Question: Will a "drill down" file structure reduce our page relevance in Google's eyes, for those pages 3 and 4 subdirectories down? We are in the midst of redesigning our site. Recently did a Google search for its index ... of our website. I noticed that it arranges pages closer to the top of the list, in the following order: * Home Page * First subdirectory index.htm * Second subdirectory index.htm * Third subdirectory index.htm (and then it actually goes back to first subdirectory...) * First subdirectory 'other pages' * Second subdirectory 'other pages' * Third subdirectory 'other pages' This means the "other pages" in the third subdirectory down, are way way way at the bottom of Google's list. 1) Is searching using Google to view its index of your site an accurate way to determine how Google determines relevance in relation to directory structure, or does searching your site within Google just return a nonspecific organized list? 2) What does this tell us about the best file structure for a website, on the directory end of things? 3) One might put ALL their pages into the first subdirectory. Would Google view that site as having a lot of relevant content? Whereas a site with a "drill down" structure might cause Google to think only the top 10% of its pages are relevant? (because the rest are 2, 3, 4, 5 subdirs deep). 4) Or, does Google and other engines NOT look at how many /dir/dir/dir it has gone when it finds a page? The reason I ask: We are going from a linear navigation on the website interface to a "drill down" navigation. Our current file structure (and navigation) has 10 first level subdirectories. Neither the site nor the file structure "drills down" very far. With this new design we have only Four main navigation items, which you "drill down" into, possibly quite deep. If our directory structure matches this, with several subdirectories, will we be shooting ourselves in the foot?
It is not as such... it is more calculated on internal linking prominence (highest internal link counts) and on external back links While SEs do see a site in its aggregate, for the most part they see individual pages - and rank them accordingly.
I suppose I could have summarized my above post by asking: How important is directory structure, and how deep within subdirectories your pages are? Thanks
Yeah - like I was saying it is not a directly relative value in the scenario you were alluding to. SEs generally see the web as a collection of individual documents (web pages) and does understand them in the aggregate (a website) but doesn't valuate them as such. So by internally linking to one page more than other..shows internal value (prominence) of that page within the aggregate of documents Added to that is external linking. By using what's known as 'deep linking' (back links to pages other than the home page) you can add further 'value' to certain pages of the site. We call those 'target pages' - used in concert with the home page on most SEO campaigns Making some sense?
Yep makes sense. So what you are saying is the directory structure of the site, whether its more linear or "drill down" is pretty much irrelevant to search engines. So then, all other things being equal, the following two pages would be of identical relevance in Google's eyes? domain.com/subdirectory/subdirectory/subdirectory/subdirectory/webpage.htm domain.com/subdirectory/webpage.htm ?
Well, the longer one offers some more room for KeyPhrase targeting - tho it is a bit much IMO. Just create it how it makes sense. There will be no real discernable value by creating long assed URLs
Im moreso concerned about Google thinking the page is less relevant, because it is further from the home page. Not really talking about URL length.
Well, be sure to have a 'Latest Additions' section on your home page for new pages to be linked from... as they get indexed and new pages are added - ensure it is linked from a HTML site map and have a footer link (site wide) to the Site map page That strategy should ensure a fresh stream of indexing as well as maintenance ( site map link makes it not more than 2 clicks from anywhere)
LOL ... okay one last try.... Rephrasing again .... Im moreso concerned that Google will think the page is less relevant because it detects that the page is further from the home page - BECAUSE - it sees slashes / implying / sub / directories / which / I was told tell Google that the page is less relevant as its further in the directory structure from the home page. Clear as mud?
Gotcha right as left.... NO Regardless of where a target page is, I am building back links to it (deep linking) - so the deteminent is more back links.. relationship to those pages (internal linking) and freshness of content... a dead page can end up in the supplemental index 1 click or 5 from the home page Tho.. simply adding an HTML site map and a site wide footer link to said site map.. solves the whole issues of how many clicks anything is from anywhere Getting some where?