url-routing-seo

name	url-routing-seo
description	Best practices for URL structure, slugs, rewrites, and canonical tags.

URL Routing & SEO

When to use this skill

• Designing routes for a new feature.
• Setting up redirects.
• Optimizing pages for search engines.

1. URL Structure

• Slugs: Use kebab-case (/my-new-post) not underscores or camelCase.
• Hierarchy: Logical nesting (/category/subcategory/item) is good, but shallow URLs (/item-slug) often perform better for SEO if unique.
• Trailing Slashes: Enforce consistency (e.g., always remove trailing slash) via middleware or server config.

2. SEO Tags

• Title: Unique <h1> and <title> per page.
• Meta Description: 150-160 chars summary.
• Canonical: Self-referencing canonical tag is mandatory to prevent duplicate content issues.
• Open Graph: Always include og:title, og:image, og:description for social sharing.

3. Implementation

• Next.js: Use metadata object in layouts/pages.
• Laravel: Use a common layout component or a package like artesaos/seotools specifically if complex.