Canva’s URL Structure: Capturing Keywords at Every Level

Canva doesn’t choose between broad keywords and specific ones. Their URL structure captures both. Parent directories rank for high-volume terms. Child directories capture long-tail variations. Together they form a comprehensive traffic net.

The Greedy Keyword Philosophy

Canva creates pages for every search query with meaningful volume. “Poster maker” gets a page. “Diwali poster maker” gets a page. “Holi poster” gets a page. No keyword opportunity gets ignored if users search for it.

This requires a systematic URL structure that organizes thousands of pages logically while passing authority from parent to child directories.

Hierarchical URL Design

The path /create/posters/ targets the broad term “poster maker.” It accumulates backlinks and authority as a category page. Under it, /create/posters/diwali/ targets “Diwali poster maker.” The child page inherits authority from its parent while ranking for its specific term.

This pattern scales indefinitely. Add /create/posters/independence-day/ for independence day posters. Add /create/posters/gender-equality/ for equality poster searches. Each new child extends the keyword coverage without diluting the parent’s strength.

Authority Flow

Search engines understand URL hierarchy. Authority concentrated at /create/posters/ flows downward to its children. When the parent page gains backlinks, child pages benefit indirectly.

The parent page also links to its most important children, distributing internal link equity deliberately. Popular children can be promoted through prominent linking while newer pages build strength gradually.

Applying This Model

Identify your broadest relevant keyword. Create a clean parent directory that targets it. Then enumerate every specific variation worth capturing and create child pages for each.

A tool for image editing might have /tools/ targeting “image tools,” with /tools/resize/, /tools/crop/, /tools/compress/ as children. Each child captures its specific query while the parent competes for the umbrella term.

The structure also aids user navigation. Visitors understand the relationship between pages. Breadcrumbs reinforce hierarchy. The SEO benefit aligns with genuine usability improvement.