Internal Link Architecture that is Fit For Purpose
What is meant by internal link architecture when applied to a website?
Internal link architecture applies to how every one of your website's web pages link to each other. Depending on your website and it's goals how the website is structured can make a massive difference to its overall success or failure. Thinking about what the business website has to achieve and how, through a well thought out link structure, this can be achieved should be one of the earliest steps in the website's design
A clearly defined and logical route through the website should be made clear and apparent so all web visitors can get to the pages or information they require as quickly or as easily possible. Aiming to limit the amount of clicks they need to achieve their goal is one of the crucial parts of link architecture optimisation.
“Internal Link Architecture - if you annoy users or search engines to the point they can't access and use your site it doesn't matter how good your content is they will just not see it”
An example of the link architecture planning of a website
The goal of this very website is for businesses to contact DeGal SEO to undertake SEO work. No matter what page you are on you are only ever 1 click away from the contact page. The home page provides direct links to multiple forms of contact pages (SEO analysis offers plus the contact page itself) - it also provides access to all of our website's SEO page resources.
With our external and targeted advertising we bring users direct to the action pages we deem most relevant for them bypassing any need for then to have to work out or navigate through our site to find what they need. We do allow users the option of total site navigation from any of our web pages though if the user wants to utilise this. Our aim is to create a simple yet useful website with good link architecture and ease of use for all website visitors.
Each of our web pages links to all the others in a standard method so the user get's used to how to navigate through our site and select multiple pages that may be of interest to them. The goal of every page is to demonstrate our SEO knowledge and help you build confidence in us as SEO specialists to the point you feel confident to contact us to discuss your business website requirements.
If your business website is hard to navigate or forces the user to have to work to find the easy way to achieve what ever goal they visited your website to achieve, then you run the risk of losing them as a customer so think about your website structure carefully!
How to plan the internal link architecture
Our advice to you when beginning your website is to list all areas of content your website is going to cover. Work out a structural hierarchy with headings, sub headings, complimentary subjects. Create a large spider diagram on paper if it helps. Ring and join with links the pages that have cross relevancy to other pages.
When you have finished you should have a pretty good site structure mapped out with a clear idea of what the internal link architecture should be. You will be able to see the topics that have the most link relevancy within your website and the strong advice would be to then use these as your main navigational buttons.
Again you can always use drop down and expandable menu's to provide the clear and concise internal link structure for your business website. Your goal is to aid visitors whilst they surf your site. A user friendly link architecture adds value to your website by helping user experience and this will be rewarded in the SERP's long term!
Web Site Structure
Website structure is strongly linked to internal link architecture so use the below link to learn more on site structure for seo
