6 Tips for Optimizing your Blog Structure
Your blog structure not only affects your SEO but is also crucial for the user experience on your website. Creating a blog takes a lot of time and effort, so when you draw in readers, you want to keep them engaged and coming back to interact with your content.
However, with a poorly-done blog structure and navigation, you risk losing out on blog traffic subscribers. We have tips to optimize your structure for a high-performing blog.
1. Find a suitable blog template. The first thing is to find a template that works for your blog content and style. A content management system is the best way to build a website without getting involved in all the technical aspects. Plus, most CMS options come with templates and themes that you can easily customize to suit your needs. The most popular blog templates to choose from are WordPress, Blogger, and Joomla. These templates have a variety of free and premium themes that you can install. The best way to find a suitable theme is to look for one customized for your blog niche, such as a WordPress theme for small businesses, a theme for photography bloggers, etc.
Related: How to choose the best CMS for your Website
2. Lay out the site structure. The next step is to determine the blog structure for your site. The easiest and most effective way to do this is to use a blog template and map out the site layout. The layout of a blog is the arrangement of the posts, blog footer, sidebar, etc. Once you’ve mapped out the lay out, you can begin customizing it for your blog and adding elements such as widgets, menus, and background images. It will allow you to add structure to your blog and create a unique look and feel.
3. Build site navigation. Navigation is the list of links on the site that allow users to navigate through your blog content, such as the title, subheadings, menus, category, and author links. Ensure you customize your header and footer to suit your style. The navigation for your blog should be easy to use, with a search bar and navigation elements such as links, buttons, and tabs.
4. Internal linking strategy. An internal linking strategy involves taking a part of your site and creating a link to another section. It helps your readers navigate through your blog and find the information that’s most important to them. An internal linking strategy can be as formal (indexing your posts) or as informal (linking to relevant pages on your blog or pages of another blog).
5. Build a blog sidebar. The blog sidebar is where you will place your most commonly used links and short blurbs. These links should take the user to areas of your site that are most relevant and interesting to them, such as the blog, related articles, and your social media accounts. The blog sidebar is also an opportunity to build in your main social media buttons, such as the Share and Tweet links.
6. Provide navigational hierarchy. Essentially, important content should be close to the top of a page, descending based on the significance. The hierarchy should be logical and easy to follow even if a user is not a web expert and has never been to your site before.
A well-defined and organized structure is vital for the success of your blog. Plus, with good navigation, your readers will find what they are looking for, which will lower your bounce rate and increase your search rankings.
