John Mueller recently shared valuable advice about simplifying site structure without affecting SEO. This is a common error made since changing the site can affect search rankings and user experience. Mueller suggests making sure that the root homepage redirects to the appropriate version and that it’s specified as the x-default for the set of homepages. If this isn’t implemented correctly, Google thinks the root homepage is a separate page from others. This occurs when doing geo-IP redirects, which happen when attempting to reach users on a global scale. Mueller also advises only using geo-redirects on the main homepage of the website and not any other page. This helps to simplify the process for users typing in the domain name to find the closest match to their location and allows them to easily click on a different country to access that version of the website. There are alternative methods to use for geo-redirects but can cause complexity and lower the user experience as they would have to choose their country when entering the site. Finally, Mueller recommends not shifting subdirectories around. A user wanted to shift /de and /fr into /eu/de or /eu/fr when they should consider moving “/*” (en-us) into a “/us” folder, adding hreflang on all pages, and specifying the root homepage as the x-default for the set of homepages. These tips will avoid any confusion the search engine may have when identifying different sections of a website which will make any site easier to find and easier to navigate.
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/googles-john-mueller-shares-tips-for-simplifying-site-structure/482113/
2 Responses
John Mueller’s advice is very helpful here. I like how he recommends using geo-redirects on the homepage.
These are all things I have never thought of. So when getting to fine-tuning my website. I will certainly come back to this and apply some of these. All of the folder stuff sounds a little beyond me, but perhaps as I get into it more it will become clear.