A website’s internal linking structure can have a big impact on your SEO program and your website.
An age-old debate is using absolute URLs versus relative URLs when linking internally.
In this article, I’ll address what those are and which you should ultimately choose.
- What Is an Absolute URL?
- What Is a Relative URL?
- Absolute vs. Relative URLs: Which to Choose
- FAQ: How can I improve my internal linking structure to boost SEO?
What Is an Absolute URL?
An absolute URL is a URL that includes the domain of the site. To be more precise, an absolute URL is the full URL address including protocol (HTTP or HTTPS), subdomain (if any), domain, path and file name.
What Is a Relative URL?
A relative URL is a URL that only includes the path to a file or webpage. In other words, it includes only a part of a full URL.
A relative URL assumes that the link that is added is part of the same domain and follows the same path as the current page.
Source: BruceClay – Absolute vs. Relative URL Linking: What’s the Big Deal, Anyway?