Totally flat URL structure

[McTaggart]

Hi Mozzers! I've just been viewing a website with a flat URL structure - the site has a definite structure - with various sections - and yet the URL structure doesn't reflect this...

The developer tells me this is purely for SEO purposes! Would be interested in your thoughts...

[BrightHealth]

Unless the site is very small, you will definitely want to have (at a minimum) sub categories within the top-level pages. It's better for ui to have the site structured in a logical sense.

Your dev is right though, the closer a page is to the root the better it is for SEO. However, it is the ever present line we must straddle between building for SEO and for users. In my experience, the more you flatten, the higher the number of pages you must have on each URL.

Here's a great conversation on the subject on Webmaster World.

[McTaggart]

Thanks v much for your useful feedback inc that brilliant conversation - all makes more sense now

[BrightHealth]

Glad it shed some insight on the topic for you! Best of luck, Luke!