Information Architecture: The Backbone Of SEO Usability
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by Kim Krause Berg
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I recently did site reviews for several content and
information-oriented web sites. My role was to offer optimization
recommendations for search engines and better rankings. The problem
was that there was no actual information architecture other than
categories for the content on the websites. The content, in the form
of blog posts, articles, news stories, videos or photo galleries was
jam packed with all manner of banners, blinking ads in assorted sizes
and colors, video with no user controls to stop sound or movement and
slider ads that covered up content until it was clicked away.
It was clear to me that dragging readers on a merry-go-round of
content, with on and off page links and moving images might not be a
great user experience. And without good user experience no amount of
optimization is going to help a sites rankings.
Optimizing for both head and long tail keywords
Understanding how people search online helps in developing your
sites information architecture. We like things offered in small
chunks first. We want our online content delivered fast and simply. We
like to stay on task. A search engine such as Google knows this about
us. If you want to rank well in search engines, youll need to create
sites that engines know people respond well to. Along with pinpointing
one or two prime tasks for your site visitors, such as guiding them to
a sales lead form, subscribing to your newsletter or filling out a
free insurance quote form, you want to be ready with on topic
information that relates to your topic when your reader is ready.
Top level navigation is an easy place to place popular head
keywords such as news, sports, new cars, used cars and product
classifications like laptops or notebooks. However, its difficult to
optimize for head words like these. But most popular head keywords
have many associated opportunities for working in long tail key
phrases. So for example, a sports section might break out into local
sports, college, high school or type of sports coverage. Content might
consist of teams, towns or schools. To help choose how to label
opportunities for long tail keyword navigation and embedded text
links, check Google Insights for Search
<http://www.google.com/insights/search/#>
or your favorite keyword tool to see how your particular target user
might typically run searches for your topics. This research should be
done while creating the information architecture to help you stay on
course while the whole site expands.
Findability, content and links
The issue with putting so much scattered or loosely related
information on one page is that the core message is lost. Users want
instant gratification. You lured someone to a page. What if they
arrive and are met with a crowded noisy room of strangers rather than
a calm host who knows why they came and what they want to do next? The
reason the host approach works is because the entire navigation level
is based on a clear plan. Information architects know why we are on a
page and what we will do next because they will have mapped it all out
in advance. When someone says to add links to a page, remember that
each link is an organizational tool. If you link to something
off-topic or off-site, the flow is lost. Your user must shift gears.
In fact, the practice of too many links within pages that go to
different or related topics helped create the need for tabbed
browsing. We keep looking for ways to stay on topic and much of web
design takes us on an adventure.
Understanding user behavior
One of the clearest mistakes we make in web site development is not
understanding the people who use them. Despite the help of personas,
user testing, scenarios and marketing data in advance, even the big
brand sites struggle to be user friendly. Why is this? One reason is
the context in which pages and links are delivered. For findability to
work properly, we need to know the words people use to communicate
with their surroundings. This may be different online, especially in
situations where we can be anyone and change who we are.
A site I tested that was designed for young males who may or may not
have a credit card used jargon that was all dude, rock on and a
variety of swear words. The colors dripped of blood red and black.
Navigation labels were brand names that were either unknown or known
to one demographic of user. What would happen if a mother came to the
site to order something for her son because he had no credit card?
Would she understand their language? Could the colors and content turn
her off? Since she had buying power, she was the one who needed to
complete the most important task, which was to purchase a product
online. She would most likely be more comfortable searching for the
same product using the manner in which she felt safest and where she
could make educated choices.
Ties to search and user experience
The goal of web page content is to accommodate our users. This means
taking a hard look at site requirements and where they might conflict
with users and search engines. Banner ads on pages serve a small
portion of site users and yet they get the most page real estate. They
can be the most frustrating and irritating elements on a page.
If Google does incorporate page load times as part of the search
algorithm in 2010, this sends a clear message to site owners. If the
site on Peace Sign Painted VW Buses with Flash, funky cool images
and video takes too long to load, another content based site on the
same topic may rank higher. Perhaps some of the slower loading visuals
will need to be moved deeper inside the site. Maybe a content based
mobile version will be factored in your favor. How many of us will
breathe a huge sigh of relief if the numbers of slow loading ads on a
page are reduced because search engines have figured out we hate them?
As social creatures, we want choices on what we see and where we go
on in any web site. We look for signals such as ratings, votes, blog
comments, tags and hash tags to determine whats popular, and so do
search engines. And yes, there are ways to create revenue generating
sites with things like scent of information, persuasive design and
excellent site performance.
Opinions expressed in the article are those of the author, and not
necessarily Search Engine Land.
Kim Krause Berg
<http://searchengineland.com/author/kim-krause-berg/>
is a Usability Consultant for UsabilityEffect.com <
http://usabilityeffect.com>
and Founder of Cre8asiteForums <http://cre8asiteforums.com>
. Her work combines usability testing with a working knowledge of
search engine optimization.
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