In simple words, a permalink stands for a permanent link. In other words, a permalink is a full URL that appears on your website, website page, or postal address. In most cases, this includes the domain name.
Permalinks can also include a slug that is part of the URL immediately following the domain name. The slug can be a date, category, or whatever you see fit.
Permalinks make it easy for others to link to the website. This can be a post, page, or something else. Permalinks are typically used to link to specific pages or posts on your website, but in some cases, they can also be used to link to your entire website.
To make the permalink definition clearer, here are the essential components of a permalink:
Domain - This is where your website resides or the space rented online for your website. For example, "https://accuwebhosting.com", "accuwebhosting.com" is the domain name.
Path - A path indicates where a particular page of your website is parked. In "https://www.accuwebhosting.com/blog/protect-from-cyber-attacks/", the portion "/blog/" is the path. This means that the protect-from-cyber-attacks blog is in the "blog" category.
Slug - This is the last part of the URL that tells Google the subject of the post or page. URL "https://www.accuwebhosting.com/blog/protect-from-cyber-attacks/", "protect-from-cyber-attacks" is the slug. The blog's title is "protect-from-cyber-attacks", so you can see that the slug and the title are directly related.
Advantages of Permalinks
1. Search engines use permalinks to index and rank websites and their content. A clear and consistent permalink structure makes it straightforward for search engines to understand and rank your site's content higher.
2. Permalinks allow you to organize and structure your content in a way that is easy for users and search engines to understand. This makes it simple for users to find and access the content they are looking for on your site.
3. It creates links that always point to the same content, even if the content moves or the structure of your website changes. This helps link content in a way that won't break over time.
4. Well-structured permalinks help your readers navigate your site by knowing where they will and when they click the link or paste it into their browser's address bar.
5. Permalinks allow you to create easy-to-remember and shareable URLs for your content. This makes sharing your content on social media and other platforms easy, which can help drive more traffic to your site.