When looking at either an existing website structure or if you’re thinking about building a new site, website architecture is very important as this is the hierarchical structure of your website’s pages and helps not only users find your content but a search engine too.
With this, website architecture includes main elements like how content is organised, how users navigate through it, and how different pages are interconnected.
Why good website architecture matters (and how to do it right)
It’s important to structure your site in an easy-to-navigate way to retain your audience’s attention and for long-term management of your site. If you don’t, the chances of them bouncing are quite high, and if people leave your website because your user experience is messy, search engines won’t think highly of you, either.
Here are some quick, easy points to keep in mind:
Improve user experience with clear navigation
Users should be able to find what they need with minimal effort. You can achieve this by using menus on different pages of the website or a single designated one at the top of the page. When using menus at the top of the website or a main navigation, make sure you only include essential pages and aim for users to reach any key pages within just a click. As well as this, consistent layouts and clear labelling throughout your site are crucial. Breadcrumbs can help users track their location, especially on larger sites and are also an easy way for them to return to a particular page or collection.
Help search engines with a logical URL structure
A structured URL gives context to users and helps search engines understand the content hierarchy.
Clean, meaningful URLs are both useful to a user and search engines as this gives a clear indication of what the page includes. Suggested structures would include using hyphens to separate words. For example, example.com/products/garden-tools.
Another tip: keep URLs short where possible, and avoid irrelevant numbers or symbols as this can get confusing for users and search engines. If you are hosting an e-commerce website, you would probably like to have the product code within the URL; however, make sure the product title is included first to make it clear what the product is.
Cater to all devices with a mobile-first design
Not only have the recent algorithm updates from Google suggested that website hosts should be more mobile-first first but it is known that more people browse the web on smartphones than on desktops. This means that it is possible that most of your audience viewing your site are on a mobile. This makes designing your website to support mobile devices an essential element of good architecture as the site will need to have responsive layouts, prioritised mobile navigation, and finger-friendly buttons.
Speed up your site with performance optimisation
Architecture and performance go hand in hand. A lean structure, combined with the right technical choices, leads to faster page loads and happier visitors. Make sure to focus on:
- Compressing images and minimising CSS/JS files
- Enabling browser caching
- Reducing HTTP requests
- Using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to serve assets
Overall a fast-loading site also improves your rankings on search engines.
Support SEO and accessibility together
Using semantic HTML improves search visibility and makes your site more accessible to users with disabilities. Use appropriate tags like <header>, <nav>, and <article> to structure content. Ensure all images include descriptive alt text, and check that your design works well with screen readers and keyboard-only navigation.
Simplify maintenance and enable scalability
A clearly structured site is easier to update and expand as your content grows. Group similar content types together, avoid overly deep page hierarchies, and plan for future sections or categories that might be added. A modular structure will save time and effort down the line.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Overly Complex Structures: Deeply nested pages or excessive categorisation can confuse users and weaken your SEO.
- Broken Links: Regularly monitor for and fix broken or redirected pages to maintain both user trust and search engine rankings.
- Lack of Mobile Consideration: A layout designed solely for desktop users risks alienating the majority of today’s visitors.
- Inconsistent Navigation: Varying menus or layouts across different pages can disrupt the user journey.
Tools & resources
Here are some tools that can help you evaluate and improve your website architecture:
- Google Lighthouse: Audits your site for performance, accessibility, and SEO.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Excellent for visualising your site’s structure and identifying technical issues.
- Web.dev: Offers practical guidance for modern web best practices.
- Figma or Sketch: Ideal for mapping out wireframes and user flows prior to development.
By
Lucy Jackson
