The website structure is a hierarchy of categories and pages, which helps the search engine to perform high-quality indexing and the users find the necessary information. The site structure allows you to build clear and simple navigation of the site and affects such elements as breadcrumbs, internal links, and the site map. With this task, you can turn to the company https://techreport.ngo, and you will not have to delve into all the complexities and peculiarities of this process yourself. However, the most important points should be kept in mind.
How to make a site structure?
Specialists start building an SEO structure by collecting a semantic core – it serves as the basis for future sections and subcategories. In addition, it serves as a hint for building relevant thematic content for each page.
The structure depends as much as possible on the semantic core, but the site owner and specialists working on the creation of a new platform can remove or add certain pages or categories. It all depends on the specific goal and marketing features. Also, when creating a structure, behavioral factors are of great importance, so the finished version of the project always takes into account ease of use and an intuitive interface.
Types of site structure
The site structure is built from the main level to nested categories. Regardless of the type of structure, it is always hierarchical. Almost all online stores and other commercial sites have a thematic structure. That is, there is a main page, product categories, and there are product cards. In addition to the thematic structure of the site, the structure may have a different appearance:
- ABC. Articles in reference books and encyclopedias are compiled in this order.
- Geography. In its pure form, sites with such a structure are almost not found, but individual categories are built according to this scheme. For example, this can be seen on the websites of postal services or international organizations.
- Chronology. Content is most often distributed precisely chronologically on news sites and informational blogs. However, for the convenience of consumers, thematic categories supplement the chronological structure. For example, you can view all the news for the last day on the site or only those related to finance or cataclysms. You can see these materials in the relevant thematic sections.
So, the most common structure format is hybrid. A hybrid structure combines features of several types, and this format is the most adaptable to the real needs of users.
Signs of a quality site structure
Site visitors like quality structure and search engine indexes pages properly. Basic requirements:
- Nesting of pages – no more than four levels;
- Availability of breadcrumbs and internal links for convenient navigation;
- Each page allows you to return to the main page immediately.
If specialists have worked out the project in great detail, all further work on creating the site will be easier and faster because it will be based on a clear and logical framework.
What to do if a website is already operational and indexed but has a poor site structure?
One of the most challenging tasks faced by technical experts at https://elsitech.com is restructuring an already functioning website. Not everything that was initially done incorrectly necessarily needs improvement. If your website is small and users can easily find everything they need, you can optimize the resource and gradually enhance it based on real issues and the budget allocated for web platform improvements.
Analyze the website’s effectiveness before making changes
Make decisions about changes not based on whether you personally like or dislike how things are arranged but rather rely on specific figures and behavioral analysis. Perhaps, at this stage of your website’s existence, changes may not be justified because search engines would have to re-scan the pages after modifications, and some sections may disappear from search results. However, change becomes necessary if you plan to scale and expand your project. Additionally, it’s essential to compare your website with major competitors in your field to gain valuable insights into how their site structures are organized with similar topics or offerings.
Improving the existing structure
Create a prototype of the website structure, adhering to the primary navigation rule: the path to the farthest pages of the site should be no more than two clicks away from the homepage. It’s crucial to maintain logic in creating sections and subsections. If your site has a significant number of pages, such as an online store, consider implementing a convenient search system and filters to help users quickly access the results they need.
After integrating the new structure, configure redirects as needed so that users are automatically directed to the new URL from the old ones. This will also help you maintain your site’s rankings in search results. If you change the structure of an existing site, it’s crucial to have a sitemap.xml. This will help search engine bots promptly index the new pages and present them to users in search results, just like before. If you didn’t have a sitemap before, restructuring the platform is the right time to introduce it on both your site and Google Search Console.
If you find it challenging to navigate through all these intricacies on your own, it’s advisable to consult SEO experts who can help you formulate and integrate the new structure. This will help you to not only maintain your search engine rankings but also improve them.
