Step Up Your Website Structure — and Your Brand’s Online Success — With These 7 Tips

In the digital age, your brand’s website is often the first interaction potential customers have with your business. This makes having an effectively structured website critical — not only does it enhance the user experience, but it also plays a crucial role in achieving your business objectives. And whether your primary goal is to guide visitors to make a purchase, subscribe to a newsletter or simply learn more about your brand’s offerings, the structure of your website is fundamental to its success.

Why is website structure important?

The benefits of a well-structured website are broad. A well-structured website improves navigation, making it easier for users to find the information they need quickly and efficiently. This, in turn, reduces bounce rates and increases the time visitors spend on your site, which are both essential to improving your search engine rankings. A logically organized site also helps ensure that your content is presented in a clear and compelling manner, helping to build trust and credibility with your audience.

Further, website page structure significantly impacts search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines like Google prioritize websites that offer a seamless user experience. And a well-organized site with clear navigation and a logical hierarchy helps search engines crawl and index your pages more effectively, boosting your site’s visibility in search results. Proper internal linking and structured data further enhance your SEO efforts, making it easier for your target audience to discover your content.

The 4 top types of website structure

When designing a website, choosing the right structure is an important part of ensuring a seamless user experience and optimizing for search engines. There are four primary types of website structures, each with its own unique advantages and applications:

1. Hierarchical structure

The hierarchical structure is the most common and straightforward approach to organizing a website. It resembles a tree with a clear top-down hierarchy, starting with the homepage at the top, followed by main categories, subcategories and individual pages. This structure is ideal for websites with a lot of content, such as e-commerce sites or blogs, as it allows users to easily navigate from broad topics to more specific information. By using clear, descriptive labels for categories and subcategories, you can ensure that both users and search engines understand the organization of your content, enhancing usability and SEO.

2. Sequential structure

The sequential structure, also known as a linear structure, is designed to guide users through a specific, predefined path. This type of structure is often used for processes that require a step-by-step approach, such as online courses, onboarding tutorials or checkout processes. Each page or section leads logically to the next, making it easy for users to follow along. While this structure provides excellent guidance and a controlled user experience, it can be limiting if users need to access information out of sequence. Therefore, it’s best suited for tasks that benefit from a linear progression.

3. Matrix structure

The matrix structure offers users the flexibility to choose their own path through the website content. This approach allows for multiple navigation pathways, giving users control over how they access information based on their preferences and needs. It’s commonly used in websites that cater to diverse user groups with different interests or in knowledge bases where users might search for information in various ways. While the matrix structure enhances user autonomy and personalization, it requires careful planning to avoid confusion and ensure all paths lead to relevant, easily accessible content.

4. Database-driven structure

A database-driven structure is highly dynamic and allows for the creation of personalized user experiences based on database interactions. Content is stored in a database and served dynamically based on user queries or interactions. This structure is ideal for websites with large amounts of data, such as e-commerce platforms, news sites or social networks, where content needs to be regularly updated or customized. It enables sophisticated search functionalities, user-generated content and personalized recommendations. However, implementing a database-driven structure can be complex and requires robust backend infrastructure and management.

The right choice for a website’s structure depends on your brand’s content, target audience and the goals you aim to achieve. By understanding the strengths and limitations of each type, you can create a website that not only meets user expectations but also performs well in search engine rankings.

7 solid tips for implementing a strong website structure

Here, we’ll explore some top tips for structuring your website to maximize its effectiveness. Whether you’re building a new site from scratch or looking to improve an existing one, these seven tips will provide valuable insights into how to structure a website that not only looks great but also drives results.

1. Ensure a clear hierarchy and intuitive navigation

A well-defined hierarchy organizes a website’s content in a logical, easy-to-navigate manner, ensuring that users can quickly find the information they seek. This intuitive navigation is critical for keeping visitors engaged and guiding them through their journey on your site.

A clear hierarchy significantly enhances the overall user experience by making the website more intuitive. When visitors land on your site, they should be able to understand the main sections and subsections at a glance. This helps users locate relevant information without feeling overwhelmed. By categorizing content effectively and providing straightforward pathways, you enhance usability, leading to higher engagement rates and lower bounce rates.

In addition, a clear hierarchy can boost your site’s SEO performance. Search engines like Google use crawlers to index your site’s content, and a clear hierarchy makes this process more efficient. A well-structured site with a logical hierarchy helps search engines understand the relationships between different pages and the relative importance of each page. This can improve your site’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs), as search engines are more likely to award high rankings to well-organized, easily navigable sites. Proper use of headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.), internal linking and breadcrumb navigation further aids in SEO by highlighting the structure and relevance of your content.

A clear hierarchy can also influence user behavior by directing visitors toward specific actions or areas of your site. By prioritizing important pages and strategically placing calls-to-action (CTAs) within the hierarchy, you can guide users toward desired outcomes, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter or filling out a contact form. This structured approach helps ensure that critical information and actions are prominent and accessible, helping you drive conversions and achieve business goals.

Further, for website administrators and content creators, a clear hierarchy simplifies content management. It allows for easier updates, additions and reorganizations of content without disrupting the overall site structure. This consistency helps ensure that users always have a coherent experience, even as new content is added. Additionally, a well-maintained hierarchy helps in tracking the performance of different sections of your site, better enabling you to make data-driven decisions to optimize content and layout.

2. Employ breadcrumb trails

Breadcrumb trails are simple yet powerful navigational tools that can significantly enhance the user experience on your website. These small, clickable paths usually appear at the top of a webpage, showing users the route they have taken to arrive at their current page. By providing a clear and concise visual representation of their navigation path, breadcrumb trails offer numerous benefits for both users and website administrators.

One of the primary advantages of breadcrumb trails is improved navigation. They help users understand their location within the website’s hierarchy, allowing them to backtrack easily to previous pages or sections. This is particularly useful for websites with deep structures, such as e-commerce sites or extensive blogs, where users might need to navigate through several layers of categories and subcategories. Breadcrumbs reduce the effort required to move between different levels of the site, enhancing the overall user experience and reducing frustration.

Breadcrumb trails also contribute to better SEO performance. Search engines use breadcrumbs to understand the structure and organization of your website. By incorporating breadcrumb trails, you provide search engines with additional context about the relationships between pages, which can improve your site’s indexability and ranking.

Moreover, employing breadcrumb trails can reduce bounce rates and increase user engagement. When visitors can easily see where they are within the site and how to navigate back to broader categories, they are more likely to explore additional content rather than leaving the site altogether. Breadcrumbs encourage deeper site exploration by providing a straightforward way for users to discover related content and navigate through different sections. This increased engagement can lead to higher conversion rates and more satisfied visitors, as users find it easier to access the information they need.

Another significant benefit of breadcrumb trails is their positive impact on usability and accessibility. Breadcrumbs provide an alternative means of navigation for users who may find traditional menus challenging to use, such as those with disabilities or those browsing on mobile devices. By offering a clear, accessible navigation path, breadcrumbs make your site more inclusive and user-friendly. This commitment to accessibility not only broadens your audience but also demonstrates your dedication to providing a positive experience for all users.

3. Keep the click depth to a minimum

Click depth refers to the number of clicks it takes for a user to reach a specific page from the website’s homepage. Keeping click depth to a minimum enhances the user experience, improves SEO and increases overall website efficiency.

First and foremost, minimizing click depth significantly improves the user experience. When users visit a website, they expect to find the information they need as quickly and effortlessly as possible. If it takes too many clicks to reach their desired content, they may become frustrated and abandon the site. By reducing the number of clicks required to access important pages, you create a more intuitive and efficient navigation system. This ease of access encourages users to stay on your site longer, explore more content and engage more deeply with your offerings.

From an SEO perspective, minimizing click depth is equally important. Search engines like Google prioritize sites that provide a seamless user experience. Pages that are buried deep within a site’s structure may be harder for search engines to crawl and index, potentially impacting their visibility in search results. 

By ensuring that key pages are no more than a few clicks away from the homepage, you make it easier for search engine crawlers to discover and index your brand’s content. This can lead to improved search rankings and increased organic traffic to your site.

Minimizing click depth also enhances your website’s overall efficiency. A streamlined navigation system makes it easier for users to find and access the information they need, which can lead to higher conversion rates. For example, in an e-commerce setting, reducing the number of clicks between product pages and the checkout process can significantly reduce cart abandonment rates. Users are more likely to complete their purchases when the path to conversion is short and straightforward. Similarly, for content-heavy websites, minimizing click depth ensures that users can quickly reach the articles, resources or contact information they seek, thereby improving engagement and helping achieve business goals.

Further, a website with minimal click depth supports better content management and site maintenance. With a simplified structure, it is easier to organize and update content, ensuring consistency and relevance across the site. This organization not only benefits users but also makes it easier for site administrators to monitor performance and make data-driven decisions about content placement and navigation design.

4. Tap into tags and categories

When implemented to organize and structure content on your website, tags and categories play an important role in enhancing the user experience, improving SEO and facilitating content management. By effectively using tags and categories, you can create a more navigable, discoverable and efficient website for your brand.

One of the leading benefits to using tags and categories is an improvement of the user experience. Categories group related content into broad topics, allowing users to find information based on general themes. Tags, on the other hand, are more specific labels that connect content based on detailed attributes or keywords. This dual approach enables users to navigate your site more intuitively. For instance, on a blog, categories might include broader topics like “Travel” or “Tech,” while tags could highlight specific details such as “Backpacking” or “Gadgets.” This organization helps users quickly find relevant content, helping reduce frustration and encourage deeper engagement with your site.

Tags and categories are also an important part of SEO efforts. Search engines use these organizational elements to understand the structure and relevance of your content. Properly categorized and tagged content helps search engines index your pages more effectively, improving your site’s visibility in search results. Tags and categories also facilitate internal linking, which is another crucial element of SEO. By linking related content through tags and categories, you create a web of interconnected pages that search engines can crawl more easily, boosting your overall SEO performance.

Using tags and categories also aids in content discovery and retention. For returning visitors, well-organized tags and categories make it easier to find previously read articles or related new content. This ongoing discovery keeps users engaged and encourages repeat visits. For new visitors, a clearly defined category structure and descriptive tags can foster an immediate sense of your site’s content, helping them locate information quickly and fostering a positive first impression.

Further, tags and categories can enhance the functionality of your site’s search and filter features. Users often rely on search functions to find specific content, and tags and categories can improve the accuracy and relevance of search results. Filters based on tags and categories allow users to refine their searches, providing a more tailored browsing experience. This functionality is particularly valuable for e-commerce sites, where users may want to filter products by attributes like size, color or brand.

5. Incorporate contextual links, but don’t overdo it

Contextual links are hyperlinks within your content that point to other relevant pages on your site or to external sources. When used appropriately, these links provide additional value to your readers and help them navigate your site more effectively. However, it’s crucial to strike a balance and avoid overusing them to prevent clutter and confusion.

Contextual links play a significant role in improving the user experience by offering additional information and resources that are directly related to the content a user is currently viewing. For instance, if you’re writing a blog post about website design, you might include a contextual link to a detailed article on SEO best practices or a case study on successful site redesigns. These links enrich the user’s reading experience, providing deeper insights and more comprehensive coverage of the topic. By guiding users to relevant content, you keep them engaged and encourage them to explore your site further.

From an SEO perspective, contextual links are invaluable. Search engines use these internal links to understand the relationships between different pages on your site, which helps in determining the relevance and authority of your content. By linking to related articles, guides or product pages, you signal to search engines that your content is interconnected and comprehensive. This internal linking structure can improve your site’s crawlability and indexing, ultimately boosting your search engine rankings. Linking to authoritative external sources can also enhance your content’s credibility and SEO value.

While contextual links are beneficial, it’s important not to overuse them. Overloading your content with too many links can be distracting and overwhelming for users. Instead of enhancing the reading experience, excessive links can lead to a cluttered and confusing page. Users may find it difficult to follow the main narrative of your content if they are constantly bombarded with links. To avoid this, use contextual links sparingly and ensure they are genuinely relevant and add value to the content.

Another consideration when incorporating contextual links is the anchor text — the clickable text in a hyperlink. Anchor text should be descriptive and relevant to the linked content, providing users with a clear idea of what they will find when they click the link. Avoid using generic phrases like “click here” or “read more,” as they do not convey meaningful information about the destination page. Instead, use specific keywords and phrases that accurately describe the linked content, enhancing both the user experience and SEO.

It’s also important to consider the placement of contextual links. They should be integrated naturally within the flow of your content, complementing the text rather than disrupting it. Placing links at strategic points where users might seek further information or a deeper understanding can be highly effective. For example, after explaining a complex concept, you could link to a detailed article that provides an in-depth analysis of that topic.

6. Keep your URLs clear, short and consistent

URLs, or Uniform Resource Locators, are not just web addresses — they play a part in shaping the user experience, aiding SEO efforts and maintaining a well-organized website structure. Clear, short and consistent URLs contribute significantly to usability, search engine visibility and overall website effectiveness.

First, clear URLs enhance the user experience by providing users with a glimpse of the content they can expect on a page. A concise and descriptive URL communicates the topic or purpose of the page before users even click on the link. For example, a URL like “https://example.com/blog/tips-for-website-structure” clearly indicates that the page will provide tips related to website structure. This transparency helps users navigate your site more confidently and locate relevant information quickly, reducing bounce rates and improving engagement.

Short URLs are also beneficial for usability and shareability. A compact URL is easier to read, remember and type manually. Users are more likely to share content with concise URLs, as they are less intimidating and look cleaner in social media posts, emails and other digital communications. Short URLs are also less prone to errors and typos, helping ensure that users reach the intended page without frustration or confusion.

Consistency in URL structure is equally important for maintaining a well-organized website. By establishing and adhering to a consistent URL format across your site, you create a predictable navigation experience for users and search engines alike. Consistent URLs make it easier for visitors to anticipate the structure of your site and navigate between pages logically. For instance, if your blog posts follow a “https://example.com/blog/post-title” format, users can easily predict how to access other blog posts without having to search or guess URLs.

From an SEO perspective, clear, short and consistent URLs contribute to better search engine visibility and ranking. Search engines like Google consider URL readability and relevance when determining the ranking of a page in search results. Keywords in the URL help search engines understand the content of the page and improve its chances of appearing in relevant searches. A well-structured URL that includes relevant keywords can enhance the page’s SEO performance and attract more organic traffic.

Further, maintaining clear, short and consistent URLs facilitates website management and content organization. When URLs are structured logically and consistently, it becomes easier to track and manage content across your site. This organization is particularly valuable as your site grows and evolves, helping ensure that old and new content alike remains accessible and effectively categorized.

7. Leverage schema markup

Schema markup, also known as structured data, is a powerful tool that can enhance the visibility and understanding of your website’s content by search engines. It provides additional context about your web pages, enabling search engines to better interpret and present your content in search results. Employing schema markup offers several significant benefits, including improved SEO performance, enhanced click-through rates, and better visibility in SERPs.

One of the main advantages of using schema markup is its impact on SEO. Search engines like Google use structured data to create rich snippets — enhanced search results that include additional information such as star ratings, prices, event dates and more. These rich snippets make your listings more compelling and informative, increasing the likelihood of attracting clicks from users who are seeking specific information. For example, if you mark up a recipe with schema markup, Google may display a rich snippet that includes cooking time, calorie count and user ratings directly in the search results, giving users more reasons to click through to your site.

Additionally, schema markup helps search engines understand the context and relevance of your content. By tagging elements on your pages with specific schemas (such as articles, reviews, products, events, etc.), you provide search engines with structured data that clarifies what your content is about. This clarity can lead to better rankings in relevant search queries because search engines can accurately match your content with user intent. For instance, if someone searches for “best hotels in Charleston,” structured data marked up with hotel reviews and ratings can help Google identify and prioritize a site’s hotel listings.

Employing schema markup can also improve the overall user experience by making search results more informative and relevant. Users are more likely to click on search results that provide detailed information up front, such as pricing, availability or review ratings, all of which can be displayed through structured data. This increased relevance and transparency can not only attract more clicks but also enhance user satisfaction by delivering the information they need quickly and efficiently.

Further, schema markup supports various types of content, from local business information and events to products and recipes. Whatever your website offers, there is likely a schema markup that can enhance its presentation in search results. This versatility allows you to leverage structured data to highlight key attributes of your content and stand out in competitive search environments.

Implementing schema markup does require some technical expertise, but the potential benefits for your website’s visibility and performance make it a worthwhile investment. By providing search engines with clear, structured data about your content, you can improve SEO, increase click-through rates, enhance user experience and ultimately drive more qualified traffic to your site. 

See more site-driven successes — with help from the pros at Brandon

Looking to build a brand website that hits the mark on structure, user experience, SEO efforts and beyond — and drives added success for your business? At Brandon, our website development team is well-versed in creating well-structured, user-friendly websites that spur visitor interest, extend consumers’ time on site and create more conversions. To get started with professional guidance ranging from a simple website analysis to a comprehensive strategy tailored to boost your brand’s overall performance and identity, contact us today.