Hello, friends! Today we will discuss such a topic as “Site Skeleton”, that is, its structure. We will discuss how to create the right structure so that it meets the requirements of search robots. We compare this with the image of a human skeleton: bones, joints and a spine that holds everything together.
This can be imagined as it is written in the Tanakh in the book of Ezekiel: dead bones that gain flesh and life. In the same way, a site must be correctly “assembled” and “revived” so that search spiders see activity in it, and this brings good results.
We will touch on the topic of keywords: high-frequency, mid-frequency and low-frequency, with a long tail – phrases that consist of several words. Such queries are searched for by users in search engines, on sites like Google, YouTube or by images. There are tools like free Keyword planner in Google Ads or Yandex.Wordstat, as well as professional paid services like Ahrefs or Semrush.
Comparing the structure of a website with a human skeleton
Comparing with a human skeleton, we can say that the spine of a website is its foundation. Everything should be flexible, but interconnected: pages, sections, keywords. The Internet is a separate world where websites play the role of entities interacting with each other. The more “alive” and structured your website is, the better search engines perceive it.
So, for the success of a website, it is important to choose the right keywords, build a structure and connect all the elements. Then the website will not only be convenient for users, but also effective for search engines.
Key queries are what we enter in the search bar to find the information we need. These queries are born from our thoughts and desires. For example, the word “shoes” is a general query that does not reflect details. If we add “men’s shoes”, the query becomes more specific. And if we specify even more, for example, “men’s shoes for a gray suit”, we already get the so-called “long tail” — unique low-frequency queries.
The importance of low-frequency queries
The majority of search queries (about 70–80%) are unique and low-frequency phrases. Each of them can bring a little traffic, but together they form a significant part of the search engine database. It is these queries that allow a new site to move faster in search results, especially if separate pages or sections are created for them.
Site structure and relevance
The site should be thematically structured and contain materials relevant to queries. If you add disparate topics to the site, this will create a “hodgepodge” and complicate the work of search bots. It is better to focus on one area or, if there are several topics, clearly delineate them, including multilingual versions of the site.
Optimization and promotion
Promotion begins with working on low-frequency queries. Such queries may have few search impressions, but they give a higher chance of successful ranking, especially for new sites. Medium-frequency and high-frequency queries require more time, effort and costs, since the competition in these segments is higher.
A new site gets into the so-called “sandbox” – a period when search engines evaluate its quality. This process takes several months, after which the site begins to gain positions. It is important to understand that the success of promotion depends on a high-quality structure, unique content and the correct selection of keywords.
We form a query in the search bar
Search queries, let’s call them key queries or keywords. We form a query in the search bar based on our desire to get some information. For example, “shoes” is an abstraction, because just the word “shoes” does not yet give a clear understanding of what exactly we need. If you add “men’s shoes”, the query already becomes more specific, but still remains quite general. This query may not be the most frequent one compared to others, for example, queries on the topic of computers, but there is still competition. The more general the query, the higher the competition, but this does not always mean that the query will convert, that is, lead to the user’s action. This is a very abstract query.
But if the query becomes more specific, for example, “men’s shoes to go with a gray suit,” this is already a precise desire, and the competition for such a query will be less. You can add words like “buy” or “price,” or even clarify: “men’s shoes to go with a gray suit for a wedding.” This is already a very specific query, and such queries are usually fewer in number, but they are more unique and often lead to the target action.
Longer, more wordy queries
These longer, more wordy queries are what is called the “long tail.” This is an important part of search engine optimization. Queries consisting of several words make up 70-80% of all search queries. These queries are often more unique and target
are focused on narrower, more specific topics. And search engines like Google focus on them, understanding what people are looking for. Thus, the search engine becomes an intermediary that finds sites that answer these queries.
If you build a site based on these queries, then its structure, or “skeleton”, will be an answer to users’ questions. It is important that the site is thematic, focused, and not filled with various, unrelated information. If you want to compete with competitors for such queries, it is better to focus on one narrow topic and not bloat the site with non-core materials. For example, you should not try to create a site as a marketplace with many categories if your goal is to work with a specific topic. It is better to create a separate site if more concentration is required.
The language versions of the site should also be separated
In addition, it is important to take into account that the language versions of the site should also be separated, especially if the site is multilingual. Search engine robots must understand that each page contains information in a specific language, and this must be taken into account in the site structure.
After the site is optimized, promotion will begin with working with low-frequency queries – long, precise phrases. These queries may not bring many visitors, but they are unique and give a chance to get to the top faster. In about 3-4 months, a site with such content can reach the top. But you need to remember that if the site is new, the search engine will put it in the sandbox. This means that it will need time to develop and start taking positions in search results.
Promote by low-frequency queries
When the site begins to promote by low-frequency queries, you can move on to mid-frequency ones. But even here the competition will be high, and fighting for high-frequency queries will be much more difficult and expensive. Therefore, you need to choose the right paths for promotion. It is not worth throwing money at search engine optimization for queries for which the competition is already too strong and the sites have long been in the first positions.
Be that as it may, medium and low frequency queries are built from high-frequency queries, which form the basis of search engine optimization. And you should always remember that queries in the structure of the site are the basis of its successful promotion.
Google and other search engines offer various ideas
Google and other search engines offer various ideas, including synonyms and parallel words. This is important for the search, since the search engine compares such words, and they can work as similar ones. This is all related to taxonomy, categorization. For example, low-frequency expressions are visible here, and with their help you can improve the results.
For example, we see the query “sneakers”. In the Russian-language Internet, the word “sneakers” has a total of 2,600,000 queries, which is already quite high-frequency. In addition, queries may include additional words such as “buy sneakers”, “women’s sneakers”, “men’s sneakers”. This is important data because each query plays its own role.
Less frequent queries are “buy shoes”, but there are also many of them. Adding up queries helps to understand how search engines process information, and their category, frequency and dynamics change. For example, queries for treadmills show how popularity changes with the seasons.
Creating a “skeleton” of a site is important
All this information helps to collect a key database. Creating a “skeleton” of a site is important, and it can be compared to a tree. This is a structure that includes large and small branches, which are then divided into categories related to goods or services.
The process of creating a taxonomy or categorization
A taxonomy or categorization of a site is created using built-in CMS tools (for example, WordPress, Drupal and others). These tools allow you to form categories and subcategories to structure the content. Categorization can be based on the logic of products, services or content that the site provides.
The semantic core is formed separately, based on the analysis of keywords found through specialized services (for example, Google Keyword Planner, Yandex.Wordstat or Ahrefs). It includes queries that users enter in the search bar, and is used to compose texts, titles and meta descriptions, as well as to optimize site pages for search results.
The taxonomy or categorization of the site is created based on the semantic core. And the navigation and organizational structure of additional menus are created from the developed taxonomy.
The address bar is an important element
The address bar is an important element that reflects the structure of the site and affects its SEO.
Protocol: The beginning of the path is the protocol, which must be secure (https). Today, sites without the letter s are perceived as unsafe, and Google often closes access to them. If the site has transactions or payments, protection is especially important.
Domain: Next comes the domain – its name and zone (.com, .ru, etc.). A domain name is what you register
you are building for the site, and the domain zone is its level (for example, the first level).
Path: After the domain comes the path, which indicates the type of material or content (for example, a catalog, article, product).
Example: /catalog/decor/mebel/ — the path where the furniture decor is displayed nested, showing the structure.
If a separate product is opened, the path ends with a page with the product name.
A clear URL structure helps search engines correctly index the site and build its map.
Navigation and interlinking: General folders, subcategories and pages are linked to each other through internal links (interlinking). This helps users and search robots navigate better.
Semantic core: The basis of the site structure is user requests collected in the semantic core. On its basis, a taxonomy is created — the internal structure of the site, which simplifies navigation and excludes duplicate or empty pages.
Robots.txt file: To protect against unnecessary indexing and duplication, it is recommended to use the robots.txt file, where you can specify which pages should not be displayed in search engines.
Modern approaches: When developing a frontend, for example, on React or Next.js, you can create nested URLs, structuring them with folders. This allows you to flexibly customize navigation.
Breadcrumbs and mobile devices:
Breadcrumbs help to reflect the path to the current page.
On mobile devices, navigation elements are often simplified and located at the bottom of the page.
Summary: A site is a living reflection of user requests. Well-built URLs and site structure facilitate navigation, improve indexing, and increase user convenience.
Thank you for your attention!
Author: Maryan Polyak
SEO Expert and Web Developer
