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Google URL structure update: what owners should check
Your URL structure does not need a rewrite because of Google's latest edit. Google's change log lists an October 23, 2026 entry that clarifies word separation using hyphens versus underscores. If your page addresses already use plain words and hyphens, leave them alone. If you are rebuilding your site, use this week to map every old address to a new one.
What Google changed in its URL guidance
The change log describes the entry as an update to the URL structure best practices to clarify word separation guidelines. Google's entry describes a wording clarification and says nothing about rankings. Search Engine Roundtable reported the edit on October 21 and said the overall meaning of the section really did not change. Treat that as a secondary read. Google's own page is the rule.
Google's page says "we recommend using hyphens (-) instead of underscores (_) to separate words in your URLs". It adds that hyphens "clearly signal a word boundary." The page shows a last updated date of October 21, 2026. The change log entry is dated two days later.
For you, that is a small reminder, not a new rule. Nothing in either Google source says you must change a working address.
What a good page address looks like
Google gives a short list of habits on the same page. It says "use readable words rather than long ID numbers in your URLs" when possible. The SEO starter guide says to "include words in the URL that may be useful for users", and that a URL with only random identifiers is less helpful for users.
Case matters too. Google says it treats both /APPLE and /apple as distinct URLs with their own content. It also says that if your server treats upper and lower case the same, you should convert all text to the same case. Google also says to shorten URLs by trimming parameters that do not change the content.
In plain terms, an address a customer could read aloud is a good address. Here is the difference for a septic company.
- Good: yourdomain.com/septic-tank-pumping
- Good: yourdomain.com/services/septic-inspection
- Weak: yourdomain.com/page_482
- Weak: yourdomain.com/Septic_Tank_Pumping
The weak ones may still load. A customer cannot read them aloud, and a number string says nothing about the job.
Check your URL structure this week
You do not need a tool. Open your site on your phone and click through the menu. Write down the address of every page in a spreadsheet. Then work through these steps.
- Mark any address with underscores, long number strings, or capital letters.
- Mark any page that loads at two addresses, such as with and without a trailing slash.
- Mark any address that changes when you click a filter or tracking link.
- Mark any page whose address does not match what the page is about.
- Rank the marked pages by how many calls they bring in. Start with the top three.
Google's starter guide says you want each piece of content on your site only accessible through one individual URL. If two addresses show the same page, pick one. Send the other to it with a redirect. If you cannot redirect, the guide says to use a canonical link element instead.
When to leave your addresses alone
Most owners should change nothing. The same starter guide says "Don't drop everything and start reorganizing your site right now", because search engines will likely understand your pages as they are.
A new address has a cost. Google says that to change how a page's URL is shown in results, use a permanent server-side redirect whenever possible. Weigh that before you touch a page that already works.
- Leave alone: a page that ranks, gets calls, and has a readable address.
- Fix soon: two addresses for the same page.
- Fix when you rebuild: number-only addresses and mixed case.
If you are rebuilding, map old to new
A rebuild is the one time a new URL structure makes sense. Google's site move guide says it's important to map your old site's URLs to the URLs for the new site. Use your site map, your analytics, and Search Console to build the list of old pages.
Then follow three rules from the same guide. First, keep the redirects for as long as possible, generally at least 1 year. Second, do not send many old pages to one irrelevant page, such as the home page of the new site. Third, send each old address straight to its final page and avoid chains.
Keep your own links in line too. Update the address on your Business Profile, your email signature, your truck lettering file, and any directory listing. Do that on launch day, not later.
Our guide to redesigning a website without losing SEO covers the full list. If you are changing your web address itself, read how to keep your domain first. The domain and the page addresses are two separate decisions.
Town pages need more than a new address
A clean address does not rescue a thin page. If you have copied town pages, a better address will not fix them. Start with our guide to checking service area pages after Google's spam update. Then decide which pages deserve a clear address at all.
If a page is not showing up at all, check indexing and content first.
Our checklist on why your website is not showing up on Google walks through that order. See what owners did in our case studies.
Your short list for this week
- Open your site on your phone and list every page address.
- Mark underscores, number strings, capital letters, and duplicate addresses.
- Leave every page that ranks and brings calls exactly as it is.
- Pick one address per page and redirect the extra ones.
- If you are rebuilding, write the old-to-new map before launch day.
- Test every redirect from your phone, then tap your phone number once more.
If you want this done from the site you already have, Vortex Personal is $59 a month for one live site. Pro is $449 a month for up to 10. Business is $2,499 a month for up to 150. Hosting is included. A year is ten times the month price. The old site stays up until you switch.
If your page addresses are a mess and you cannot edit them, start a rebuild from the URL you already have.
Sources
Google Search Central: URL structure best practices (last updated October 21, 2026)
Google Search Central: Latest Google Search Documentation Updates (October 23, 2026 entry)
Google Search Central: SEO starter guide (last updated December 10, 2025)
Google Search Central: Redirects and Google Search (last updated April 14, 2026)
Google Search Central: Site moves with URL changes (last updated August 20, 2026)
