How does URL structure affect SEO?

The URL structure of a website can have a significant impact on its search engine optimization (SEO). Here are some ways how:

1. Keyword relevance: Including keywords in the URL can help search engines understand the content of a page and improve its relevance for those keywords. However, it's important to avoid keyword stuffing, which can result in a penalty.
2. User experience: A clear and descriptive URL can help users understand the content of a page before they click on it. This can improve user experience and reduce bounce rates.
3. Crawlability: A well-structured URL hierarchy can make it easier for search engine crawlers to navigate and index a website. This can help ensure that all pages are indexed and ranked appropriately.
4. Click-through rate: A descriptive and relevant URL can improve the click-through rate (CTR) from search engine results pages (SERPs). A higher CTR can signal to search engines that a page is relevant and useful, which can improve its ranking.
5. Mobile optimization: Shorter URLs are generally better for mobile optimization, as they take up less space on the small screens of mobile devices.
6. Link equity: A well-structured URL hierarchy can help distribute link equity more evenly across a website. This can improve the ranking of individual pages and the overall authority of the website.

In summary, a well-structured URL can improve the SEO of a website by making it more crawlable, relevant, user-friendly, and linked. It's important to keep URLs short, descriptive, and relevant to the content of the page, and to avoid keyword stuffing and unnecessary parameters.