Optimal website structure for DIY SEO
As the structure of the web and the sheer volume and complexity of its content changes, search engine algorithms change. Therefore, so does the field of SEO. This means that yesterdays answers may no longer be true for today’s questions. Staying on top of the knowledge and skills required to achieve peak search engine optimisation may simply not be an optimal use of time and resources for the average website owner doing their own SEO.
When it comes to optimal seo value for your time, your site’s content will the heart of your search engine rankings. Simply put, you need a constant volume of targeted content. This means structuring your content in tightly themed bundles. For most, this will be well defined product categories or service offerings. The aim is to organise your content from high level themes through to very specific content. Furthermore, you should be creating clear navigational opportunities for both search engines and users to drill down to content efficiently.
Solid information architecture like this can bring exponential gains in search engine positioning. A search engine values high quality, easily navigable content just like a user.
Here’s an approach to find inherent hierarchies of information based on search activity;
Using a tool such as Google Insights you can input high level broad categories and gauge levels of search activity. As well as simply finding the top broad search terms that represent the largest volume of search activity, this is a great tool for visualising seasonal trends and uncovering market opportunities.
Taking your broad findings (say the top 5 terms per thematic group)and plugging the results into the Google Keyword tool you can begin to define with a higher level of specificity the keyword phrases users use to find products and services.
You should start to see a natural organisational hierarchy appear and so begin fashioning your information architecture – from the user up!
Remember: Link influence flows from the most influential page(s) of your site through to lower levels, and the fewer number of steps (links) between the most influential page and the lower levels, the more influence is passed on. Put another way, a high influence page only has so much “link juice” to vote with. The more recipients – the less value each receives.