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Is silo more of a linking structure or url structure?

by AlphaWarrior
5 replies
  • SEO
    • |
As I understand silo structure, it is normally explained in terms of a url structure such as:
domain-name.com/category/file-or-post-name

Files or posts that are related are grouped together under the category and are interlinked to the other files or post in the same category, but not linked to files or post in a different category.

I want my url structure to be simply domain-name.com/file-or-post-name.

Then I was going to group together files or posts that were related and interlink them, but not link them to other groups that are not as closely related.

Would this still be a silo structure and give me the benefits of a silo structure?

Thanks.
#linking #silo #structure #url
  • Profile picture of the author JJPerkins
    Silo structure is controlled by linking, it's not really got anything to do with URL structure.
    A siloed and an unsiloed site can both have the url structure domain-name.com/file-or-post-name.

    Siloing is about more than just grouping your related articles together.
    You want to think about the link flow of your site, which pages do you most want to rank, and how to give them the maximum oomph from every link incoming to the domain.

    If you set out your pages/posts in the right way just one good backlink can rank a few pages, instead of each page needing a few good backlinks.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Silos do include URL structure.

    URL structure shows which page/folder a supporting page belongs to, it's like the olden days with HTML folders (nested treeview).

    If I did this (below), it wouldn't make any sense for traffic or SEO:
    • domain.com/ford
    • domain.com/2014-f350-diesel (no parent)

    Where domain.com/ford is the category page.



    If I did this (below) it makes sense for traffic navigation & page hierarchy:
    • domain.com/ford
      • domain.com/ford/2014-f350-diesel

    Structured URLs also help with Google Sitelinks, which is extra links in the SERPs simply by organizing pages & using a hierarchy of pages/URLs.
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    • Profile picture of the author JJPerkins
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      Silos do include URL structure.
      Sorry, have to disagree! The two may be concurrent but are not interdependent.

      URL structure shows which page/folder a supporting page belongs to, it's like the olden days with HTML folders (nested treeview).
      URL structure is a side effect sometimes of creating silos, but not essential to creating a silo. Nor does having that URL structure mean you have silos.

      If I did this (below) it makes sense for traffic navigation & page hierarchy:
      • domain.com/ford
        • domain.com/ford/2014-f350-diesel
      Sure, but you could achieve that URL structure just with categories, and not worry your pretty little head about silos.

      You could also do this - where 2014 is one silo and 2013 is another but both within one category and having the same URL structure.
      • domain.com/ford
        • domain.com/ford/2014-f350-diesel
        • domain.com/ford/2014-f350-gas
        • domain.com/ford/2014-f350-water
        • domain.com/ford/2013-f350-diesel
        • domain.com/ford/2013-f350-gas
        • domain.com/ford/2013-f350-water
      Structured URLs also help with Google Sitelinks, which is extra links in the SERPs simply by organizing pages & using a hierarchy of pages/URLs.
      I'm sure Yukon meant the same thing, but since silo structure became such a buzz word I find a lot of people are misunderstanding what it's about.
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      • Profile picture of the author yukon
        Banned
        Originally Posted by JJPerkins View Post

        I'm sure Yukon meant the same thing, but since silo structure became such a buzz word I find a lot of people are misunderstanding what it's about.
        If your saying your 2013/2014 are separate silos, they're not in that example above, they're all together. For that example I wouldn't consider that a big deal unless your trying to rank individual pages per each year, then Google would most likely pick the current year page (2014), assumes all links are equal for both pages.

        Google looks at URLs & their relationship with other pages. Like I said before, that hierarchy can help get Google Sitelinks.

        I'm not suggesting Google will use every patent they own but this (below) fits in with how Google Sitelinks work (structured site).

        [source]
        ABSTRACT
        Web pages of a Website may be processed to improve search results. For example, information likely to pertain to more than just the Web page it is directly associated with may be identified. One or more other, related, Web pages that such information is likely to pertain to is also identified. The identified information is associated with the identified other Web page(s) and this association is saved in a way to affect a search result score of the Web page(s).
        Referring back to block 740, this information might be propagated up the URL hierarchy of the Website. For example, at each Web page, all locations mentioned at or below it in the URL hierarchy for the Website might be accumulated. The scores or one or more factors affecting the scores (e.g., source(s) of location, and frequency(ies) of the location(s), etc.) might be accumulated. Referring back to block 750, the accumulated scores or score factors may be used to determine a confidence value for each location. That is, all of the location information and their sources may be weighed to determine a confidence in each location. To reiterate, the confidence scoring might be done for each Web page, where the confidence score is a function of information only on Web page(s) below the particular Web page in the Website topology.
        Silos are far from being anything new, there's no buzz word, well, unless you browse the WSO forum but that's just sellers riding coattails. Silos are based on old school HTML folders/structure where URLs do include a hierarchy structure (content in relevant nested folders).

        Anyone that's going to mimic an old school silo with a modern CMS should be looking at their URLs & get them setup to show a hierarchy on the site, otherwise all they have is confusion across the entire site for both traffic & SEO.
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        • Profile picture of the author Dr los3
          you da man yukon
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