Absolute vs. Relative Links – Which Should a Website Owner Use?

The debate never ceases over whether absolute or relative links work better for SEO. While the two are both useful, most experts agree that absolute links normally provide more benefits for SEO.

Absolute links carry the entire URL, beginning with “https://, so it is evident exactly where this link points. This reduces the chances of errors when search engines index your site. However, many believe that this is a reason why absolute links are more reliable for SEO, mainly because of their low chances of getting broken or interpreted wrongly by search engines.

Another important advantage of absolute links is safety from content scrapers and RSS services. In case someone republishes or “scrapes” your content (whether it is legitimate or not), an absolute link ensures a proper backlink points back to your site. This helps retain the SEO value of your content even when it’s shared somewhere else. While the difference might seem small, choosing absolute links can strengthen your site’s credibility and make your SEO efforts more effective.