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InURL search

InURL search definition

InURL search is a query technique used to find web pages with specific words or phrases in their URLs with the help of the inurl: operator. This is particularly useful for SEO and digital marketing, where pinpointing precise keywords is crucial.

How InURL search works

To perform an InURL search, you start by typing inurl: followed by the keyword you want to find in the URL.

For example, if you type inurl:travel blog into a search bar, Google will show pages with these words in their web addresses. This can be helpful for finding very specific information quickly.

inURL search operator
Note: You can include multiple keywords without extra operators, but Google might return pages with URLs where these words appear in any order. For example, inurl:travel blog returns pages with the words travel and blog anywhere in the URL, not necessarily together.

Combining InURL search with other operators

To make your query more precise, you can combine inurl: with other search operators.

Looking for an exact phrase: The " " (quotation marks) operator ensures that the words appear together in the URL, making your search more accurate.

For example, inurl:"pizza recipe" will specifically look for URLs that have the exact phrase pizza recipe in them.

inURL search operator with quotation marks

Limiting to specific domains: Combining the site: and inurl: operators in a search query allows you to find web pages within a specific website domain that also contain certain words or phrases in their URLs.

For example, the query site:forbes.com inurl:lifestyle will return results from the website forbes.com where the URLs contain the word lifestyle.

inURL search operator with site: operator

Benefits for SEO

InURL search offers several benefits for SEO:

Competitor research: InURL search enables SEOs to conduct in-depth competitor analysis by identifying pages ranking for similar products or topics as their own. This information can be invaluable for understanding competitor content strategies, identifying gaps, and refining one's own SEO approach.

Link-building opportunities: InURL search can help identify potential link-building opportunities by uncovering pages with relevant content that may be open to linking to complementary resources. By targeting URLs containing specific keywords, SEO professionals can identify potential backlink sources and outreach prospects within their niche.

Local SEO optimization: InURL search can be particularly beneficial for local SEO efforts, allowing businesses to identify local competitors and analyze their URL structures for location-specific keywords.

References

The Ultimate Guide to Google Search Operators