Introduction
Still don’t know what a URL is? Don’t understand the different parts of a URL? Here’s a definition that might help: if your website were your home, then your website’s URL would be its address. The URL defines where your site “lives” on the web, helping your visitors to find you on the Internet. It also helps Google understand what your website pages are about.
There are 5 distinct parts to a URL, secretly important to your site’s user experience and SEO.
To help you better understand these different parts, let’s discover them one by one in detail in this article!
What are the different parts of a URL?
A URL is made up of 5 parts: the protocol, the sub-domain, the main domain name, the second-level domain (SLD) and the directory.
1. The protocol
Let’s take the following address as an example: https://www.mywebsite.com/contact
In this example, the protocol is: https://
First, let’s take a look at protocols, which are the first parts of a URL. The protocol tells the web server how to access the pages on your website.
Today, HTTPS, which stands for Hypertest Transfer Protocol Secure, is the most common protocol. It tells your web browser to encrypt – in other words, hide – sensitive information entered on your page. For example, a credit card number or login password. This prevents hackers from accessing this information. This protocol is therefore a guarantee of security for your site’s visitors, and using it will improve your ranking with Google.
You’ve probably already seen other protocols, such as http:// or ftp://. http:/ is the older version of https://, but does not contain the security variant. ftp:// is the standard protocol for client/server file transfer. It enables files to be copied, modified or deleted from one computer to another, and is often used to power a web site hosted by a third party.
2. The sub-domain
In our example, the subdomain is: www.
Now let’s take a closer look at the subdomain. As mentioned above, let’s imagine that your website is your house. In this case, the subdomain represents one of the rooms inside that house. The subdomain in a URL tells your browser which page of your site to display. For example, a subdomain such as “blog” provides the blog page of your website.
In addition, sub-domains divide your website into different content categories, and show Google and your visitors that it contains more information than just the home page.
3. The main domain name
In our example, the domain name is: mywebsite
Now let’s look at the domain name. This is simply the name of your website. It’s important because it helps visitors know what your site is about. It’s often similar to the brand name. For example, visitors to “lvmh.com” know directly that it refers to the LVMH brand, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy.
4. The second-level domain
In our example, the second-level domain is: .com
The second-level domain specifies the type of entity under which your organization is registered on the Internet. For example, “.net” was originally intended for organizations with a link to network technologies, such as Internet service providers and other network infrastructure companies. .org” is for non-profit organizations. There are lots of them, for all kinds of uses.
5. The directory
In our example, the directory is: /contact
Finally, here’s the directory, the fifth and last part of a URL. In a URL, the directory helps visitors understand which specific section of the site they’re in. Let’s take another example. Let’s say you have an online store selling T-shirts, hats, boots and belts. One of the URLs on your website might look like “https://www.myshop.com/boots”. With the use of the “boots” directory, users know right away that they’re on the store page dedicated to boots.
Conclusion
URL structure: subtle but essential
In conclusion, although URLs may seem simple and trivial, they are in fact important to the user’s experience of your website and to its SEO. Now you know how to decipher a URL and differentiate between the 5 parts of a URL, congratulations!
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