SEO URL Length: How Long Should Your URLs Be?

There's no hard limit on URL length, but shorter URLs consistently correlate with higher rankings.

The Data

• Google can index URLs up to ~2,000 characters, but truncates in SERPs around 60-70 characters
• Backlinko study: URLs in position 1 average 17 characters shorter than position 10
• Ahrefs: URLs with 1-2 path segments outperform deeper structures

Best Practices

• Slug length: 3-5 words, targeting your primary keyword
• Total URL: Under 75 characters including domain
• Path depth: Maximum 2-3 segments (/blog/seo-tips not /blog/2026/05/category/seo-tips)
• Remove stop words: "how-to-name-variables" not "how-to-properly-name-your-variables-in-code"

Generate Short Slugs

Use our URL slug generator or blog slug generator to create concise, keyword-focused slugs.