Which url nesting level is best?

Question

Search Engine Optimization

Tell. Page with what level of url nesting will be better promoted in search results:
https://site.com/category/article1
or
https://site.com/article1

Answer 1

I would not use category slug in urls at all. Because when you move from one category on the site to another, you have to fiddle with 301 redirects every time. And so change the category as much as you like - the url of the article will not change, there are fewer problems.

Answer 2

I also agree with Alexander Denisov, it is necessary to decide on the basis of semantics.
For example, an information portal about minimalism.
home / minimalism in the interior / kitchen in the style of minimalism - here the introduction of the category "minimalism in the interior" is justified.

Answer 3

Less is better

Answer 4

The url structure must match the semantic structure. Yes, the fewer directories, the better, but this is far from the most important criterion. Plus, keep in mind that you will need to segment directories for analytics. So if you have requests for https://site.com/category/, and there is no other pattern by which you can filter urls from this directory in the future, then it is better to leave this directory.

Answer 5

the second one is better
but breadcrumbs are also skillfully applied