search-engine-optimisation/ than to write the whole URL like this: https://brandixsoft.co.uk/search-engine-optimisation/.
Moreover, relative URLs can confidently be used when doing internal linking within the same domain. They will keep the links concise and manageable, especially when the website structure is well understood. Furthermore, relative URLs allow you to enjoy the perks of faster and more efficient coding and help SEO.
Where to Use Absolute URLs?
XML Sitemaps
As an XML sitemap serves as a roadmap to your site and helps search engines to find and crawl important URLs, it enables better navigation and content discovery. As search engines go through these sitemaps to crawl and index pages, thus a complete URL is preferred.
Canonical URLs
Canonical URLs prevent your site from duplicate content issues and tell which version of your page is the main one. Thus, in order to do this effectively, absolute URLs are used, which are long enough to prevent any sort of confusion.
For example, when you use an absolute URL like “<link rel= “canonical” href= “https://brandixsoft.co.uk/search-engine-optimisation/”>” you are clearly showing the exact location of SEO page on the Brandix Soft website. This is way better than “<link rel= “canonical” href=”/search-engine-optimisation/”>” which is a relative URL and creates confusion for search engines.
Hreflang Attribute
To make better use of the hreflang attribute, absolute URLs are used. These URLs fully qualify for hreflang, resulting in helping search engines to better interpret your URL’s exact location.
Where to Use Relative URLs?
Multiple Environments:
It’s easier to work with relative URLs if you work with a staging environment, as it allows you the freedom of updating links when you sync multiple environments.
For example, if you are working in a staging environment with the absolute URL “https://staging-brandixsoft.co.uk/about-us/”, then every single URL needs to be changed to “https://brandixsoft.co.uk/about-us/”, but in case of relative URL, they will automatically adjust.
Faster Coding
In order to code effectively and in a speedily manner, make use of relative URLs. They work very well when the site is to be transferred from a coding environment to a production environment.
Minimising Duplicate Content
To avoid or reduce duplicate content issues because of different canonical domains, i.e., non-www vs www or https vs http, absolute URL is preferable. But if you have a solid site structure, it really doesn’t matter if you go with an absolute or relative URL.
Final Verdict
Despite their usage, both types of URLs have advantages and disadvantages. Based on your goals, make the right decision.
Search engines will never ask you for a particular type of URL, but it will all boil down to the SEO goals you are trying to achieve. In general, absolute URLs are more SEO-friendly.
FAQs
What is the main difference between absolute and relative URLs?
The main difference between absolute and relative URLs is their length. The absolute URL is long and comprehensive, giving a webpage’s full path. However, relative URLs are short and best performed in a development environment.
When should I use an absolute URL?
You should use an absolute URL when your site is vulnerable to duplicate content issues.
When should I use a relative URL?
You should use a relative URL when working in a development environment. It is easier for coders to shift a site from the development environment to the production environment.
Can a relative URL affect my SEO?
Yes, relative URLs are not SEO-friendly as they don’t offer a complete path to a page, making it confusing for search engines to show them as a result.
Which type of URL is more user-friendly?
It depends on where the URLs are being used. Relative URLs perform great for coders, but generally, absolute URLs offer a complete path to a site; thus, they are great for clarity purposes and for sharing.
What URL should I choose from, absolute and relative?
It all depends on your goals and what you want to achieve from your site. If it is used for SEO purposes, then go for an absolute while. If you are working in a close coding environment, opt for a relative URL.
