Why website architecture matters for SEO (and how to get it right)
When people think about SEO, they often jump straight to keywords, blog posts or backlinks. But one of the most overlooked and most important factors is website architecture.
Website architecture is how your pages are structured, linked and organised. A clear, logical structure helps search engines understand your site and makes it easier for real people to find what they’re looking for. Get it wrong, and even well-written content or strong keywords can struggle to perform.
Below are 9 practical tips to help you build a website structure that supports SEO, usability and long-term growth.
1. Keep your site structure simple and logical
Search engines prefer websites that are easy to crawl and understand. Ideally, a visitor (or Google) should be able to reach any important page within three clicks from the homepage.
A simple structure might look like:
Home
→ Services
→ Individual service pages
→ Supporting blog content
This approach avoids confusion and ensures your most important pages are not buried too deep. Overly complex structures often lead to poor rankings and frustrated users who give up before finding what they need.
Learn more:
2. Group related content into clear sections
Your website should be organised into themed sections, not a random collection of pages added over time.
For example, service pages should live under one main “Services” area, while blog content should support those services rather than exist in isolation. This makes it easier for search engines to understand what your business specialises in.
It also helps users quickly scan your site and feel confident that you offer exactly what they’re looking for.
Learn more:
3. Use clean, descriptive URLs
Your URLs should clearly reflect your site structure and describe the content of the page.
Good example:
/services/window-cleaning
Poor example:
/page-id=123?ref=abc
Clean URLs improve click-through rates in search results and make it easier for users to understand where they are on your site. They also give search engines an extra contextual signal about the topic of the page.
Learn more:
4. Prioritise internal linking (not just navigation)
Navigation menus are important, but internal links within your content play a huge role in SEO.
Strategic internal linking helps distribute authority across your site and guides users toward related content or next steps. For example, a blog post can naturally link to a relevant service page, reinforcing its importance.
Done well, internal links improve rankings, reduce bounce rates and increase time spent on your site.
Learn more:
5. Create strong “hub” pages
Hub pages (also known as pillar pages) act as central reference points for key topics on your website. For instance, a main “products” page might link to blogs about UX, accessibility and performance. This structure signals expertise and helps search engines see the relationship between your pages.
Hub pages are especially effective for SEO because they consolidate authority rather than spreading it thinly across disconnected pages.
Learn more:
6. Avoid orphan pages
An orphan page is a page with no internal links pointing to it. These pages are difficult for search engines to find and often perform poorly as a result. Every important page should be reachable through navigation or linked contextually from other content. If a page is valuable, it deserves a clear place in your site structure.
Regular internal audits can help identify orphan pages and reintegrate them properly.
7. Make mobile architecture a priority
Google now uses mobile-first indexing, meaning the mobile version of your site is the primary version used for ranking. This makes mobile architecture just as important as desktop layout. Menus should be easy to open, pages should load quickly, and key content should not be hidden behind unnecessary clicks.
A strong mobile structure improves SEO and creates a far better experience for users who are browsing on the go.
Learn more:
8. Use breadcrumbs where appropriate
Breadcrumbs show users where they are within your site hierarchy, such as:
Home → Services → Window cleaning
They provide additional navigation support and reduce frustration, especially on larger websites. From an SEO perspective, breadcrumbs also help search engines understand how pages relate to each other. When combined with structured data, breadcrumbs can even enhance how your pages appear in search results.
Learn more:
9. Build architecture with growth in mind
Your website should be built to scale, not just to meet today’s needs. As your business grows, you may add new services, locations or content. A flexible structure makes these additions seamless, while a rigid one can create SEO and usability problems. Planning ahead ensures your website remains organised, competitive and easy to manage over time.
Conclusion: Structure is the foundation of SEO success
Website architecture may not be the most exciting part of SEO, but it underpins everything else. A well-structured website helps search engines understand your business and helps users navigate it with confidence.
If your site has evolved without a clear plan, reviewing your structure can deliver quick wins without a full redesign. Even small improvements to internal linking or page hierarchy can have a noticeable impact.
If you’d like help reviewing or improving your website architecture, Kyeeni specialises in building clear, scalable website foundations that support SEO, UX and business growth.