Problem : Underscore Links. Change to Hyphens in WP?

by 11 replies
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I wonder if anyone can give me some advice.

I'm currently in the process of redesigning one of my websites. The original site, coded in HTML and PHP, uses underscore links, as opposed to hyphens.

I'm redesigning the site in WP and I'd prefer to use hyphens (which Google prefers) but I don't want to create a ton of dead links and hurt SEO.

Can anyone recommend how to proceed?
#search engine optimization #change #hyphens #links #problem #underscore
  • I'm no SEO expert but I'd say leaving the pages how they are would be the best option.
  • Hi Will and thank you for stepping in to offer advice.

    So leave the underscores as is on the new WP site?

    I was thinking of changing permalinks to hyphens and using using 301 redirects for the underscores. Would this be an option, Will or anyone else?
  • 301 redirect is what google suggests

    https://support.google.com/webmaster...er/93633?hl=en

    i wouldn't personally change all of my urls to new addresses just to change an underscore to a dash, there is too much risk involved in messing it up, or hoping google doesn't delist or drop the rankings of the pages now that they are "new" urls
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    • Thank you for the advice!

      So the safest option is to redesign the html site in Wordpress and keep the existing link structure, using underscores.

      Can yourself or anyone else advise on how to setup underscore permalinks in WP?
      • [1] reply
  • I'm reading a lot about how underscores are bad for SEO.

    Are you absolutely sure it isn't worth using 301 redirects and changing site permalinks to hyphens?
    • [1] reply

    • i think the assumption is that this site is making you money/already has links, then it's not worth risking screwing things up, you could lose your rankings and your link juice if you have an error (many times you don't find out you did something wrong until it's too late)

      yes they recommend dashes not underscores ( https://support.google.com/webmaster...er/76329?hl=en ) but there are millions of pages if not more with underscores ranking in the top 10 of google so it would be interesting to see your sources?

      this video from google is a little older where matt cutts flat out says if you have an existing site that works like you like it to then don't change from underscore to dash, only if you are starting a new site

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=AQcSFsQyct8
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  • i wouldn't use search & replace for WP for this matter. That's almost a 90% risk -if not 100%- to mess up the links and end up with eventually creating all the links and site from scratch
  • (Warn me if I don't make sense, because I only have the most basic knowledge of SEO)
    Quality backlinks help a website or specific pages rank in Google, right?
    So if Victoria makes the old links redirect, would she lose the ranking effect of old quality backlinks using that URL? Or would it still have a positive effect on the new URL since it redirects?
    In the first case it would be an extra reason to keep the old URL and just use hyphens for new pages.

    - Iris
    • [1] reply
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