The website structure (or tree) is one of the points to be taken care of most carefully in order to make a successful portal. This is especially true if we are dealing with voluminous websites such as institutional portals, e-commerce and magazines. Online newspapers, for example, must be based on a custom-designed architecture. And the same is true for projects dedicated to online sales.
Not least because in these cases tags and categories intersect to create a website structure that cannot be improvised. Both to achieve SEO benefits and to take care of users in terms of user experience. Here are some pointers to approach this topic from the right perspective.
What is website structure, definition
By this concept we mean a graphic scheme that illustrates the hierarchical organization of web pages that are part of a domain. And that it is necessary to create a website without improvising, weighing every single activity to have well in mind number of pages, objectives and content to be created for each resource in order to satisfy the different search intentions of users.
All this, however, without publishing pages that would be useless for the potential client or perhaps redundant, thus creating cases of SEO cannibalization of keywords that are difficult to solve.
What is the purpose of a website tree?
This is one of the documents needed to build a website. But also to manage internal links, navigation menu and content marketing work for SEO. Without portal structure, you don’t move forward, you don’t even create wireframes of pages, let alone draft graphics or content.
Because the pattern you get from this path takes shape from keyword research work that serves to turn into concrete actions what is only in strategic intentions in the project. For example, “We need to intercept customers who don’t know us yet.” Perfect, how do you do that?
You start a corporate blog, but to do that you need an outline that fits the resource into the project. And this is true for any type of page. The structure of a website is important because it creates the right resources, eliminates unnecessary ones, and generates a network of internal links critical for good SEO ranking.
The tools for making website structure
First you need SEO tools to do keyword research, and thus understand what resources are needed to intercept those keywords. So make way for the various Seozoom and Semrush.
It seems logical that such work needs some tools to do the mapping and treeing. Where do you start? Simple, you need a tool to make mind maps. That is, hierarchical structures with a starting point. Here are some useful names to remember:
- Coggle.
- Xmind.
- Flowmapp.
Coggle is definitely the most basic, a true mind map tool that allows you to make connections with colored lines and dots. Xmind is the right middle ground for more complex work.
Dulcis in fundo: Flowmapp is the tool dedicated to complex trees and structures that need uncommon patterns. In any case, all have excellent free versions for testing.
How to make a website structure
Documentation of website structure is encapsulated in a schema that, as the name suggests, resembles an inverted tree. It all starts at one point, which is the home page. To design a website through these architectures you first need tools. Then advice related to both SEO and UX. I have already listed the tools, now let’s move on to best practices for creating a website.
The hierarchy of a website comes first
This is the first point to remember when making a website structure: you cannot start an online project without first defining its architecture. Which must have a hierarchical approach. This means that there are pages that are more important and others that are less important.
They are not less decisive, but they are not of interest to all users. Only one is the one that, theoretically, has the highest centrality: the home page. In fact, it must be at the top of a website’s tree.
Then there can be websites with only one level of depth, so a handful of fixed web pages arranged on the navigation menu. But if you need to make categories, subcategories, and other diversifications, though, it is right to do it through a hierarchy. Moving resources away from the home page. In summary, not all pages need to be on the same level otherwise every element is important and nothing is.
Evaluate the depth of the website structure
I have suggested the importance of a website that can structure different areas hierarchically with various levels of pages. From the home you go to hub sections or silos, then to categories and perhaps subcategories. Pay attention to one point, though: do not go unnecessarily deep into the structure.
The tree structure must always be logical. This means that it is useless to create subcategories when the difference does not justify an excessive departure from the home page. The principle that should guide the structure is simple: the further a page moves away from the home page, the less authority will come to it.
Therefore, at least at an early stage we tend to follow this rule when studying the structure of a website: do not go below 3 clicks from the home page. Unless necessary and justified, three steps should be enough to reach any web page from the home page. Then go even further if needed.
Bring back the cleanliness of the structure in the URLs
Website structure embraces this point. Because the virtuous architecture of pages replicates in that of URLs. It generates clear and effective communication with this microcopy.
It means using a clean URL structure, possibly without incomprehensible parameters: reproduce the navigation path as it exists in breadcrumbs. Create a simple and intuitive thread for everyone: this is one of the examples where search engine optimization and UX come together.
Don’t leave orphan pages in the tree.
True, resources away from the home page lose strength. Because they distance themselves from the resource that has more resources in terms of link juice. But there are internal links that should help you manage relationships. The structure of a website helps you identify the network of links in the domain.
Which are a powerful tool for improving Google rankings. The important thing is to always have a consistent approach in terms of link utility and words used as anchor text.
Also you should avoid the presence of orphan web pages: all publications should have at least one link to any other page always to be reached somehow, without too tortuous paths, from the home. The structure of the website does not need complexity but completeness.