The web structure of the different pages that make up a site is directly related to both the architecture of the information and the correct distribution of the contents. Its main function is to facilitate its usability and improve its positioning.
Therefore, if you are in the process of creating a website from scratch or you are renovating it, you have to take into account the
web architecture. In this article I will give you some keys to define a content structure so that your site is not an amalgam of pages and blog entries in disorder. Keep reading!
What is the web structure? DefinitionIn this way, web structuring could be defined as the way in which the pages that make up a website are organized and distributed, as well as how they relate to each other.
A bad web architecture will affect the navigability, since the user will have the feeling of being lost, it will be difficult to find quickly what he is looking for and, finally, he will leave the site. And this is something that search engines such as Google don't like either, penalizing this important aspect of SEO.
Why is the structure of web content important for SEO positioning?For a website to scale results in the SERP (Search Engine Results Pages), all aspects of SEO must be worked well. And one of the most important ones is to structure a website correctly for two main reasons. I detail them below!
- To help Google understand what a website is about
Proper web structuring gives signals to Google (the king of search engines with 92.17% of the market, according to StatCounter) about the purpose of the site and where the most relevant content is. Also, a well implemented web structure will help Google find and index the content of products or services more easily.
- Ensuring that your own content does not compete with each other
Many sites have very similar content of their own, so in Google's eyes they are "fighting" each other to rank higher in the search engine. Thus, a good SEO web architecture is essential for Google to know which content is the most important and to avoid cases of
SEO cannibalization .
- Importance of web content structure for user experience (UX)
The main objective of almost all websites is for the user to be able to find what they are looking for quickly and easily, so good navigability that invites the user to browse the website is essential.
This will increase the probabilities of getting a conversion or a lead (subscribe to a newsletter, fill out a contact form, ask for a quote, etc.), as well as increase the options of loyalty, that is, to visit the site another time.
How to configure the architecture of a website?To configure the content structure of a website, several aspects must be taken into account:
- 1. Pyramidal content structure
A good and logical organization of the content is fundamental. Imagine the home page as the top of a pyramid and, below, the categories and subcategories.
- 2. Division of content into categories
The content must be well categorized. For example, if we have a website selling pharmaceutical products, the ideal thing is for the menu to show the main categories (e.g. hygiene) and the subcategories (e.g. oral, body, hair, etc.). In this way, the user can quickly access what interests him/her.
- 3. Balancing the size of the categories
It is recommended that the categories be matched in terms of size. If the size of one is more than double that of another, it is ideal to divide it into two independent categories. Of course, you should check that the new URLs are well redirected after the division.
- 4. Internal link structure
A correct SEO web structure cannot be understood without a proper internal link structure, something known as "interlinking". The pages at the top must link to sub-pages and vice versa. If, in addition, the home page is well optimized, its authority will be transferred to the others. This phenomenon, known as "link juice", helps the site to be well classified in search engines.
- 5. Taxonomy: order first and foremost
Taxonomy (science that deals with the principles, methods and purposes of classification) has the mission of facilitating the organization of content and the search for information, both by the user and by search engines. This is done in four steps:
Defining and delimiting the entity of the site.
Extracting its categories.
Controlling its terminology.
Establishing the relationship between terms and categories.
There are two crucial ways of classifying information: hierarchical and labeling.
- 5.1Hierarchy of content in categories and subcategories
Although it may seem obvious, it is necessary to carry out a previous study of the content to be introduced in the site in order to rank it optimally. A good example is the Amazon website, where products follow a logical hierarchical structure.
The labels, on the other hand, are not hierarchical. However, they relate content to each other (whether or not they are of the same category or subcategory). For example, in a blog on a website about the Canary Islands, the user can read an article about hiking in Tenerife and then go to the "Tenerife" tag to discover more content about that island (beaches, restaurants, clubs, etc.).
The cornerstone content pages are the building blocks of a website. As such, they should reflect your mission. For example, in the website of a digital marketing agency, the cornerstone content should be the services offered (SEO, SEM, design, development, social networks, etc.).
5 tips for good web structuringAs the Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus said, "everything flows, nothing remains". That's why the web structure should be dynamic. Because, like everything in life, business evolves and changes over time. If this is not taken into account, the site may be a jumble of pages without coherence.
If there is a product or service on the site that is no longer offered, it is advisable to remove the corresponding page. However, it is possible that said page (and, consequently, the site) is benefiting from some link that helps positioning. In these cases, it is ideal to implement a redirection.
For example, if it is a product, the ideal thing to do is to redirect the URL to another similar product, to its category or, as a last resort, to the homepage.
Making an outline of the website is very useful, since that is where you can really evaluate which pages are suitable for it. If one is not convenient, both Google and the user should be able to find it through a link on another page or on the site map.
The web structure can change over time, either by splitting categories with a lot of content or by merging categories with little content. In both cases, redirections must be made.
- 4. Communicate changes to Google
If you have built an HTML sitemap manually, you must update it after changing the structure of your web pages. Of course, the XML sitemap must be submitted to Google Search Console.
- 5. Eject the duplicate content
The fact that a content is repeated in different parts of the site should not be a problem for the user, since he will find what he is looking for. But for search engines it is a problem, because duplicate content penalizes the site.
When thinking about a website architecture, it is important to consider that one page or article is the main content and others link from there providing more information without competing with the main one.
For example, a page of pillar content on SEO should be complemented with other more specific ones (SEO On Page, SEO Off Page, Link Building...).
In short, the importance of a good web architecture is beyond any doubt: users will feel more comfortable when navigating and finding quickly and easily what they need. Besides, search engines will have a clearer idea of the website's subject matter and what the most relevant content is, which will help to improve SEO positioning.
What about you, do you have a good web structure as we
wowessays.com in your site or do you need a little push in this sense? Tell me your case in the comments section!
