SEO Basics: What is SEO Architecture?

SEO architecture is the interaction of structure, content and functionality of a website on the ranking in the search engine.

The SEO architecture seen through the structure

The following elements contribute to the evaluation for the ranking in the SERPs, and should, therefore be considered accordingly in the search engine optimization:

• Title tag: The title tag is so to speak the headline of a website and the first thing that the searcher sees in the search results of a search engine in the SERPs. It is assigned in the source code of the website. The title tag should not exceed 70 characters, otherwise it will be cut off, which is not attractive to searchers. Each URL needs its own title tag and should contain the respective keyword. It is considered a safe ranking factor in search engine optimization, of about 200, on the basis of which Google evaluates the results.
• Meta-Description: Unlike the title tag, the meta-description is not considered a direct ranking factor. However, it is displayed directly below the title of the page in the search engine results and can, correctly formulated, arouse the interest of the searcher. The meta-description is created in the source code and should ideally be 130 to 160 characters long.

Technical parameters for a good SEO architecture

Other technical parameters also contribute to the detectability of a website for search engines. For example, the HTML code must be valid. This can be checked with the appropriate tools. This ensures a correct display in the browsers.

Furthermore, the encryption of the website should also be certified with SSL. Because this not only protects the data of the visitors and their web presence, but has been considered a ranking factor for a long time.

Pay attention to a fast and short loading time when building your website, this improves the user experience. It is precisely this factor that not only ensures good or bad click-rate figures.

SEO architecture that you can see: design, navigation, usability

In an era, when more and more people access the Internet via smartphones, mobile optimized websites have become very important, and Google sees it that way too. Therefore, a responsive website, i.e. a design that is flexible in size and thus mobile-capable, is essential. In fact, the mobile capability of a website is an important ranking factor and thus an essential part of the SEO architecture.

When it comes to linking and navigation — if possible, link to internal pages with continuing content or added value. Don’t lure the user away from the actual page, just closer to a decision for the service or product. Make sure that links do not lead nowhere or to 404 pages.

The SEO architecture of text content on a website

It is part of a good SEO architecture to structure the headlines, texts, keywords on the page to make them attractive not only for the search engines, but also for the visitors of the website.

For good SEO architecture, the H1, — H3 headlines should contain the keyword and related terms within the content. The paragraphs between the headings should also be provided accordingly with meaningful content with links and bold. Pay attention to balanced keywords and do not overdo the optimization — over-optimized text will be punished rather than rewarded by search engines.

Although you are building a good site architecture for search engines, do not forget that, ultimately, the one who will be experiencing your website is the user, so make sure to always keep the user in center of your objectives.