SEO URL structure: with category or without category in URL

[nickwhawkr4637]

So Moz says having categories and subcategories in the URL path is best practice so both humans and google knows where they are or are about to go.

However, magento does URLs kind of weird and makes numerous URLs based on assigned categories etc. And some say it is not worth the hassle to include categories.

So my question: do we go down the road of using canonical tags to do as Moz says is best SEO practice? Or not fight magento and ignore categories in URLs?

We do not have a big catalog and it would be rare if the same product was in different categories so should we just set:

Go to the Stores >> Configuration >> Catalog >> Catalog >> on the right side scroll down to Search Engine Optimization and set Canonical LINK Meta Tags for Categories and Products to Yes.

[merijangadd283]

When I was Learning SEO then our instructor said that If you will work for a brand then You must use categories in URL as the WordPress site did, But if you are working with a micro-niche then Category in URL is not a good practice. But SEO is a vast field everyone has their own strategies.

Here is the example: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-time-slots-booking-form/ in this link you can check out the category anchor in URL, this is why because WordPress Site now become a brand and high a lot of number article related to each category.
Jazz Daily Internet Packages

[sophia001]

A canonical tag (aka "rel canonical") is a way of telling search engines that a specific Using the canonical tag prevents problems caused by identical or "duplicate" .URLs with identical (or very similar) content, it can cause a number of SEO problems. First

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@nickwhawkr4637 wrote:

So Moz says having categories and subcategories in the URL path is best practice so both humans and google knows where they are or are about to go.

However, magento does URLs kind of weird and makes numerous URLs based on assigned categories etc. And some say it is not worth the hassle to include categories.

So my question: do we go down the road of using canonical tags to do as Moz says is best SEO practice? Or not fight magento and ignore categories in URLs?

We do not have a big catalog and it would be rare if the same product was in different categories so should we just set:

Go to the Stores >> Configuration >> Catalog >> Catalog >> on the right side scroll down to Search Engine Optimization and set Canonical LINK Meta Tags for Categories and Products to Yes.

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Using canonicalization helps you control your duplicate content.

[peytontchac085]

Thanks for info. Very usefull

[francislalc021]

Is there any impact of SEO if the URL contain category in it. How i can optimize it for our gosloto.co.za website.

[howarabreu30cb]

While Moz recommends including categories and subcategories in the URL path for better organization and navigation, some platforms, like Magento, make this difficult.
If you have a small catalog and don't frequently have products listed in multiple categories, it may be easier to simply set canonical link meta tags for categories and products to "yes."
The best approach will depend on your specific needs and goals. Consider consulting with an SEO expert or agency, like https://vikinglinks.com, to help you make an informed decision and optimize your site for better search engine rankings.

[barifacts2dc6a]

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@nickwhawkr4637 wrote:

So Moz says having categories and subcategories in the URL path is best practice so both humans and google knows where they are or are about to go.

However, magento does URLs kind of weird and makes numerous URLs based on assigned categories etc. And some say it is not worth the hassle to include categories.

So my question: do we go down the road of using canonical tags to do as Moz says is best SEO practice? Or not fight magento and ignore categories in URLs?

We do not have a big catalog and it would be rare if the same product was in different categories so should we just set:

Go to the Stores >> Configuration >> Catalog >> Catalog >> on the right side scroll down to Search Engine Optimization and set Canonical LINK Meta Tags for Categories and Products to Yes.

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If you really care about SEO here then my suggestion is not put category in URL slug. Because it may be create paginations. You can  exclude it and may be enable breadcrumbs so for user it is easy to understand where he/she is right now on your website and for google they already know everything. I just follow same way on my Evocreo APK website you can check complete structure. 

[lunchitmet1c60]

Is there any SEO here that can check my website lunchtime predictions for today to see their url are friendly or not?