Appending a code at the end of a URL

[Redooo]

Hi All,

Some real estate/ news companies have a code appended to the end of a URL

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-ormiston-141747584

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/childcare-centre-could-face-prosecution-for-leaving-child-on-hot-bus-20230320-p5ctqs.html

Can I ask if there's any negative SEO implications for doing this?

Cheers

Dave

[dutchfoxy]

@Kateparish said in Appending a code at the end of a URL:

Appending a code to the end of a URL is called a URL parameter

This is not the case in these examples!! Parameters are mostly added using a "?" - for example: domainname .com/widgets?sessionID=32764 or example .com?category=widgets

In the example from Dave the code (-141747584) is part of the Permalink. It is not a parameter.

So the question remains: does having a permalink with some unique identifier integrated impact SEO in a negative way?? (assuming this page / permalink is a unique page on the website)

[Kateparish]

@Redooo Using a code at the end of a URL is a common practice to track the traffic source and provide analytics to website owners. It should not have negative SEO implications, as long as the code is not used to manipulate search engine rankings. However, ensure that the URLs with codes are canonicalized to their non-coded versions to avoid duplicate content issues. Use a consistent URL structure across the website for better user experience and SEO performance.

[Kateparish]

@Redooo Appending a code to the end of a URL is called a URL parameter, and it is a common practice in website development to pass information from one page to another. In the case of real estate or news companies, the code appended to the end of the URL likely identifies a specific property or article.
Using URL parameters does not inherently have negative SEO implications. However, if used incorrectly or excessively, they can cause issues for search engines trying to crawl and index your website.
For example, if multiple versions of the same page have different URL parameters, search engines may see them as duplicate content and penalize your website. Additionally, if the URL parameters do not provide valuable information to users or search engines, it may be considered "thin content," which can also harm your SEO.
It's important to use URL parameters judiciously and ensure they provide valuable information to users and search engines. If you need clarification about the SEO implications of using URL parameters on your website, it may be worth consulting with an experienced SEO professional.