Sometimes, the smallest details on a website are the easiest to overlook.
As digital marketers, we spend hours researching keywords, improving website speed, writing content, building backlinks and checking Google Search Console. We want our websites to perform better in search results and bring more relevant visitors to our businesses.
But there is another part of SEO that deserves attention: the structure of our website URLs.
On October 23, 2026, Google updated its official Search documentation to clarify its existing guidance on URL structures, particularly the use of hyphens and underscores to separate words. According to Google, hyphens are recommended because they help users and search engines identify word boundaries more easily.
At first glance, this might sound like a small technical detail. However, it offers a useful reminder for website owners, developers and SEO professionals: good SEO starts with building a website that is easy to understand, navigate and crawl.
Let me explain what this update means, why Google recommends hyphens, and what website owners should do next.
What Exactly Has Google Updated?
The update concerns Google’s URL structure best practices documentation.
Google recommends using descriptive, readable URLs and separating words with hyphens rather than underscores wherever possible.
For example, imagine you run a digital marketing agency and want to publish an article about local SEO services.
You could create a URL like this:
example.com/local_seo_services
Or you could use:
example.com/local-seo-services
Google recommends the second format.
Why? Hyphens clearly separate individual words, making the URL easier to interpret. Underscores, on the other hand, have historically been used in programming to connect terms that belong together, such as format_date.
Google clarified this distinction in its documentation. The update also aligns the guidance with its “The Non-Canonical Cabinet” video series.
The important point is that Google has clarified its existing recommendation. It has not announced a new ranking algorithm or instructed every website owner to change all their existing URLs.
That distinction matters because SEO updates are often misunderstood or exaggerated online.
Why Do URLs Matter in SEO?
Think about the last time you clicked a link on a website.
You might not have paid much attention to the URL, especially if you were browsing on a mobile phone. However, URLs are an important part of how websites organise and identify their pages.
A well-structured URL can tell users what to expect before they open a page.
Consider these two examples:
Example 1: example.com/services/seo-audit
Example 2: example.com/page?id=78291
The first URL gives a clear idea of what the page contains. The second reveals very little without opening it.
Google recommends using descriptive words instead of long, unreadable identifiers wherever practical.
This does not mean every URL needs to contain multiple keywords. In fact, unnecessarily long URLs can make a website structure more complicated than it needs to be.
The goal is simple: create URLs that are logical, descriptive and easy to understand.
For businesses investing in SEO, this is one part of building a strong technical foundation.
Hyphens vs Underscores: What Is the Difference?
Let’s look at the difference using a few practical examples.
1. A service page
Less preferred:
example.com/digital_marketing_services
Recommended:
example.com/digital-marketing-services
The second version clearly separates the words in the address.
2. A blog article
Less preferred:
example.com/google_seo_update
Recommended:
example.com/google-seo-update
The hyphen-separated version is easier to read and follows Google’s documented preference.
3. A local business page
Less preferred:
example.com/seo_services_delhi
Recommended:
example.com/seo-services-delhi
For a local business, a clear URL structure can help keep service and location pages organised.
These examples illustrate Google’s recommendation, not a guarantee that the second URL will rank higher. Search rankings depend on many factors, including relevance, content quality, technical accessibility and competition.
Does Using Hyphens Instead of Underscores Improve Rankings?
This is probably the biggest question website owners will ask.
My answer is straightforward: use hyphens because Google recommends them, but do not expect a sudden ranking improvement just because you change an underscore to a hyphen.
Google’s documentation explains that hyphens help users and search engines identify concepts in a URL more easily.
That makes them the preferred choice when creating new URLs.
However, Google has not announced that this documentation update introduces a new ranking signal or that websites using underscores will automatically lose rankings.
Imagine two websites competing for the same keyword. One uses hyphens, while the other uses underscores. Both have useful content, strong technical foundations and relevant backlinks.
We cannot conclude that the website using hyphens will automatically outrank the other one. There are too many other factors involved.
SEO is rarely about one isolated detail. It is about getting many things right consistently.
My recommendation is to follow Google’s guidance when building new pages and prioritise larger technical problems when deciding what to fix first.
Should You Change All Your Existing URLs?
This is where website owners need to be particularly careful.
After reading an SEO update, it can be tempting to review every page and start changing URLs immediately. I would not recommend doing that simply because Google clarified its guidance.
Changing a URL changes the page’s address. If the old URL is removed without the correct redirects and internal updates, visitors may encounter broken links, and search engines may need to process the new URL.
For established websites, this can create unnecessary work and risk.
Before changing an existing URL, consider:
- Does the current URL create a genuine problem?
- Is the page receiving organic traffic?
- Does it have valuable backlinks?
- Is the URL already indexed by Google?
- Can the change be implemented without disrupting the website?
If the existing URL works correctly, the page is accessible, and there is no compelling reason to change it, you generally do not need to replace underscores purely because of this documentation update.
If you decide a URL change is necessary, prepare a proper migration plan.
What Should You Do If a URL Change Is Necessary?
Suppose your website has an established page at:
example.com/local_seo_services
You decide to change it to:
example.com/local-seo-services
Here is the process I would follow.
Step 1: Create the new URL
Make sure the new address loads correctly and displays the intended page.
Step 2: Set up a permanent redirect
Implement a server-side 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one. This helps users and search engines reach the new address and signals that the move is permanent.
Avoid sending every old URL to the homepage. Each redirect should lead to the most relevant replacement page.
Step 3: Update internal links
Review your navigation menus, blog links, service pages and other internal links. Update them to point directly to the new URL.
Step 4: Review the canonical tag
Check that the new page’s canonical URL points to the preferred address. Make sure the canonical setup does not conflict with your redirect strategy.
Step 5: Update the XML sitemap
Include the preferred, indexable URL in your XML sitemap and remove obsolete versions where appropriate.
Step 6: Monitor Google Search Console
After the change, monitor indexing, crawl activity and organic performance. Check for redirect errors, unexpected 404 responses and other technical issues.
A URL change is not complete simply because the new address opens in a browser. The surrounding website structure needs to support it as well.
A Quick URL Audit Every Website Owner Can Perform
You do not need expensive SEO software to start checking your URLs. A basic review can reveal opportunities to improve consistency.
Here is the checklist I would use when reviewing a business website.
- Check your most important pages. Start with your homepage, service pages, category pages and pages that already receive organic traffic.
- Look for readable URLs. Prefer meaningful words over long strings of numbers or unnecessary parameters.
- Use hyphens for new URLs. Separate words with hyphens rather than underscores.
- Remove unnecessary complexity. Avoid adding words or parameters that do not serve a clear purpose.
- Keep URL formats consistent. Establish a naming convention for blog posts, services, products and location pages.
- Check for broken URLs. Review important internal links and investigate unexpected 404 errors.
- Review canonical tags and redirects. Make sure search engines can identify the preferred version of each page.
- Check indexing in Google Search Console. Investigate important pages that are not indexed, but remember that a URL format alone does not explain every indexing issue.
This kind of review is particularly useful for websites that have grown over several years. As pages are added, different developers, plugins and content editors may introduce inconsistent URL formats.
A little organisation can make future website maintenance easier.
Why This Update Matters for Local SEO and Growing Businesses
For local businesses, website structure often becomes complicated as the number of services and locations increases.
Consider an agency offering SEO services across Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and other nearby areas. It may have separate pages for each service and location.
If these pages use a consistent structure, the website becomes easier to manage.
For example:
example.com/seo-services-delhi
example.com/seo-services-noida
example.com/seo-services-gurgaon
These URLs are descriptive and follow a consistent pattern.
However, readable URLs alone will not make location pages successful. Each page still needs useful, distinct content that meets the needs of people in that area. Creating dozens of nearly identical pages simply to target different locations is not a sustainable SEO strategy.
The same principle applies to ecommerce websites, service businesses, publishers and large corporate websites. A logical URL structure helps keep the site organised, but it must work alongside useful content, sensible internal linking and technically accessible pages.
My Final Takeaway
As someone who works with businesses on search visibility, I see this update as a useful reminder rather than a reason to panic.
Google clarified its recommendation on October 23, 2026: use hyphens instead of underscores to separate words in URLs whenever possible.
If you are creating a new page, follow that advice from the beginning. If your website already has established URLs, review them sensibly rather than changing everything overnight.
And remember that a technically sound URL cannot compensate for poor content, an inaccessible page or an unhelpful website experience.
The best approach is to combine clear URLs with useful content, sound technical SEO, strong internal linking and regular monitoring.
At Digi Ustad, I believe sustainable SEO comes from understanding the details without losing sight of the bigger picture. Small improvements matter, but they should always serve a clear purpose.
My advice to website owners: Review your URL structure, follow Google’s recommendations for new pages, and make existing URL changes only when there is a good reason and a safe implementation plan.
Good SEO is not about chasing every update. It is about making informed decisions that help your website serve users and remain technically sound over time.
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Official source: Google Search Central — URL Structure Best Practices
Update log: Google Search documentation updates
