Permalinks are the permanent URLs that point to individual posts, pages, and other content on your WordPress site. They are how users and search engines find and reference your content. If you have not thought about your permalink structure, now is the time.
Readability and user experience
A clean URL tells visitors what a page is about before they click. Compare /blog/?p=123 with /blog/permalinks-impact-on-seo -- the second communicates intent instantly. Readable URLs improve click-through rates in search results and make your content easier to share.
Keep permalinks simple. Avoid random strings or numeric IDs. Use descriptive words that reflect the page content.
Keywords in URLs
Search engines use URLs as one of many ranking signals. Including relevant keywords in your permalink helps search engines understand what the page covers, which can improve visibility for those terms.
Incorporate target keywords naturally. Do not stuff them -- one or two relevant terms is enough.
Choosing an SEO-friendly structure
WordPress offers several permalink options. The "Post Name" structure is the strongest choice for most sites because it puts the page title directly in the URL, making it both human-readable and search-engine-friendly.
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > Permalinks and select "Post Name." Do this early -- changing permalink structure later means redirecting every existing URL.
Avoiding duplicate content issues
Each piece of content needs a unique URL. Duplicate URLs confuse search engines about which version to rank, diluting your SEO effort. WordPress handles this automatically in most cases, but be mindful when creating similar pages or using category-based permalink structures.
Conclusion
Permalinks are a small detail with outsized SEO impact. Set the right structure early, use descriptive keywords, and avoid changes after your content is indexed. If your WordPress site is already live with a poor permalink structure, plan the migration carefully with proper redirects to preserve your existing rankings.