Build Silos without Directory Folders?

[keyon]

I'm doing some research on site structure silos. Some examples suggest you organize different themes in your website by creating unique directory folders for each theme.

However, it seems to me that the silo effect is a funtion of how pages are linked to each other - which makes me think that it doesn't really make any difference whether pages exisit in their own folders or all share the same space in a root directory.
Is my assumption correct on this?

[Torsten]

Hi,

it is not only a question of siloing in folders or not in folders.

Most important is the linking structure that you create or have generated by the web design software when building your silos. It should be as limited to the active silo pages as possible to achieve best results (and of course it should not be built in java, flash whatsover, just pure HTML!)

In xSitePro for example, one of the first web design software to actively use siloing for SEO, you can select both possibilities - siloing with or without folders - but they recommend within the user manual to go for folders, as they are more beneficial for siloing in regards to SEO.

Plus they recommend to go for lazer targeted, SILO limited interlinking within the link menues. Of course you may want to include a link to the main homepage and maybe links to other silos as well, but keep it to the index page of each silo always...

Best Regards,
Torsten

[keyon]

they recommend within the user manual to go for folders, as they are more beneficial for siloing in regards to SEO.

I'm still curious, though, why exactly the folder structure would have any bearing on the SEO value of silos. I thought it was mostly an issue of how pages are linked to each other.

[SteveGerencser]

Because some people think having that extra keyword in the URL structure helps..