Early on in our SEO unit, we discussed the importance of site architecture for not only SEO but also user experience. This project is best for companies that don’t already have robust websites—it’s better suited for those that have basic sites which could benefit from expansion.

To get started, open and save a copy of our Site Architecture Worksheet. Then follow the prompts in the doc.

Phase 1: Competitor Analysis

Our worksheet begins by asking you to identify a few competitors and browse their sites. You’ll look at the links in their main menus and footers to see how your competitors have structured their sites.

Phase 2: Product Analysis

Competitor analysis is a good starting point for getting some ideas about how to set up your own site hierarchy. In the second phase of this project, we’ll consider other circumstances that affect how your website should be structured.

You’ll answer the following questions in our worksheet:

• How many products/services do you offer?
• If you have one product, what unique features does it offer?
• If you have many products, can they be grouped together in broad categories?
• Do you offer product demos?
• Do you offer multiple pricing plans?
• How many different audiences do you serve? E.g., different industries or types of people
• Do you provide product support?
• What kinds of other content do you plan on creating? E.g., blog posts, ebooks, newsletters, white papers, tutorials

Phase 3: Build Your Site Architecture

Based on your answers and competitor observations, the last phase involves creating an outline of your site’s layout.

For reference, we’ve provided examples of different types of companies in our worksheet. If you prefer visualizing your site architecture as a flowchart, we recommend using a design tool like Miro.