Most blog structures are flat or horizontal in nature. They lack organization (even if each new post is associated as a “category”), and the more you blog, the more cluttered it becomes, and the more disjointed it feels as readers are jolted from one topic to the next.
If this isn’t what you want your readers experiencing, creating a silo structure for blogs is the solution.
What Is A Silo Structure?
In the simplest terms, a silo blog structure allows you to categorize your content in a common-sense way for both readers and search engines. It makes internal linking easy and logical and allows readers to “drill down” to more in-depth information within a topic.
Take a look at the example below. There are two silo pages (Superfoods and Healthy Fats), and below each are some main category pages (types of superfoods and types of healthy fats). Below that we expanded just the healthy fats silo for the sake of space and to drill down to examples of foods that contain the different types of fats. Next we talk about the health benefits of the foods. Finally, we attempt to answer specific questions readers might have and provide useful tips and recipe collections.
Implementing A Silo Structure For Blogs
Logically, the blog silo structure makes sense, but many companies seize up at the thought of implementing it. While it’s ideal to create a silo structure for blogs during the planning phase, which requires long-tail keyword research to identify what type of content your readers are looking for, it is possible to reorganize your existing blog based on the topics you have already covered. The upside to reorganizing an existing blog is that by creating a hierarchy type chart like the one above, it will help you fill in the gaps and identify topics that would fit above, below or beside your existing content.
Linking, Navigation And Search Engines
Once you have your silos, categories, topics and subtopics in place, internal linking becomes a breeze as you find yourself naturally linking to posts up and down within the silo. Just remember to go back to old content and link it to new posts where applicable.
For navigation, efficient silo structures use a sidebar navigation that expands as the reader drills down from a main category to more specific topics and subtopics. This provides laser-focused results for the user looking for “health benefits of coconut oil”, versus returning all of the posts you’ve ever written and categorized under “healthy fats.”
Search engines will see the same thing and reward you with higher rankings for having a topically relevant blog with comprehensive coverage on the queries within a topic. This means when someone searches for the “health benefits of coconut oil,” your post will be in the top results.
Design & Promote Can Help You Create A Silo Structure For Blogs
If you’re thinking about adding a blog to your site, or you want to reorganize your existing blog, Design & Promote can help. We create silo structures for blogs that get noticed – by readers and search engines! Contact us today to learn more about our web design and development services.