URL is a standardized mechanism for identifying resources on the Internet, as well as for indicating their location on the network. A URL is the full network address of a document, image, video, or other resource. It is a fundamental component of web architecture and is the way browsers and search engines find and access content.
A URL has a strict structure that usually includes: 1) Protocol (e.g. https://), 2) Domain name (e.g. mysite.bg), 3) Port (default 443 for HTTPS), and 4) Path to the resource (e.g. /document/). In the context of SEO, the following are distinguished:
Absolute URL: The full path, including the protocol and domain (e.g. https://mysite.bg/document/).
Relative URL: The path relative to the current directory, without the domain (e.g. /document/).
From an SEO perspective, the URL should be “clean”, short and descriptive (human readable), containing keywords (so-called SEO-Friendly URL). It functions as a weak but important signal of relevance to the search engine, further confirming the thematic content of the page.