How to Use the PrestaShop Pretty URL Module for Your Store: A Step-by-Step Guide

Alright, so you’ve decided that you want to take your PrestaShop SEO URL game to the next level. Maybe you’ve heard all the buzz around SEO and how clean URLs are the secret sauce to getting more traffic, or maybe you just want your store to look more professional. Either way, the PrestaShop Pretty URL module is your new best friend.

In this blog post, we’re going to walk you through everything you need to know to make the most out of this module, step-by-step. By the end of it, you’ll know how to use it to clean up your URLs, make your store more attractive to search engines, and give your customers a much better experience while they browse. Sounds good, right? Let’s dive in!

Step 1: Install the PrestaShop Pretty URL Module

Okay, first thing’s first: if you haven’t installed the PrestaShop Pretty URL module yet, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

1. Go to Your PrestaShop Dashboard: Log in to your PrestaShop back office like you normally do.
2. Navigate to the Modules Section: On the left sidebar, you’ll see the “Modules” option. Click on it and select “Module Manager.”
3. Search for the Pretty URL Module: In the module search bar, type “Pretty URL.” It should pop up right away. Click on the “Install” button next to it.
4. Activate the Module: Once installed, make sure to click on “Activate” to start using the module.

Now, you’ve got the module installed and ready to roll. This is where the magic begins!

Step 2: Enable URL Rewriting

The next thing you’ll want to do is enable URL rewriting. This will make your URLs cleaner and easier for both search engines and your customers to read.

1. Go to the SEO & URLs Page: In your PrestaShop dashboard, go to “Shop Parameters” and select “Traffic & SEO.”
2. Find the URL Rewriting Section: Here, you’ll see an option for URL rewriting. Click to enable it.
3. Save Changes: Don’t forget to click the save button to lock in your settings.

With URL rewriting turned on, your URLs will no longer show up with a bunch of numbers and weird characters. Instead, they’ll be nice and clean, making them way easier to read.

Step 3: Customize Your URL Structure

Now comes the fun part! With PrestaShop SEO URL, you can customize your store’s URLs to make them more search engine-friendly.

1. Edit URL Structure: In the same SEO & URLs section, you’ll see an option that says “URL Structure.” Here, you can set your preferred structure for product URLs, category URLs, and more.
2. Make It Pretty: For example, let’s say you want to change the default URL from something like “yourstore.com/product-id-123” to “yourstore.com/smartphone”. All you need to do is change the URL format in this section and voila – clean, SEO-friendly URLs.
3. Set Up Friendly Slugs: For each product, category, or page you create, you can assign a custom slug. For example, “product-id-123” can be renamed to “cool-new-smartphone.” Short, sweet, and more appealing for both customers and Google.

Step 4: Fix Canonical URLs

Canonical URLs are super important for avoiding duplicate content issues. When search engines see the same content on multiple URLs, they get confused and might penalize your store. With the PrestaShop Pretty URL module, you can set up canonical URLs to tell Google which one is the main version.

1. Go to SEO Settings: Once again, head to the “SEO & URLs” section in your PrestaShop back office.
2. Set Canonical URLs: For each product or category, you can specify which URL should be considered the main one.
3. Save It: Click save and you’re done!

Step 5: Implement Redirects to Avoid 404 Errors

You know those annoying “404 – Page Not Found” errors that customers get when they click on a broken link? Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.

1. Set Up 301 Redirects: If you change the URL of a page, it’s important to create a 301 redirect to send visitors to the new page automatically. This will keep your customers from hitting a dead end.
2. Use the Redirect Tool: The PrestaShop Pretty URL module has a built-in redirect tool that you can use. Go to your “URL Management” section and set up the redirects.
3. Test It: Always test your redirects to make sure they’re working properly. You don’t want to accidentally redirect your visitors to the wrong page.

Step 6: Test Your New Pretty URLs

Alright, you’re almost done! Now that everything is set up, it’s time to test your new PrestaShop SEO URL structure.

1. Test Product Pages: Go to a few of your product pages and check the URLs. Do they look clean and SEO-friendly? If so, you’re on the right track!
2. Check Categories and Other Pages: Don’t forget to test category pages, blog posts, and other important pages.
3. Monitor in Google Search Console: To make sure Google is picking up your clean URLs, head over to Google Search Console. This tool will show you if your pages are being indexed properly.

Step 7: Keep Monitoring and Updating

Once you’ve got everything set up, it’s important to continue monitoring your URLs. You can use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track how your pages are performing.

Also, if you add new products or categories, don’t forget to create custom URLs for them. The more clean and optimized your URLs are, the better your store will perform in search engines and the easier it will be for customers to find your products.

Conclusion

So there you have it, folks! The PrestaShop Pretty URL module is a game-changer when it comes to cleaning up your store’s URLs. By following these simple steps, you’ll not only make your URLs more readable and user-friendly but also give your SEO a major boost. Clean URLs = better search engine rankings, happier customers, and more sales. What’s not to love?

And hey, while we’re talking about making your store better, be sure to check out our other blog on why your store needs a custom checkout module. It’s got all the tips you need to make your checkout process smoother and boost your conversions. Trust me, you’ll want to read it!

Visit fab-chat for more similar blogs.