What is a slug in WordPress (and bad practices you should avoid)?

Understanding WordPress Slugs: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Introduction to WordPress Slugs

In the vast world of WordPress, the term “slug” often raises questions among users. What exactly is a slug in WordPress, and why does it matter? This guide aims to demystify slugs, explore their significance, delve into best practices, and shed light on what to avoid when dealing with them.

2. Decoding the Slug

First and foremost, let’s decode the term “slug” as it pertains to WordPress and other content management systems. In this context, a slug refers to a segment of the URL that contains the name of a page or post. It’s not to be confused with the media industry’s usage, where slugs typically consist of three main keywords placed above a headline. In the digital realm, a slug is the text that follows your domain name, making URLs user-friendly and serving as a crucial component for SEO. It’s important to note that a slug doesn’t necessarily have to mirror the headline.

3. WordPress Slugs Unveiled

WordPress slugs play a pivotal role in optimizing your content for search engines and human readers alike. WordPress defines a slug as follows: “The ‘slug’ is the URL-friendly version of the name. It is usually all lowercase and contains only letters, numbers, and hyphens.” Slugs are intimately linked with Permalinks and their settings. WordPress defaults to URLs that include the day and name, but you have the flexibility to customize them to suit your preferences. While opinions vary on the ideal permalink structure, it’s generally recommended to avoid the “Plain” option, as it lacks SEO-friendliness and fails to convey your content’s topic effectively.

4. Setting and Changing WordPress Slugs for Posts and Pages

When it comes to setting or altering WordPress slugs for your posts and pages, simplicity is key. Despite having a lengthy headline, your slug should remain concise and on-point. The goal is to make it easily digestible for both human users and Google’s algorithms. This practice enhances your content’s visibility, particularly when incorporating relevant keywords or keyphrases naturally. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to manage slugs for your WordPress posts and pages:

• Option 1: Through the Editor
  • Open the Editor and click on the “Edit” button located below the Title box and next to the Permalink.
  • Modify the WordPress slug to your preference.
  • Don’t forget to click “Update” to save your changes.
• Option 2: Quick Edit
  • In the “All Posts” section, locate the post whose slug you wish to edit.
  • Click on the “Quick Edit” feature below the post.
  • Look for the Slug box and make the necessary changes.

The same principles apply when setting up or modifying Page slugs. Navigate to the Pages section, select the desired page, click “Edit,” and adjust the slug as needed.

5. Managing Category, Tag, and Author Slugs

Creating or modifying slugs for categories, tags, and authors follows a similar process to that of posts and pages:

• Category and Tag Slugs:
  • Go to Posts and choose Categories or Tags.
  • Locate the Slug box or Edit button.
  • Enter the desired slug and click “Add new” or “Update” as applicable.
• Author Slugs:
  • In some cases, you may need a WordPress plugin to change the author slug.
  • The “Edit Author Slug” plugin can provide the necessary functionality.
  • It allows you to customize author slugs, providing full control over user role permalinks.

6. WordPress Slugs and SEO

WordPress slugs hold significant weight in the realm of SEO. The manner in which you use and structure them can determine your website’s success in search engine results pages (SERPs). To achieve a high ranking and improve your site’s discoverability, optimize your slugs just as you would with your content’s keywords and on-page elements. Adhering to Google’s guidelines is crucial to ensure your content is findable and appealing to users.

Changing slugs after publishing content is strongly discouraged, as it can negatively impact your SEO efforts. However, there are plugins like “Redirection” that can help mitigate this issue by creating redirect rules from old slugs to new ones. This maintains the integrity of your links and prevents a loss in traffic potential.

7. The Dos and Don’ts of WordPress Slugs

When it comes to setting and changing slugs in WordPress, it’s essential to follow Google’s recommendations:

Do Use:

• Short words (3 to 5 characters is ideal)
• Relevant keywords and phrases
• Lowercase letters

Don’t Use:

• Lengthy URLs
• Cryptic URLs with few recognizable words
• Generic page names like “page1.html”
• Keyword repetition (avoid spammy practices)
• Stop words such as “and,” “the,” and similar

8. Conclusion

In conclusion, the way you handle URLs and slugs in WordPress has a direct impact on your website’s accessibility and ranking. To optimize your content’s performance and visibility, keep your WordPress slugs short, simple, and relevant, incorporating target keywords where appropriate. Above all, refrain from changing slugs after hitting the publish button to maintain your hard-earned SEO ranking. By following these guidelines and best practices, you’ll enhance your online presence and make your content more accessible to your target audience.