SEO How-to, Part 8: Architecture and Internal Linking

This is the eighth installment in my “SEO How-to” series. Previous installments are:

• “Part 1: Why Do You Need It?“
• “Part 2: Understanding Search Engines,”
• “Part 3: Staffing and Planning for SEO,”
• “Part 4: Keyword Research Concepts,”
• “Part 5: Analyzing Keyword Data,”
• “Part 6: Optimizing On-page Elements.”
• “Part 7: Mapping Keywords to Content.“

Targeting Shopper Needs

Your site’s architecture impacts organic search performance. The taxonomy — the organization of products and attributes — plays a key role. It determines which pages exist and how they are linked.

SEO performance is strongest when those pages and linking structures reflect the needs of shoppers as expressed in their search queries. Keyword research helps you pinpoint those needs.

For example, you’d expect a jewelry etailer to have categories featuring products by metal type and color, such as yellow and white gold, and platinum. But a look at the top 15 engagement ring keywords below, as reported by Google Keyword Planner, shows that shoppers also want engagement rings by gender, style, cut, and gemstone.

Original Article Here.