Content Silos

Maximising SEO Potential with Content Silos: Building an Effective Website Structure

In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimisation (SEO), website structure plays an important role in driving organic traffic and improving user experience. Content silos are one of a number of powerful strategies for organising website content, enhancing relevance and topic authority, avoiding keyword cannibalisation and boosting SEO performance.

In this article, we’ll explore what content silos are, how to implement them, and the benefits they offer to your website’s visibility. Additionally, we’ll delve into the distinction between virtual and physical silos, and provide examples of the perfect website structure from a content silo perspective.

Understanding Content Silos

Content silos, also known as topical silos, are a method of structuring website content in a hierarchical manner based on related themes or topics. The idea behind content silos is to group together closely related content within specific sections of your website. By organising content into logical clusters, search engines can better understand the overall context and relevance of your website, resulting in improved search rankings and increased visibility. Sections of websites that store large amounts of different pages, many of which break down into different topic clusters are perfect candidates for content silos. For example, if you have 90 blog posts, and 30 of them are about SEO, 30 are about content marketing and 30 are about online PR, then SEO, content marketing and PR are your topic clusters.

It doesn’t just have to be blog sections though. Large e-commerce websites can often benefit from placing their products into variations of content silos. As with all things SEO, we thoroughly recommend discussing content silos and their correct implementation with your SEO agency, as there is rarely a one size fits all approach!

Implementing Content Silos

• Identify Core Themes: Start by identifying the primary themes or topics that are central to your website. These themes should represent the broad categories of your content. For example, if you run a fitness website, your core themes might include “strength training,” “cardiovascular fitness,” and “nutrition.”
• Create Siloed Sections: Once you have identified your core themes, create dedicated sections on your website for each theme. Each section should serve as a silo, housing relevant content exclusively related to that particular theme. This segregation ensures that search engines and users can easily navigate and comprehend your website’s structure.
• Internal Linking: Establish a strong internal linking structure within each content silo. Linking relevant content within the same silo creates a logical flow of information, allowing search engines to understand the relationships between different pages. Additionally, internal links help users discover and explore related content, enhancing their overall experience on your website.
• Optimise Silo Landing Pages: Each silo should have a well-optimised landing page that acts as the central hub for all the related content within that silo. This landing page should provide an overview of the topic, incorporate targeted keywords, and link to the individual pages within the silo. This strategy strengthens the topical relevance and authority of your website in the eyes of search engines.

Virtual Silos vs. Physical Silos

Virtual Silos: Virtual silos are implemented through strategic internal linking and content organisation. Rather than physically segregating content into separate directories or subdomains, virtual silos focus on linking related content together to create a logical structure. This approach is advantageous for smaller websites or those that don’t require extensive content separation.

Physical Silos: Physical silos involve physically separating content into different directories or subdomains based on their topics. Each silo exists as an independent entity with its own URL structure. Physical silos are ideal for larger websites with a vast amount of content and when topics demand a clear distinction.

Perfect Website Structure with Content Silos

Let’s consider an example of a travel blog employing content silos:

• Core Themes: Destinations, travel tips, accommodation, food & cuisine.
• Siloed Sections: Each section focuses on one of the core themes mentioned above. For instance, the “Destinations” section could include subcategories like “Europe,” “Asia,” and “North America,” with specific pages dedicated to individual countries within each continent.
• Internal Linking: Within the “Europe” silo, pages related to countries like “France,” “Italy,” and “Spain” would be interlinked to create a cohesive structure. Similarly, each silo would have its own set of internal links, establishing a strong hierarchy of information.
• Silo Landing Pages: The “Destinations” landing page would provide an overview of the section, listing the continents and their subcategories. Each subcategory landing page would then lead to detailed pages on specific countries or regions, offering comprehensive information for users and search engines alike.

Conclusion

Content silos provide a powerful framework for organising website content in a manner that maximises SEO potential and enhances user experience. By structuring your website around core themes, implementing internal linking within silos, and optimising silo landing pages, you can significantly improve your website’s visibility in search engine rankings. Whether through virtual or physical silos, the implementation of content silos helps search engines better understand the relevance and authority of your website’s content, ultimately driving organic traffic and improving overall SEO performance.