SEO & Website Structure | The Social Media Factor

Your website structure is just as important as the SEO keywords you put into your content. The structure of your website is vital in keeping users returning to your website. User experience should be the first thing to consider when building your business website. People want information at their fingertips. They don’t like searching through multiple pages to find what they need. A website should also send out pings to search engines in order to bring traffic to your website. Your website is is your calling card. That is why the structure matters and why design is important on any website.

Homepage

The first thing a internet user sees when they go to your website is the homepage. That is why it is essential to make a good impression with your homepage. The structure here is very important. A homepage can determine whether or not someone stays on your website. Your homepage is the chance to highlight the best content on your website. All your essentials need to be on your homepage. This includes contact information, main menu, logos, social media sharing, and images. It doesn’t matter if your website is a blog or ecommerce site, the structure needs to be easy to navigate and eye-catching. Your homepage can be set up as either static or dynamic.

Static vs. Dynamic Homepage

It all depends on the type of website you have on whether or not you have a dynamic or static homepage. A static home. displays the same content type someone logs onto your website. You can edit the content on static homepage. However, it will only show the latest content if you add it to the homepage. A dynamic website shows the latest posts or social media feeds from your website. It works like a news feed.
There is no better or best homepage type for your website. It’s about what structure works best with the purpose of your website. If it is a blog, then a dynamic page is the best options. Visitors on your page can keep with the latest posts much easier. For a content or service based website, a static homepage is usually better. People can directly find the information they need without having to sift through other pages. It’s all about making the best decision for what type of homepage will promote your brand the best. However, there are pages that all websites need to have.

Essential Pages to Have

There are certain webpages that your website cannot do without. They are necessary to tell visitors about your website and help them navigate the pages on your website.

About Page: A good about page has a welcome message, company information, and a blurb about the company’s vision and values. This is the page to try to connect to your audience. This is also a good place to have information about your team or company leaders. Be personable but informative on this page.
Contact Page: Make sure it is easy for your clients to reach you. The page must contain all relevant contact information and forms. Have an email, phone number, and physical address listed. You can customize this page to have a contact form.
Privacy Policy: In order to prevent illegal sharing or use of information, post your privacy policy on a separate page. Be specific about cookies and use of personal data on your website.
Disclaimer: Depending on your website, it’s always good to have a disclaimer on your page. This is true if you have a website that deals with health or food products. It is important to show that you are not responsible for what happens when they test a beauty tip or health product.
HTML Sitemap: The purpose of this page is to provide fast access to each of your websites pages. Users will enjoy the ease of access on your website.

The next important section having a navigation system that will impress new users and bring your old ones back

Navigation & URL Structure

The navigation structure of your website is crucial. A good navigation structure has permanent link structure that is URL friendly. Menus should be easy to access and use. Pages should be accessible from the home page and menus. If you have a ecommerce site, make sure to suggest related items for whatever the customer is viewing. This increases the likelihood of more sales.
Your url structure should have permanent links with short URLs. They should not be stuffed with keywords, either. This can affect your search engine ranking. Most importantly, your links should always lead to a valid. If a link leads to a blank page, then you need to get rid of or fix the link immediately.

So what else should you know about website structure and SEO? Take a look.

Bad or no site structure can affect search engine rankings.
Better organization leads to easier crawling.
Logical mapping leads to themed content.
A good website structure is more likely to attract visitors.
Ideally there are no more than three clicks to reach the “bottom” of your website. You don’t want your website to feel like an endless maze.
By ensuring that you have really specific and themed categories, you’ll be better able to target shorter-tail keywords.
Avoid hiding your lower pages.

It may seem overwhelming, but have an SEO-friendly website structure is quite simple. Just remember easy menus, informative homepage, and permanent, valid links. Don’t make people dig for information. Keeping your structure simple with a great design layout will impress your online audience.

At Connect ME Digital Marketing, we can consult with you on how to best structure your website. Our team of experts can help determine if your page needs a dynamic or static homepage. They can also consult you on links and create relevant, SEO friendly pages. We will walk with you each step of the way as we create a website structure that works for you. We will provide you with free consultation to start and work within your budget from there.