# SEO Structure Architect > Use when implementing schema markup, optimizing header hierarchy, building internal linking structures, planning site architecture, or checking Core Web Vitals. Covers JSON-LD schema, topic clusters, breadcrumbs, sitemaps, and page structure for both traditional and AI search. - Skill: `joogy06/seo-structure-architect` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add joogy06/seo-structure-architect` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/joogy06/seo-structure-architect/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: joogy06 (https://skillmd.com/u/joogy06) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/joogy06/seo-structure-architect --- # SEO Structure Architect ## Overview Structure is how search engines and AI systems parse your content. Clear hierarchy, complete schema, and logical internal linking determine whether your content gets indexed, cited, and ranked. 65% of pages cited by Google AI Mode include structured data. ## Schema Markup **Always use JSON-LD** (in ``). Google recommends it, new features ship to JSON-LD first, and it has the lowest error rate. ### Priority Schema Types (2026) > **CANONICAL OWNER.** This table and the Deprecated table below are the **single > source of truth for schema status** across the SEO/ecommerce family. > `ai-search-optimizer` and `seo-serp-optimizer` rank schema for *their* purpose but > **must not restate status here** — they point at this file. > Rationale: three partial copies of these tables previously existed; `FAQPage` > drifted into three different verdicts, and the copies still disagree by omission > (one lacked `WebSite` and `MerchantReturnPolicy` entirely). Verify with > `python3 ~/.claude/skills/_meta/gates.py G_CLAIM_FRESHNESS --claim-mode strict`. | Schema | Where | Impact | Notes | |--------|-------|--------|-------| | `Product` + `Offer` | Every product page | CRITICAL | Include: name, image, description, brand, SKU, price, availability, reviews. Products with complete schema are preferentially cited by AI shopping | | `Organization` | Site-wide (once) | CRITICAL | sameAs to all official profiles. Entity foundation | | `LocalBusiness`/`ComputerStore` | Site-wide (once) | HIGH | NAP, geo, areaServed, openingHours | | `BreadcrumbList` | All pages | HIGH | Up to 30% CTR boost on desktop (removed from mobile SERPs Jan 2025) | | `WebSite` | Site-wide (once) | HIGH | Controls site name display in SERPs | | `AggregateRating` | Product pages | HIGH | Star ratings boost CTR 20-35% | | `FAQPage` | Product/category/guide pages | LOW | Rich result **fully removed May 2026** (no site qualifies). Still valid schema, still valuable for AI parsing | | `MerchantReturnPolicy` | Site-wide | MEDIUM | Requires returnPolicyCountry. Trust signal | ### Deprecated — Do NOT Implement for Rich Results | Schema | Status | |--------|--------| | `HowTo` | Fully deprecated (all sites) | | `FAQPage` | **Fully deprecated 7 May 2026** — no rich result for any site (was gov/health-only from Aug 2023). Search Console reporting removed Jun 2026, API Aug 2026. Still valid schema — keep for AI parsing, expect zero SERP real estate | | `Q&A` | Deprecated Jan 2026 | | `SitelinksSearchBox` | Deprecated Jan 2026 | | `Dataset` (for search) | Deprecated Jan 2026 | | `SpecialAnnouncement` | Deprecated Jan 2026 | | `PracticeProblem` | Deprecated Jan 2026 | ### Schema Rules - **Never implement empty schema** — worse than no schema at all - Populate ALL relevant properties before adding - Validate with Google Rich Results Test before deployment - `sameAs` URLs must be valid and accessible — 404s hurt entity recognition - For custom-built PCs without GTINs: use `mpn` with your SKU system, set `identifier_exists: false` ## Header Hierarchy - **One H1 per page** matching the primary topic/entity - **H2s for main sections** — question-format headings boost AI extraction and PAA eligibility - **H3s for subsections** with related terms - **Never skip levels** (H1 → H3 directly) - AI systems parse content into chunks using headings — logical hierarchy = better AI citation ## Internal Linking **Topic clusters remain the gold standard.** Zyppy's 23M internal link study shows pages with 40-44 internal links get ~4x more traffic than pages with 0-4. ### Hub-and-Spoke Model - 1 pillar page (hub) links to 6-12 spoke pages - Each spoke links back to hub + cross-links to 2-3 related spokes - Each spoke should have 3-6 internal links total - Fewer than 6 spokes = lacks coverage breadth; more than 12 = dilutes focus ### Linking Rules - Contextual links in body content carry more weight than nav/footer links - Descriptive anchor text (never "click here" or "learn more") - Diversify anchor text pointing to same page - 2-5 contextual links per 1,000 words - Total links per page under 150 ## Site Architecture - **3-click max** from homepage to any important page - Homepage → Category → Subcategory → Product - Click depth directly correlates with crawl efficiency — pages beyond 3 clicks see reduced crawl rates - Flat URLs (`/product-name`) are flexible; moderate hierarchy (`/category/product-name`) is practical for e-commerce - Faceted/filter URLs need explicit crawl control — parameter combinations can explode crawl paths and create thin duplicates. See `woocommerce-faceted-navigation` for the index-worthy-vs-thin allowlist and the canonical/noindex/robots decision matrix. ## Core Web Vitals | Metric | Good | Needs Improvement | Poor | |--------|------|-------------------|------| | **LCP** (Largest Contentful Paint) | < 2.5s | 2.5-4.0s | > 4.0s | | **INP** (Interaction to Next Paint) | < 200ms | 200-500ms | > 500ms | | **CLS** (Cumulative Layout Shift) | < 0.1 | 0.1-0.25 | > 0.25 | - INP replaced FID in March 2024 — measures full interaction responsiveness, not just input delay - CWV is a **tiebreaker** in competitive niches, not a primary factor - Pages at position 1 are 10% more likely to pass CWV thresholds than position 9 - Every 100ms of latency costs ~1% in sales; 53% of mobile users abandon pages >3 seconds - LCP >3s = 23% more traffic loss in December 2025 core update ## XML Sitemaps - Max 50,000 URLs per file, 50MB uncompressed. Use sitemap index for larger sites - **Google ignores `` and ``** completely — only `` matters - `` must accurately reflect genuine content changes — fake dates hurt - Only include indexable, canonical, 200-status URLs ## Anti-Patterns | Don't | Why | |-------|-----| | Use Microdata/RDFa for new implementations | JSON-LD is simpler, lower error rate | | Implement HowTo schema expecting rich results | Fully deprecated | | Implement FAQ schema expecting rich results | Fully deprecated May 2026 — no rich result for any site | | Build deep architecture (4+ clicks) | Kills crawlability | | Set ``/`` in sitemaps | Google ignores them completely | | Use strict silos with zero cross-linking | Outdated; contextual cross-links between related topics are beneficial | | Have thin content anywhere on site | Helpful Content is site-wide — weak sections hurt everything |