How to Map Website Architecture: Topic-by-Topic Steps

How to map website architecture: Step-by-step site planning, topic by topic

I’ve seen teams with 200+ pages where the simplest question—“Where does this new page belong?”—turns into a 30-minute debate. The marketing manager wants it under “Resources,” the product lead wants it under “Solutions,” and the SEO specialist is worried about creating yet another orphan page.

When your site grows beyond a simple brochure, navigation often stops reflecting what you actually sell. You end up with a messy URL list, inconsistent page types, and users who can’t find the checkout button. The solution isn’t just a new menu design; it’s a fundamental site architecture map.

In this guide, I will walk you through a repeatable, step-by-step workflow to map your entire website architecture topic by topic. This isn’t just theory—it’s the exact process I use to turn a chaotic content inventory into a structured, scalable hierarchy that teams can actually agree on. Whether you are planning a migration, a redesign, or just trying to fix a sprawling blog, this is how you build a structure that works for both search engines and humans.

What “mapping website architecture by topic” means (and why it matters for SEO + UX)

Mapping website architecture simply means organizing your pages into a logical hierarchy based on topics and user intent, rather than internal business departments or chronological dates. It creates a blueprint where every URL has a distinct “home” and a clear relationship to the pages around it.

In the past, we often mapped sites based on keywords alone. Today, modern information architecture relies on topic clusters—grouping content semantically so that search engines understand you are an authority on a subject, not just a collector of keywords.

Here is why this investment pays off:

• SEO Benefits: It drastically improves crawlability and helps Google understand your topical authority. When a pillar page links to supporting articles (and vice versa), the whole cluster ranks better.
• UX & Business Benefits: Users experience less friction. They find what they need faster, which typically correlates with higher conversion rates.
• Governance: It solves the “where do I put this?” problem forever.

Field Note: Think of a messy site like a library where books are thrown in a pile. A mapped site is a library with clear sections, shelves, and Dewey Decimal numbers. I once worked on a site that had distinct services nested under a generic “Blog” folder. By moving them to a dedicated “/services/” directory, organic traffic to those high-value pages increased significantly because Google finally understood their intent.

Before you start: scope, stakeholders, and what “done” looks like

Before opening any mapping tools, you need to define your boundaries. If you try to map every single PDF and tag archive on day one, you will burn out. I define “scope” by asking: Are we touching the help center subdomain? Are we renaming legacy landing pages, or just organizing the blog?

Your Pre-Mapping Checklist:

• Google Search Console (GSC) & Analytics data: To know what’s currently driving traffic.
• Current Sitemap.xml: A list of what you tell Google you have.
• Full Site Crawl: The reality of what you actually have.
• Stakeholder List: Who needs to approve this? (Usually Product, Marketing, and Dev).
• Shared Decisions Doc: A simple Google Doc to record rules like “We will not use dates in URLs.”

Defining Success:
“Done” doesn’t mean a perfect, immovable map. It means every page has a topic home, a primary keyword theme, and an internal linking path. Sometimes, real-world constraints mean you can’t change URLs this quarter because Dev is booked. That’s fine. Your map can still define navigation labels and internal linking strategies without a URL migration.

Step 1: Crawl and inventory everything (the first step in how to map website architecture)

You cannot organize what you cannot see. The first actionable step is to run a full site crawl to generate a complete URL inventory. While you can check a CMS manually, it misses things like orphan pages or old landing pages from 2019.

I rely on tools like Screaming Frog for this. It crawls the site just like Google does. In fact, teams using automated crawl tools often reduce sitemap generation time by over 70% compared to manual listing .

When you run your crawl, export the following data into a spreadsheet. This will become your “Master Inventory.”

Field to Export	Why It Matters
URL	The unique identifier for the page.
Title Tag & H1	Helps you identify the topic quickly without clicking every link.
Status Code	Is it a 200 (live), 301 (redirect), or 404 (broken)?
Indexability	Is this page even allowed in Google?
Crawl Depth	How many clicks from the homepage? (Deep pages are often neglected).
Inlinks (Internal Links)	Shows how well-connected the page is.

Field Note: I always version my exports (e.g., Site_Inventory_v1_Oct2024.csv). You will thank me later when you need to prove that a page existed before the migration.

What to include in your inventory export (minimum viable vs. full-fidelity)

If you are overwhelmed or working on a massive site, start with a minimum viable inventory: URL, H1, and Status Code. This is enough to start grouping topics. However, if you are doing a full content audit, you want the “full-fidelity” version which includes traffic data (from GA4), backlinks (from Ahrefs/Semrush), and current primary keywords. This data helps you decide whether to keep, kill, or merge a page.

Quick triage: what to flag immediately (broken pages, duplicates, cannibalization)

Before you start clustering, do a quick cleanup pass. Look for:

• 404 Errors: Mark these for redirection or removal.
• Duplicate Content: Do you have /services/seo and /services/seo-optimization? Flag them for a merge.
• Redirect Chains: URLs that hop from A to B to C. Simplify them.
• Parameter URLs: Things like ?sort=price that shouldn’t be in your architecture map.

Step 2: Group pages into topics using intent + semantic similarity

Now comes the messy part: turning a spreadsheet of 500+ URLs into coherent buckets. This is the core of topic clustering. The goal is to assign every single URL to a “Primary Topic.”

My rule is simple: Structure follows Intent.

I don’t group pages just because they share a keyword. I group them because they serve the same user need. For example, in an accounting firm website, a blog post about “How to file taxes” (Informational) and a service page for “Tax Filing Services” (Transactional) might target similar keywords, but they belong in different parts of the architecture (Resources vs. Services).

A worked example:
Let’s say I have a mixed bag of URLs about “invoicing.” Here is how I group them:

• Topic: Financial Operations
  • Subtopic: Invoicing
    • Page: Free Invoice Template (Intent: Tool/Resource)
    • Page: What is Net 30? (Intent: Informational/Support)
    • Page: Automated Invoicing Software (Intent: Commercial/Product)

I try to limit the site to 5-10 top-level themes. If you have 25 top-level categories, your menu will be a nightmare.

A beginner-friendly topic clustering workflow (manual first, tools second)

If you have under 500 pages, I honestly recommend doing this manually in a spreadsheet first. It forces you to read your titles and understand your content. Add a column called “Proposed Parent” and fill it in.

For larger sites (1,000+ pages), manual tagging is too slow. This is where content clustering workflows using tools come in (more on that in the tools section). Even with AI, I always spot-check the “Uncategorized” bucket—that is usually where the hidden gems or weird legacy pages live.

How to handle “multi-topic” pages without breaking the map

A common headache: “This case study touches on both SEO and Content Marketing. Where does it go?”

In your physical architecture (URL structure), a page can only live in one place. You must choose a canonical topic assignment based on the primary intent. If the case study is mostly about how content drove growth, put it under Content Marketing. Then, use internal linking or a “Related Services” tag to connect it to the SEO section. Don’t duplicate the page in two folders; that leads to content overlap issues.

Step 3: Design your hierarchy and navigation (topic hubs, subfolders, and menus)

Once you have your clusters, you need to arrange them into a tree. This is your site hierarchy.

I use a simple “Tree Test” for this: If I show a stranger my top-level menu labels, can they guess where to find a specific sub-page? If they have to click “Solutions” to find “About Us,” the hierarchy is broken.

My standard rules for a business site tree:

1. Predictable Paths: Home → Category → Sub-category → Page.
2. No Orphans: Every page must be linked from a parent.
3. Flat vs. Deep: Keep important pages within 3 clicks of the homepage (click depth).

Choosing a page type system: hub pages vs. category pages vs. landing pages

Not all parent pages are created equal. You need to decide what the “folder” actually looks like:

• Hub Page / Pillar Page: A high-quality, long-form page that explains the broad topic (e.g., “Ultimate Guide to SEO”) and links out to sub-chapters. Great for high-volume informational terms.
• Category Page: A functional archive listing posts or products (e.g., “Shoes”). Necessary for e-commerce, but often thin on content for B2B.
• Landing Page: A sales-focused page designed for conversion.

A simple navigation model for beginners (header, sidebar, footer, and in-content paths)

Don’t try to cram your entire architecture into the main header. Most business sites do better with a focused header navigation containing only the top-priority paths (Services, Pricing, About, Login).

Use the footer for utility links (Privacy, Terms) and a secondary “Sitemap” list. Use breadcrumbs on every page to help users backtrack. But the most important navigation often isn’t in the menu—it’s the contextual links inside your content (e.g., “See our pricing page for details”).

Step 4: Map URLs, internal links, and on-page elements to match the architecture

This is where the rubber meets the road. You need to translate your map into technical specs for implementation.

URL Structure & Redirects:
If you are changing the hierarchy, you might be tempted to change URLs to match (e.g., moving /blog/post-1 to /resources/seo/post-1). While clean URLs are nice for user experience, changing them carries SEO risk. If you cannot execute 301 redirects perfectly, consider keeping the old URL and just changing the breadcrumb/menu location.

Old Pattern	New Suggested Pattern	Notes
/services-marketing/	/services/marketing/	Creates a clear folder structure.
/blog/2021/10/tips	/blog/tips-for-x	Removes dates to make content evergreen.
/prod-id-555	/products/blue-widget	Adds keywords and semantic meaning.

Internal linking rules I use to make topic maps work in real life

A map fails when nobody connects the dots. Here are the internal linking rules I give to writers:

1. The Hub Rule: Every child page must link back to its parent (Hub/Pillar) in the first 200 words.
2. The Peer Rule: Link to 2-3 related “sibling” pages within the same cluster using descriptive anchors.
3. The Next Step: Every informational post needs a link to a transactional page (the “solution”).

On-page alignment: titles, headings, and breadcrumbs that reflect the map

Finally, ensure your on-page elements reflect the map. If a page lives under “Commercial Plumbing,” the Title Tag and H1 should probably include that context. Ensure breadcrumbs use the proper schema markup so Google displays the hierarchy in search results (e.g., Home > Services > Plumbing).

Tools, templates, and AI: faster ways to map (and present) your website architecture

You can do this with Post-it notes, but digital tools make collaboration much easier. Here is what I use depending on the stage of the project.

Tool Type	Best For	Tools Examples
Crawlers	Inventory & Audit	Screaming Frog, Sitebulb
Visual Mapping	Brainstorming & Handoff	Miro, Octopus.do, FlowMapp
Content Production	Scale & Implementation	Kalema Autoblog

Which tool is best for collaborative architectural planning?

For getting stakeholders to agree, I love Miro. It allows for real-time co-editing, which helps when you have five people arguing about a menu label. However, for the actual structured deliverable, dedicated tools like Octopus.do, FlowMapp, or SlickPlan are superior. They allow you to build a visual sitemap where each block can hold metadata (status, owner, SEO notes), and you can export it as a PDF or XML. Surveys suggest these collaborative tools improve cross-functional alignment by approximately 60% .

Is AI useful in site architecture mapping? (Where it helps—and where it doesn’t)

AI is emerging as a powerful assistant. AI topic clustering tools can process thousands of keywords and suggest groupings faster than a human. Beta deployments suggest AI clustering can improve related-content identification accuracy by around 50% .

However, AI lacks business context. It doesn’t know that “Cloud Computing” is your high-margin product while “IT Support” is a legacy service you are sunsetting. Use AI to spot content gaps or group messy lists, but always review the final hierarchy manually.

Pro Tip: Once your map is approved, the challenge becomes filling those gaps with content. This is where a workflow integration with a tool like Kalema fits in. You can take your mapped topic clusters and use the AI article writer to produce consistent, intent-matched drafts for the missing pages, ensuring your new architecture isn’t just a shell but a populated resource.

Common mistakes when mapping site architecture (and how I fix them)

1. Mapping the Org Chart: Structuring the site based on your internal departments (e.g., “Q3 Initiatives”) rather than user needs.
   Fix: Rename categories based on what the user is searching for (e.g., “HR Software” instead of “Human Capital Division”).
2. Over-Categorization: Creating deep nests like /services/us/east/consulting/finance/.
   Fix: Flatten the structure. Keep it to 3 levels max unless absolutely necessary.
3. Orphan Pages: Launching great content that isn’t linked from anywhere.
   Fix: Check your “Inlinks” column in the crawl data regularly.
4. Ignoring Legacy Traffic: Deleting a “messy” old page that actually drives 20% of your leads.
   Fix: Always check analytics before deleting or moving a URL.
5. The “Set and Forget” Mentality: Building a map and never looking at it again.
   Fix: Schedule a quarterly “Architecture Review” to prune and prune again.

How to map website architecture: FAQs + recap and next actions

What’s the first step in mapping website architecture by topic?

The absolute first step is a full site crawl (using a tool like Screaming Frog). You cannot map what you haven’t inventoried. This gives you the raw data of every URL, title, and status code on your site.

How do you group pages into topics effectively?

Group pages based on editorial intent and semantic similarity. Look at the primary problem the page solves, not just the keywords it contains. Use manual tagging for core pages and AI assistance for the long tail.

Which tool is best for collaborative architectural planning?

For real-time brainstorming, Miro is the standard. For technical mapping and content handoffs, specialized tools like Octopus.do, FlowMapp, or SlickPlan are best because they allow for metadata annotations.

Is AI useful in site architecture mapping?

Yes, specifically for identifying content gaps and clustering large lists of keywords. However, it requires human oversight to ensure the structure aligns with business goals and brand nuances.

How should I present a site architecture map?

Avoid static PDFs if possible. Use an interactive visual sitemap that stakeholders can click to expand or collapse. This keeps the “big picture” clear while allowing deep dives into specific sub-folders.

Recap & Next Actions:

Mapping your website architecture is one of the highest-leverage activities you can do for SEO. It turns a chaotic collection of pages into an authoritative library.

• This Week: Run a crawl and export your inventory. Identify your “Top 5” topic buckets.
• Next Week: Draft a visual tree in Miro. Socialize it with your stakeholders to get buy-in on the vocabulary.
• This Month: Finalize the URL rules and begin the cleanup of duplicates and 404s.

If you only do one thing today, start that crawl. The clarity you get from seeing your site in a spreadsheet is worth the effort alone.