A long keyword spreadsheet is not a site architecture. The useful deliverable is a map that tells your team which user need each page serves, how people reach it, and what should happen next.
This guide uses an imaginary coffee store. The queries and paths are examples, not measured search volumes or claims about a real search results page.
Start with the business boundary
List the products, services, audiences and locations the site actually serves. A coffee retailer may have a bean catalogue, brewing equipment and delivery information. If it does not repair machines, a repair-service landing page would promise something the business cannot deliver.
For an existing site, inventory current URLs before proposing new ones. Record the page type, its purpose and whether it is still maintained. Mark proposed URLs clearly so they are not mistaken for working pages.
Group by intent, not word order
People can phrase the same need in several ways. “Buy coffee beans” and “coffee beans for sale” might belong on one category page. “How to choose coffee beans” is more likely to need an explanatory guide.
Treat this classification as a hypothesis. A search results page can mix articles, stores and other formats, and results vary by location and over time. Review the relevant market and note the date. Do not create a page merely because a phrase contains a new adjective.
A separate page becomes more compelling when it serves a distinguishable task and you can supply enough useful content or products. A light-roast category, for example, is more useful when the store has a meaningful selection and shoppers can actually compare it.
Build the mapping table
A compact mapping table might look like this:
| Query group | User task | Page | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy coffee beans | Browse and purchase | Bean category | Improve existing catalogue |
| Buy light-roast beans | Choose a specific roast | Light-roast category | Create only if inventory and demand justify it |
| How to choose coffee beans | Learn how to choose | Editorial guide | Publish an independent article |
| Coffee delivery terms | Check shipping | Delivery page | Keep conditions accurate and easy to find |
Add columns for the existing URL, proposed URL, owner, evidence, priority and next action. For a new site, leave the existing URL empty rather than inventing one. If you use search-volume estimates, record the source, market and date alongside the numbers.
Make the map navigable
A hierarchy helps visitors move from broad choices to specific ones. A store may have a home page, catalogue, categories and individual products. A service company might instead organise around service lines, case studies and answers to common questions. Avoid adding a level simply because another site uses it.
Check the important paths with a real task: can a visitor move from a guide to a relevant category, then find delivery details and a product? Contextual links should explain the destination. A helpful link from an educational article to a relevant catalogue is often more useful than a block of unrelated links.
Pages that have no incoming internal links deserve investigation. They may be obsolete, or they may need a place in navigation. A sitemap or a list of URLs alone does not make the journey clear to a reader.
Handle overlap carefully
When several URLs appear for related queries, do not assume they must be merged. First compare what each page offers, the intent it serves, the internal links pointing to it and available performance data. A product page and an educational guide can both be valuable for related searches.
If two pages are substantially redundant, consider whether to differentiate them or combine the content. For a merger, map old URLs to appropriate destinations and test redirects. Do not change established addresses just to make them look more attractive.
Faceted navigation, sorting and tracking parameters can generate many similar URLs. Decide which filtered views have independent value and which are technical variants. Canonical links, redirects and indexing controls solve different problems; test your approach and consult the relevant search engine documentation before applying changes at scale. A canonical is a signal, not a guarantee of the selected URL.
Prioritise and measure
Score work against business relevance, usefulness, available evidence and effort. A highly searched phrase is not necessarily a good target if you have no appropriate offer. Start with essential categories or services and the pages needed to complete a transaction, then expand with guides that answer meaningful questions.
After implementation, check the URLs and internal links. Review search impressions and clicks by page and query group, and track useful actions in analytics where configured. Compare similar periods and consider seasonality and inventory changes. Record what changed and why so the next review can test a specific hypothesis.
A practical first pass
- Pick ten important query groups.
- Write down the user task for each group.
- Map each group to an existing page or a clearly marked proposal.
- Test the links between related pages.
- Record the next action, owner and measurement method.
The point is not to force every search phrase into a rigid one-to-one rule. It is to make page ownership, navigation and editorial decisions explicit.
Read the original Russian article on Morlix.
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