Definition
The slug is the part of the URL that comes after the domain name and identifies a specific page in a human-readable way. For example, in lemmilink.com/link-building-guide, 'link-building-guide' is the slug. It is usually derived from the page title, converted to lowercase, with spaces replaced by hyphens and special characters removed. A good slug is short (3 to 5 words), descriptive, contains the primary keyword, and avoids stop words (the, a, of, and). The slug is an important element of SEO-friendly URLs.
Key Points
- Part of the URL identifying the page in a readable way
- Short (3 to 5 words), descriptive, containing the keyword
- Lowercase, with hyphens, no accents or stop words
Practical Examples
Optimized slug
For the article 'How to Improve Your Core Web Vitals in 2026', the optimized slug would be 'improve-core-web-vitals' rather than 'how-to-improve-your-core-web-vitals-in-2026'.
Product page slug
For 'Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 41 Men's Blue Running Shoes', the slug 'nike-air-zoom-pegasus-41-mens' is concise and descriptive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but you must absolutely set up a 301 redirect from the old slug to the new one to avoid losing SEO value and backlinks from the old URL.
Ideally 3 to 5 words. A slug that is too long is diluted and hard to remember. A slug that is too short may lack context. Aim for conciseness while remaining descriptive.
Go Further with LemmiLink
Discover how LemmiLink can help you put these SEO concepts into practice.
Last updated: 2026-02-07