URL Length & Google Rankings — A 27,000-SERP Study

An independent analysis of whether shorter URLs rank better in google.de SERPs, based on 27,291 SERP results across 2,862 keywords and 9 industries. After controlling for an external domain-authority signal (DataForSEO organic keyword counts), the apparent URL-length advantage shrinks by roughly 36% and stays tiny — URL length behaves as a micro-signal, not a primary ranking lever. The often-cited 'YMYL exception' is not detectable once external authority is controlled for. This repository contains the analysis code (phase0–phase10), aggregated results (regression models, robustness checks, YMYL segmentation), and author-created charts. Row-level SERP data is not redistributed; the dataset is reproducible with one's own DataForSEO credentials. Code is MIT-licensed; aggregated results and charts are CC BY 4.0.