How to Change a WordPress Site’s Search URL Slug via DirectAdmin

All that is needed for indexing is the benefit of SEO-friendly URLs. The platform’s default search website structure and URL hosting hold the key to improving search engine ranking. Users can enhance any WordPress site’s search URL slug (http://www.example.com/?s=search-term) with DirectAdmin to boost the site’s overall SEO standing.
With a few adjustments, your search URL slugs will be more in tune with your site’s permalinks format. We have talked about configuring the Functions File and changing the .htaccess file. The idea is to change the site’s present search URL slug:
http://www.example.com/?s=search-term into this http://www.example.com/search/search-term.
Table of Contents
Rearrange Site’s Function File
Improve Search URL Slug with .htaccess

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Setting up SEO-friendly URLs for your WordPress website will simply allow it to index posts and pages, which will not raise its search engine rating. In order to optimize the search sites for search engines, search engine crawlers should find it easy to read and authentic that these search URLs are structured.

Rearrange Site’s Function File

1. Log in to your user account of DirectAdmin.
2. Go to the System Info & Files section and click on File Manager.

The File Manager interface will open.

3. Browse functions.php file by following the path public_html>>wp-content >> themes.
4. Right-click the functions.php file and select Edit.

The file will open in the editor window.

5. Paste the given code at the end of the file.

/**
* Change search page slug.
*/

function wp_change_search_url() {
    if ( is_search() && ! empty( $_GET['s'] ) ) {
        wp_redirect( home_url( "/search/" ) . urlencode( get_query_var( 's' ) ) );
        exit();
    }  
}
add_action( 'template_redirect', 'wp_change_search_url' );

6. Click SAVE and close the editor.

It should change the structure of the search URL slug to the most optimum level.

Improve Search URL Slug with .htaccess

1. Log in to your DirectAdmin account.
2. Open File Manager and edit the .htaccess file.
3. Paste this code at the end of the file:

# Change WordPress search URL slug
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} \\?s=([^&]+) [NC]
RewriteRule ^$ /search/%1/? [NC,R,L]

4. Click SAVE and close the editor.

DirectAdmin users can use any one of the methods and amend the search URL slug of a WordPress site, improving its SEO.

P.S.
Users can also use the FTP client to download the functions.php or .htaccess file, edit and then reupload them on the server.