Table of Contents

URL Structure, Internal Linking, and Site Navigation

URL Structure, Internal Linking, and Site Navigation

Summary

A coherent URL hierarchy, strategic internal linking, and intuitive site navigation work together to improve both user experience and search engine discoverability12. In this lesson, we’ll draw on primary guidance from Google Search Central and W3C ARIA specifications—cited directly—to give you actionable best practices for structuring your site like a pro.

Introduction

Your website’s architecture hinges on three pillars3:

  1. URL Structure: Logical, human-readable URLs convey hierarchy and relevance to both users and crawlers4.
  2. Internal Linking: Contextual <a href="…"> links distribute authority (“link equity”) and guide users through related content5.
  3. Site Navigation: Semantic <nav> elements and ARIA landmarks ensure everyone—including assistive technologies—can find what they need6.

Best Practices for URL Structure

  1. Keep URLs simple and descriptive.
    Use clear words separated by hyphens (e.g., /blog/on-page-seo/) so users and search engines immediately grasp the page topic4.
  2. Standardize lowercase.
    Convert all characters to lowercase to avoid duplicate-content issues and simplify canonicalization4.
  3. Limit directory depth.
    Aim for no more than two or three subfolders (e.g., /category/subcategory/page/), so every page is reachable within a few clicks4.
  4. Avoid unnecessary parameters.
    Trim query strings and session IDs; if parameters are needed, encode them consistently (using = and &)4.

Strategic Internal Linking

  1. Use crawlable <a href="…"> elements.
    Ensure all links are standard anchor tags with href attributes so Google can discover and follow them5.
  2. Write descriptive anchor text.
    Anchor phrases like “learn on-page SEO techniques” inform both users and crawlers about the linked page’s content5.
  3. Link contextually.
    Embed links within relevant paragraphs rather than in footer lists, reinforcing topical relationships5.
  4. Audit regularly.
    Use Google Search Console or site-audit platforms to find broken or orphaned pages and update your linking structure5.

Designing Intuitive Site Navigation

  1. Use semantic HTML5 elements.
    Wrap your primary menu in <nav>; screen readers recognize this as a navigation landmark7.
  2. Implement ARIA landmarks.
    Apply role="navigation" for custom components to signal navigation regions programmatically8.
  3. Limit top-level items.
    Keep your main menu to 5–7 entries to reduce cognitive load and focus user attention6.
  4. Provide “skip to content” links.
    A hidden link at the top of the page (e.g., <a href="#main-content" class="skip-link">Skip to content</a>) lets keyboard users bypass repetitive navigation9.

WordPress

  • URL Structure
    Go to Settings → Permalinks, select Post name (or define a custom structure) to enable clean, keyword-rich URLs10.
  • Internal Linking
    In the block editor, highlight anchor text, click the link icon, and search for existing posts/pages to insert contextual links11.
  • Site Navigation
    Under Appearance → Menus, create or edit your main navigation menu: add pages/categories/custom links, arrange items via drag-and-drop, and assign to a theme location12.

Wix

  • URL Structure
    In the Wix Editor, open Pages & Menu, click the “•••” on a page, select SEO Basics, then edit the URL slug field to craft descriptive paths13.
  • Internal Linking & Navigation
    While editing text or buttons, use the link icon to choose “Page” and select a target page; to define page hierarchy (which reflects in breadcrumbs and URLs), open SEO Basics and set Parent pages14.

Squarespace

  • URL Structure
    In the Home Menu, click Settings → Site Settings → Site URL, then edit the Site Address (for free sites) or manage your custom domain under Domains15.
  • Internal Linking
    In the page editor, highlight text or buttons, click the link icon, and choose an internal page to create contextual links16.
  • Site Navigation
    In Pages, drag pages into the “Main Navigation” section (and into folders for dropdowns) to build your menu; changes reflect immediately in your site header16.

References

  1. Google Search Central: “URL structure” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎

  2. Google Search Central: “Link best practices for Google” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎

  3. Google How Search Works: “Organizing information” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎

  4. Google Search Central: “URL structure” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. Google Search Central: “Link best practices for Google” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. W3C ARIA Authoring Practices: “Navigation landmark” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. MDN Web Docs: “ARIA navigation role” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎

  8. W3C ARIA Authoring Practices: “Navigation landmark” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎

  9. W3C WCAG Technique ARIA11: “Using ARIA landmarks to identify regions of a page” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎

  10. WordPress.org: “Customize permalinks” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎

  11. Yoast: “Internal linking for SEO: Why and how?” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎

  12. WordPress.org: “Appearance Menus Screen” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎

  13. Wix Help Center: “Wix Editor: Changing Your Page URL” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎

  14. Wix Help Center: “Defining your site’s hierarchy for main pages, URL, and breadcrumbs” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎

  15. Squarespace Help Center: “Changing Your Squarespace URL” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎

  16. Elfsight: “How to Link Pages in Squarespace” (accessed May 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎

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