Site Maps vs. Navigation vs. Taxonomy: What’s the Difference?
On projects, we're often asked, "What's the difference between a site map and taxonomy?" This article explains their differences.
Why We’re Too Casual with Search and How to Be More Purposeful
Search is a ubiquitous term we use freely and imprecisely. By understanding the different types of search and user behaviours around search, we can design better content structure to support better search.
3 Ways to Use Search Terms In Your Content Audit
Using search terms as part of a content audit can give insight into the structure of your site. You can analyze these search terms to inform your taxonomy and future content efforts, and to evaluate the findability of content on your site.
What is Structural Content Strategy?
Structural content strategy supports content goals through the appropriate use of structure to improve the user and authoring experience, and to support business goals.
Impact of Voice Search on Structural Content Strategy
Structural content strategy and taxonomy can support, and are impacted by, voice search.
5 Analytics to Improve Your Content Audit
While doing a content audit, analytics are a great way to dig into what's happening with content on your site.
3 Tips for Improving Your Content Authoring Experience
The user experience for content authors is critical to the successful adoption of content management systems.
Enterprise Content Strategy for a Multinational
A unified approach to metadata and taxonomy enabled this client to set up a standardized onboarding process and handle enterprise-wide taxonomy requests.
Content Strategy for Healthcare
Defining a patient-centred model propels content strategy solutions.
How to Do a Website Content Audit to Inform Your Site Map
A website content audit gives you a both a great overview and in-depth knowledge of the current state of your website content.
Challenges on a Large Information Architecture Project
Learn of some challenges we faced on a large website overhaul.
Information Architecture to Content Strategy
More and more of my work has moved from straightforward information architecture and taxonomy work and more into the "why" behind information architecture and taxonomy. For me, the answer to this "why" became content strategy.
Support Dynamic Content Display with Structure and Taxonomy
One thing that's been around for a while but is rarely taken advantage of but can be liberating. When we explain the concept to clients, they typically respond with, "Yes, that's what we need. That's what we've been waiting for. Where have you been all my life? You had me at hello!!"
Why Is Information Architecture Helpful?
Once you understand what information architecture (IA) is, you may wonder why exactly it is that you need it, in order to have a successful site.
What Is Information Architecture?
Common website usability problems are symptoms and signs of poor information architecture. Information architecture (IA) aims to connect users with the content that they are looking for, in a seamless and intuitive manner.
How To Improve Website Search
When looking to improve the searchability on your website or intranet or in your CMS or DAM, there are a few areas where you can look to solve searchability problems. This second part in a two-part series focuses on solving searchability problems.
Website Search Sucks: A Common Website Problem
We frequently hear clients say, "Our website search is terrible. People tell us it sucks. We need to fix it." There are a few areas where we can look to fix search problems.
Combining Multiple Taxonomies
Combining multiple taxonomies can be a contentious issue: each taxonomy belongs to a team who has put a lot of thought into their taxonomy and may not easily let go of certain terms or features. However, sometimes taxonomies do need to be combined, and here are some tips on how to go through the process.
Selling a Website Taxonomy to Your Organization
While you recognize that your company needs a website taxonomy or intranet taxonomy, you may not be sure how to convince management to provide resources to create, implement, and maintain a taxonomy. Here are some tips.
Actionable Steps to Improve Your Taxonomy
If you’re working on a taxonomy that doesn’t have the resources (right now) to do a lot of research and engagement with subject matter experts, there are still some actionable steps you can take to improve your taxonomy.
9 Steps to Building a Website Taxonomy
When building a taxonomy, there are 9 steps to a best practice approach.
Guiding Others Through Building a Website Taxonomy
After going through numerous taxonomy projects, I've learned a few things about how to work with stakeholders and subject matter experts to build a website taxonomy. Here is a presentation with a few tips for making the taxonomy development process smoother.
Making Taxonomy More Effective: Lessons Learned from Taxonomy Projects
Having worked on many a taxonomy project, we'd like to share some lessons learned so you can be more successful with taxonomy.
Examples of Content Taxonomy: How Classification Helps on the Web
One of the easiest ways to explain how taxonomy works is to show examples of taxonomy. Here are a few examples of how website taxonomy can be used to improve search results, browse by category, and automatically build pages on a website.
What is Content Taxonomy and Why Is It Useful?
A taxonomy is a list of terms you use to categorize and find your information again, without having to look through every file, image, document, or web page.