If your website feels like a junk drawer, you’re not alone.
Most sites weren’t designed.
They were added to.
A new service page here.
A campaign page there.
A blog post every time someone said “we should write about that.”
Eventually, you end up with a site that technically exists… but doesn’t guide anyone anywhere.
This guide will fix that.
Not by rearranging your navigation randomly.
By building a clear structure you can maintain.
What Is “Site Structure” (In Plain English)?
Site structure is how your website is organized so that:
- Humans can quickly find what they need
- Search engines can understand what your site is about
- Your pages naturally support each other instead of competing
It includes:
- Your top-level sections (Services, Industries, Resources, etc.)
- How pages are grouped and nested
- How URLs are organized
- How internal links connect pages together
Site structure is not just your menu.
Your menu is the visible tip. Structure is the logic underneath.
Why Site Structure Matters (Even If You Don’t Care About SEO)
A good structure:
- Makes your site easier to navigate
- Improves conversions (less confusion = more action)
- Helps SEO (Google understands your topics and authority)
- Makes content planning easier (you know where things go)
- Reduces rewrite work later
A bad structure causes:
- Confusing user journeys
- Duplicate pages targeting the same thing
- “Orphan” pages no one can find
- SEO cannibalization (your pages compete with each other)
- Teams creating new pages because they can’t find old ones
Before You Start: What You Need (15 Minutes)
You need exactly three things:
- A spreadsheet or Google Sheet
- Access to your website (live site is fine)
- One focused hour with no distractions
Optional but helpful:
- Google Search Console
- Google Analytics
- A tool like Screaming Frog (if you know it, but not required)
Step-by-Step: Fix Your Site Structure
Step 1: Inventory Every Important Page (Yes, Literally)
Goal: Build a list of what exists before you decide what should exist.
Create a spreadsheet with these columns:
- URL
- Page Title
- Page Type (Homepage, Service, Blog, Case Study, Resource, etc.)
- Primary Topic (what it’s about in 3–6 words)
- Primary Audience (who it’s for)
- Primary Action (what you want them to do)
- Status (Keep / Merge / Redirect / Delete)
- Notes
Now fill it.
How to find pages quickly
- Start with your main navigation and click everything
- Use your sitemap if you have one (/sitemap.xml)
- Search Google: site:yourdomain.com
- If your CMS has a page list, export it
You don’t need every blog post yet.
Start with:
- All core pages (services, industries, products, etc)
- Top converting pages
- Pages that get traffic
- Pages you’re proud of
- Pages you suspect are duplicates
Step 2: Define Your “Top-Level Buckets” (The Big Sections)
Goal: Decide the 4–7 main categories your entire site will live under.
If you only do one thing in this whole guide, do this part well.
Common top-level buckets:
- Services
- Solutions
- Industries
- Resources
- Case Studies
- About
- Contact
Pick what matches how your visitors think, not your org chart.
Quick test:
If a visitor asked “What do you do?” could they find the answer in one click?
If not, your buckets are wrong.
Step 3: Choose Your Structure Style (You Have Two Options)
Option A: Topic-led structure (best for SEO and content)
Example:
- /services/
- /services/seo/
- /services/paid-media/
- /resources/seo/
- /resources/paid-media/
Use this if:
- You publish content regularly
- You want to grow organic search
- You need clear topical authority
Option B: Audience-led structure (best for industries and ABM)
Example:
- /industries/
- /industries/healthcare/
- /industries/government/
- /industries/higher-ed/
Use this if:
- You sell differently to different audiences
- You need tailored messaging
- Your buyers self-identify strongly (gov, healthcare, etc.)
Most sites use both, but one should be primary.
Step 4: Build “Pillar Pages” First (The Parents)
Goal: Create a small set of high-level pages that act like hubs.
A pillar page is a broad page about a major topic that links to more specific pages underneath it.
Examples:
- SEO (pillar) → keyword research, technical SEO, on-page SEO (children)
- Paid Media (pillar) → Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, retargeting (children)
- Accessibility (pillar) → ADA Title II, WCAG basics, audits (children)
Your pillar pages should:
- Explain the topic at a high level
- Link out to the deeper pages
- Be strong enough to rank on their own
Step 5: Create Child Pages (One Page, One Job)
Now, for each pillar page, list the child pages you need.
Each child page should answer:
- One specific question
- For one specific intent
- With one clear next step
If you can’t summarize a page in one sentence, it’s doing too much.
Step 6: Fix Duplicate Pages (Merge, Don’t Multiply)
This is where most sites bleed SEO and conversions.
Look for pages that:
- Cover the same topic
- Target the same keyword
- Exist because someone “needed a page” once
When you find duplicates:
Merge rule:
Keep the best one.
Move the best parts from the others into it.
Redirect the old URLs to the final page.
You are not losing content.
You are concentrating authority.
Step 7: Normalize Your URLs (Make Them Predictable)
Your URL structure should look like a calm filing cabinet.
Good URL examples:
- /services/seo/
- /services/paid-media/
- /resources/keyword-research/
- /resources/landing-page-checklist/
Bad URL examples:
- /services/seo-v2-final-final/
- /blog/2021/05/17/why-seo-is-important/
- /page?id=123
Rules for good URLs
- Use lowercase
- Use hyphens
- Keep them short
- Keep them consistent
- Avoid dates unless news-based
- Match the hierarchy (parent/child)
Step 8: Build Internal Linking Like a Road System
Structure isn’t real unless pages connect.
Every pillar page should link to:
- its children
- related pillar pages
- the next logical step
Every child page should link to:
- its pillar
- sibling pages (when relevant)
- a conversion page (service page, contact page, etc.)
Internal linking helps:
- users navigate
- search engines understand relationships
- important pages gain authority
Step 9: Update Your Navigation Last (Not First)
Now you can update menus.
Your navigation should:
- reflect the new structure
- prioritize top tasks
- stay simple
Rule of thumb:
If your nav needs a dropdown maze, your structure isn’t clear.
Step 10: Create Your “Structure Rules” (So It Stays Fixed)
This is the part that prevents the junk drawer from coming back.
Write 5 rules and share them internally.
Examples:
- Every new page must have one job
- No new page gets created until we search for duplicates
- Every new page must be assigned a pillar
- URLs must follow our hierarchy rules
- Any page without traffic in 12 months gets reviewed
This is how structure becomes a system.
Quick Framework: The Site Structure Scorecard
Use this to evaluate if your structure is healthy.
Score each 1–5:
- Can a visitor find what they need in 2 clicks?
- Can you explain your structure in 60 seconds?
- Do pillar pages exist for your main topics?
- Are duplicates merged and redirected?
- Do URLs follow a consistent pattern?
- Do pages link logically to each other?
If you score under 20, structure is a priority.
If you score over 25, you’re in a good place.
Common Questions (Because Everyone Asks These)
“Do I need to redesign my site to fix structure?”
No. Structure is mostly information architecture, URLs, and linking. Design can come later.
“Do I need a tool like Screaming Frog?”
Helpful, not required. You can do 80% of this with a spreadsheet and your brain.
“What if I have hundreds of blog posts?”
Start with the top 50 by traffic and conversions. Fix the spine first, then clean up the archive.
“How long does this take?”
A small site: 2–6 hours to plan, longer to implement.
A large site: a few days to map, then phased implementation.
What To Do Next
If you did the steps above, you now have:
- A page inventory
- A clear set of top-level buckets
- Pillar pages mapped
- Child pages planned
- Duplicate pages identified
- URL rules defined
- Internal linking rules ready
That’s a real foundation.