What Are URL Parameters?

URL parameters (otherwise known as query strings or query parameters) are elements that are commonly inserted into URL structures to help filter and organize the content and information on your website.

In basic terms, URL parameters are a way to pass information through accessing the URL itself.

In most cases, URL parameters can be found after the question mark (?) in a URL structure, with the parameter itself being made up of a key and value. These components are then separated by an equal sign (=), while multiple parameters can be added and then separated with an ampersand (&).

A URL structure with parameters will look like this:

https://www.domain.com/page?key1=value1&key2=value2

• (?): query string starts
• Key 1: first variable name
• (=): value separator
• Value 1: first property value
• (&): parameter separator
• Key 2: second variable name
• (=): value separator
• Value 2: second variable value

How Are URL Parameters Used?

URL parameters are commonly used to organize content on a website, which can make it easier for users to navigate products and information.

For example, you can use URL parameters to filter a website according to specific demands, such as the number of items on a page or price.

Query strings are also used by digital marketers such as HelloClicks as tracking parameters, which allow the company to monitor the traffic on your website, so that they may determine whether your last investment was successful.

Tracking parameters can be used on social media, ad campaigns and digital newsletters.

How Do URL Parameters Work?

According to SEO professionals, there are two kinds of URL parameters that are commonly in use:

• Content-modifying parameters: these are active parameters that will modify the content displayed on the website, such as sending a user to a specific product based on its name.
• Tracking parameters: these are passive parameters that can be used for advanced tracking, which means they can pass information but won’t change the content on the website. This information is then recorded in a tracking template, which will include valuable data concerning your recent investments.

While URL parameters may seem easy to manage, there is a skill to using them in the correct way, which is something we will explore after the following sections.

URL Parameters (Examples)

The most common uses for URL parameters include:

• Tracking: These UTM parameters are commonly used to record traffic from online ads and campaigns. Example: ?utm_source=newsletter123&utm_medium=email
• Reordering: These parameters allow you to order products according to specific filters and demands. Example: ?sort=price_ascending
• Searching: These parameters can be used to find results on the website’s internal search engine. Example: ?search=search-term
• Identifying: These parameters are used to sort pages or galleries into different categories. Example: ?product=small-purple-purse
• Paginating: These parameters are commonly used to segment content on websites for e-commerce shops. Example: ?pageindex=2
• Translating: These parameters allow you to translate foreign languages and add the language to the end of the string. Example: ?language=de
• Filtering: These parameters are used to filter distinct fields on a website, such as territory or event. Example: ?price-range=30+60

When Do URL Parameters Impact SEO?

When it comes to enhancing your SEO, many advisors will tell you not to use URL parameters, as they can be both useful and challenging.

This is because URL parameters can slow down the web crawlers on your site, with the use of query strings consuming a large portion of the crawl budget.

In most cases, poorly structured URL parameters will not change the content on the website, which means they could be used to create endless URLs with non-unique content.

The most common SEO issues caused by URL parameters include:

• Duplicate content: This is when a URL parameter creates multiple versions of the same page, which can be defined as duplicate content. This happens when a URL parameter is similar to the original page, with some parameters even returning to the original website.
• Crawl budget loss: This refers to URL parameters with complex structures, which could produce multiple URLs that point to identical or similar content. Because of this, crawlers may decide to avoid indexing all information on the website, which could brand it as low quality.
• Poor readability: When it comes to optimizing the URL structure, the URL needs to be understandable and easy to read. For example, if the URL parameter contains complex sequences, then it could be deemed as spam, which could make users less likely to click and share it.

How Can You Manage URL Parameters?

While there are many ways URL parameters can impact a website’s SEO, all issues point to one main cause: crawling and indexing.

Fortunately, current webmasters are not clueless about the creation of new URL parameters, which means it is possible to handle a URL parameter with the correct structure and tagging.

In most cases, SEO issues will only arise if the URLs contain parameters with duplicate or non-unique content, such as those generated by passive parameters.

• Crawl Budget: This refers to the number of bots that will crawl your site before moving to the next one. Every website has its own crawl budget, which means you should always make sure that yours is being used to its fullest potential. Unfortunately, URL parameters can drain the crawl budget, leaving them completely useless.
• Digital Marketing: If you want to optimize your website, then you can seek the help of digital marketing companies such as HelloClicks, which offer a range of tried and tested services that have been specially designed to enhance the performance of your site. These services include conversion rate optimization, social media ad management and lead generation.
• Consistent Linking: When it comes to utilizing URL parameters, it is important to signal which page should not be indexed by the crawlers, as this will help to produce a consistent link to a static and non-parameterized site. By doing this, you will avoid inconsistent signals, which can make it difficult for search engines to find your website

Final Thoughts

URL parameters can make it easy to track and filter content, which is why you should consider using them when you need to. While these URLs can cause some disturbance to the crawl budget and web bots, they are still a valuable asset when used in the correct way.

Before utilizing URL parameters, you will need to decide which parameters should not be indexed, as this will help web crawlers to better understand and navigate your site. If you are still unsure of what is needed to optimize your website, then you can seek the advice of professional marketers such as HelloClicks for assistance.