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Does Your Site Architecture Need a Tune-Up? Optimizing for SEO
A website's information architecture - its structure, organization, and internal linking - has a major impact on SEO performance. Over time, even well-planned architectures can become misaligned to evolving search best practices.
Signs your site architecture needs an SEO tune-up include:
- Inconsistent or overly long/complex URL structures
- Key pages buried too deep, requiring too many clicks
- Keywords missing from critical URLs and internal links
- Poor linkage between related content silos
- Duplicate or thin content cannibalizing other pages
- Excess paginated content that should be combined
- Bloated menus leading to information overload
So how do you revamp your website's architecture for improved SEO? Follow this process:
Conduct an Architecture Audit
Thoroughly review your sitemap and use tools like ScreamingFrog to crawl your site. Identify issues preventing search bots from easily crawling and indexing site content. This sets the roadmap.
Design Optimal URL Structures
Clean up URL paths to be consistent, and logical, and include target keywords. Avoid overly long URLs and unnecessary parameters. Establish new URL naming conventions.
Streamline Site Navigation
Evaluate how visitors move through your site. Simplify and flatten navigation while still organizing information logically. Ensure key pages are linked from the main menus.
Realign Information Hierarchies
Optimize parent-child content relationships and taxonomy. Important content should not be buried too deep. Related content should be well-interlinked using descriptive anchor text.
Combine Thin Pages of Content
Find thin pages with little unique value and merge them into more comprehensive content grouped thematically. Help search bots determine authority pages.
Fix Indexing Issues
Address any flaws preventing pages from being indexed fully. Refine robots.txt, XML sitemaps, and meta noindex tags on pages like print views.
Optimizing your site architecture takes effort but delivers better crawlability, content discoverability, and visitor engagement. Set time quarterly to audit and refine it. Smooth site architecture and navigation help SEO success. Tuning Up Site Architecture through ongoing seo maintenance.
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