The foundation: The information architecture

Information architecture refers to the organisation and structuring of information. It represents the foundation of a website and describes its structure and the underlying structure that determines where and how content is created.

A logical and hierarchically clearly structured website helps users to find their way around the site quickly - it therefore has a direct impact on a satisfying customer journey through contextual user guidance and thus promotes a positive brand experience.

Thanks to a sensible information architecture, the search engine algorithm can also better grasp the content of the page and recognise and evaluate coherent, thematic clusters.

That's why our SEO consultants (f/m/x) and our UX designers (f/m/x) work closely together when we plan the website structure and create an information architecture for our clients.

Information architecture is not the same as navigation

Information architecture is not necessarily the same as navigation. Both can, but do not have to be identical. While the information architecture represents the framework of a page, the navigation is responsible for the accessibility of the content.

This means that the navigation does not necessarily have to follow the information hierarchy of the website structure. Rather, from a UX perspective, it can make sense to display content in the navigation that is lower in the hierarchy or at different levels in the information architecture.

Navigation not only includes the main menu, but also breadcrumbs, the home button or meta and footer navigation, for example.

Semantics is first and foremost the study of the meaning of linguistic signs, whereby the focus can be on words, sentences or texts, for example. We also encounter semantics during search engine optimisation. Since the introduction of the Hummingbird algorithm in 2013, Google has focused on a so-called semantic search and no longer simply analyses a website for words (keywords), but rather evaluates the contextual meaning of content in order to best serve the user's search intentions.

Tree structure vs. blog structure

There are various ways to create a website structure. A semantic information architecture differs from a classic blog structure without a clear hierarchy - we also speak here of a tree structure in comparison to the blog or network structure of a website.

Tree structure of a website

As the name suggests, a tree structure is branched and ramified like a tree. Further suitable subject areas are integrated under a topical category, from which suitable content branches off.

In this way, the information naturally becomes more and more detailed as it moves through the structure, while contexts remain clearly recognisable for users and search engines.

Example: https://www.ihremarke.de/kategorie/thema/contentartikel/

But be careful: Aim for a hierarchy that is as flat as possible to avoid a user getting lost in the information architecture and the Google crawler having problems indexing the pages.

However, do not force all content into a flat hierarchy if an additional level is actually logically sensible and necessary. In the end, what counts is that the hierarchy is well thought out and all content is easily accessible.

Blog structure

If a page is structured like a blog, it does not have a clear hierarchy of information or structure. You can think of a website more like a spider's web, in which all content is distributed from the start page and then linked to each other - this is also referred to as the network structure of a website.

A hierarchical sorting results, if at all, more from the topicality of the content, where the latest posts are displayed first.

Example: https://www.ihrblog.de/blogpost/ or https://www.ihrblog.de/jahreszahl/blogpost/

The network structure can be an advantage on certain websites if it is not necessary to depict thematic clusters. However, it harbours the risk of becoming confusing and overwhelming users.

Are you planning a comprehensive SEO content production with a corresponding strategic focus? Then you should do without a network structure. When we develop a content strategy for our clients, we always create a semantic information architecture based on the advantages mentioned above.

Taxonomy of a website

Taxonomy is the categorisation of objects according to certain criteria, i.e. their classification. The term is primarily known from the natural sciences. In zoology in particular, animals are classified into genera and subgenera - this alone makes it clear that taxonomy is often (but not always) based on a hierarchy.

If we now categorise the content of a website in a taxonomic hierarchy, i.e. divide it into logical categories, we create the user- and search engine-friendly tree structure we want.

So-called tags, i.e. keywords, can also form taxonomies according to which content is grouped once again. But beware: Tags are also known in the blog structure, but as a rule they do not follow any hierarchical logic.

When planning your website structure, you should take care to avoid so-called silos during implementation. Siloing refers to the clear demarcation between thematic clusters on a website.

Many SEO agencies will still advise you not to create cross-links between the subject areas of your information architecture under any circumstances, but to create silos in which only the content of one silo is linked to another. But we can only advise against this.

From both an SEO and UX perspective, silos do not make sense - on the contrary, we advise you to always include links between the individual topic clusters if it offers added value for the user at this point. The following example illustrates how ineffective siloing is: A user is on the article "Mowing the lawn" in the topic cluster "Lawn care" - why should we do without a cross-link to the topic cluster "Lawn mowing tips"?

We always start with a content audit, i.e. an inventory of all existing content on a website. In the qualitative evaluation of the results, we decide which content to keep, revise or delete. This may already reveal where there are still important thematic gaps that we can address.

In the next step, we carry out a comprehensive keyword, competition and market analysis to determine which topics and keywords are relevant for our clients' target group.

Now we evaluate and cluster the results - on this basis, a semantic content pyramid is created, which serves as a template for the information hierarchy of the website.

Page types

For product pages, we differentiate between category list pages, also known as meta categories (CLP), product list or category pages (PLP) and product detail pages (PDP). For guide articles, we differentiate between hub pages, content articles and so-called frame articles.

META CATEGORY OR CATEGORY LIST PAGE (CLP)

A CLP (= Category Listing Page) is a page in the online shop on which the various categories of a product group are listed. It therefore represents a top category within the product range, which is why we also refer to such a page as a meta category. Products such as highlight products or bestsellers can already be placed on a CLP - but this is not necessary.

CATEGORY PAGE OR PRODUCT LIST PAGE (PLP)

A PLP (= Product Listing Page) is the next level in an online shop. It is sometimes also referred to as a POP (= Product Overview Page) or simply a category page. This page can be thought of as the online equivalent of a well-stocked shelf in a specialist store, as it lists all the products in a product category. The products should be filterable according to meaningful criteria.

For categories with a large need for advice, it is advisable to implement appropriate advisory content on the page. However, this should not just be the classic SEO texts that many online shops still insert under the product lists in order to include keywords and thus achieve a good Google ranking.

Rather, the content should really offer added value in terms of advice - and be usable and findable accordingly. At Moccu, SEO, UX and UI once again work closely together in the design of PLPs.

PRODUCT DETAIL PAGE (PDP)

In an online shop, a PDP is the page of a specific product. To stick with the analogy of a speciality store: The PDP is the online version of the product packaging, so to speak, which you take off the shelf to get specific information on the back.

In a very schematic customer journey, a user arrives at a meta-category (CLP) via the homepage of your e-commerce website, from there they are taken to the desired category page (PLP), from where they select a product (PDP) - possibly after receiving advice from helpful content - and ideally add it to their shopping basket.

HUB PAGE AND CONTENT ARTICLES

Not only in the product area, but also in the guide articles, we follow such a hierarchical subdivision, which goes from the rough to the specific. Semantically appropriate subject areas (hub pages) are initially categorised under a superordinate category, to which corresponding content articles are in turn assigned.

Example: The mobile phone tips category contains the hub pages "Mobile phone battery: tips", "Protect display" and "Connect mobile phone". These hub pages in turn contain corresponding teasers to guide articles such as "Charging your mobile phone correctly", "Armoured glass or film?" or "Connecting your mobile phone to the TV".

This creates entire category clusters, which also have a positive effect on the so-called E-A-T concept, with which Google evaluates the relevance of content based on the criteria of expertise, authority and trust, i.e. specialist knowledge, authority and trustworthiness.

SPECIAL CASE: FRAME ARTICLE

Hub pages, which we at Moccu refer to as frame articles, are a special case. A hub page usually serves primarily as a jump to the content categorised below it. Corresponding teasers offer the opportunity to get a quick overview of the content below and to navigate further from here.

However, for various reasons - for example, if the main keyword of a planned hub page primarily ranks for advice articles - it may be necessary to take a different approach.

In such cases, we create a kind of hybrid of hub page and content article. The page is then structured like an article and offers users comprehensive information on the topic - however, jumps are built in at suitable points to navigate to the deeper sub-topics that are directly related to the hub.

Example: The article Trimming hedges deals extensively with the title topic. However, other specific content such as pruning cypress trees is subordinate to it.

CONTENT ARTICLE VS. LANDING PAGE OF A CAMPAIGN

We also make a distinction between content articles and marketing pages, i.e. campaigns. Regardless of whether it is a one-off or a recurring campaign, campaign pages should not be forced into the semantic information architecture. Instead, we categorise them separately in the website structure, usually with an effective short URL directly below the homepage.

Example: A campaign for the market launch of a new STIHL chainsaw should not be sorted under the hub page "Chainsaw tips", but should be better accessible via https://www.stihl.de/beispielkampagne.

Ensure scalability

When planning a website structure, you should ensure that it is scalable, i.e. that it can be expanded at a later date. In this way, you prevent categories from becoming a catch-all for different topics that only fit together in a broader sense.

If you later produce further content as part of your content strategy, you should consider SEO relevance, target group fit and possible product placement as well as whether the content can be categorised in the semantic information architecture when selecting topics.

Companies that operate on international markets and are planning to roll out their website in other countries should also ensure that scalability is not limited to just one website. Make sure that the website structure is also scalable internationally.

However, this does not mean that your information architecture should be a rigid framework. On the contrary, it must be possible to make adjustments if necessary and to regroup and move content if necessary.

However, it is important that such measures are carried out on the basis of appropriate data analysis and primarily concern relevant topics for your brand.

We set up comprehensive performance tracking for our customers, which allows us to monitor SEO success and make UX measurable. In the course of such SEO analyses, user tests and user surveys, it may also become apparent that the information architecture needs to be revised - this is particularly true for constantly growing websites that at some point literally outgrow the originally planned tree structure.