Whether it's existing customers, prospective customers seeking information, visitors ready to make a purchase, search engine crawlers, or the new generative AI bots, your website needs to serve them all. With this in mind, we present a comprehensive guide to the top 19 most commonly used types of web pages that can be incorporated into your website, along with relevant examples.
What follows is a concise guide to 19 types of web pages, outlining their functions and offering tips on optimization for the best user experience. Regardless of whether you're at the initial stage of building your website or intend on improving an existing one, this guide is designed to assist you in maximizing the potential of your website by providing users as much information as possible across all of the potential search intents
Home Page: Think of the home page as a catch-all landing page that gives new users a snapshot of your business. Link to your main product/service pages, about us page, and latest blog posts from here.
Example: "Discover our range of innovative solutions [link to Product/Services Overview page]. Learn more about our mission [link to About Us page]. Check out our latest insights [link to Blog page]."
Product/Services Overview: A page that showcases all of your offerings. Each product or service should link to its detailed page.
Example: "Explore our wide range of services, including Acupuncture [link to Acupuncture page], Herbal Consultation [link to Herbal Consultation page], and Therapeutic Massage [link to Therapeutic Massage page]."
Detailed Product/Services Pages: Pages that provide comprehensive information about specific offerings. Link to related products/services, relevant blog posts, and the team members who provide these services.
Example: "Our Acupuncture service [link to Acupuncture page] is provided by our expert practitioner, John Doe [link to John Doe's profile on Team/Staff page]. You might also be interested in our Herbal Consultation service [link to Herbal Consultation page]. Learn more about the benefits of Acupuncture in our blog post [link to the relevant blog post]."
Shopping Cart Page: For e-commerce sites, this page shows selected items for purchase. Link back to the product pages for items in the cart and suggest related products.
Example: "You have Acupuncture Session [link back to the Acupuncture page] in your cart. Customers who bought this also bought Herbal Consultation [link to Herbal Consultation page]."
Informational Pages: These pages, such as blog posts or resource guides, provide valuable information. Link to relevant product/service pages within your posts and link to other related blog posts.
Example: "In this blog post, we discuss the benefits of Acupuncture [link to Acupuncture page]. If you found this interesting, you might also like our post on Herbal Consultation [link to the related blog post]."
About Us Page: This page tells your business's story. Link to the team/staff page, mission-related blog posts, and key product/service pages.
Example: "Our team [link to Team/Staff page] is dedicated to providing the best wellness services [link to Product/Services Overview page]. Learn more about our mission in this blog post [link to the mission-related blog post]."
Blog/News: Regularly updated content keeps your site fresh. Link to relevant product/service pages within your posts and link to other related blog posts.
Example: "In this post, we'll explore the benefits of our Therapeutic Massage service [link to Therapeutic Massage page]. If you're interested in this, you might also like our post on Acupuncture [link to the related blog post]."
Contact Us: This page provides contact information. Link to your location on Google Maps if you have a physical location and your social media pages.
Example: "Visit us at our location [link to Google Maps]. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter [links to social media pages]."
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions): A page answering common questions. Link to relevant product/service pages in your answers and to detailed blog posts if you have them.
Example: "Q: What is Acupuncture? A: Acupuncture is a service we offer [link to Acupuncture page] that involves... You can learn more in our detailed blog post [link to the blog post]."
Testimonials/Reviews: User-generated content.
Example: "I had a great experience with the Acupuncture service [link to Acupuncture page]. - Customer A"
Portfolio/Case Studies: Showcasing your work can demonstrate your expertise. Link to the services that were provided in the case study or portfolio item.
Example: "See how our Acupuncture service [link to Acupuncture page] helped Customer B improve their wellness. Read the full case study here [link to the case study]."
Team/Staff: Introducing your team can target local and industry-specific keywords. Link to the services that each team member provides.
Example: "Meet John Doe, our expert in Acupuncture [link to Acupuncture page]."
Privacy Policy: This page outlines your data practices. Link to your terms of service and contact us page for any queries.
Example: "By using our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service [link to the Terms of Service page]. If you have any questions, please Contact Us [link to the Contact Us page]."
Terms of Service: This page outlines the conditions for using your site. Link to your privacy policy and contact us page for any queries.
Example: "By using our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy [link to the Privacy Policy page]. If you have any questions, please Contact Us [link to the Contact Us page]."
Careers/Jobs: Job listings can target industry and job-specific keywords. Link to the about us and team/staff pages to give potential applicants more information about your company culture.
Example: "Join our team [link to Team/Staff page] and be part of our mission [link to About Us page]. See our current job openings here [link to Careers/Jobs page]."
Events/Calendar: For businesses that host events, these pages can target event-specific and local keywords. Link to your contact us page for any queries and your location on Google Maps if the events are at your physical location.
Example: "Join us for our next wellness event at our location [link to Google Maps]. If you have any questions, please Contact Us [link to the Contact Us page]."
Resources/Downloads: Offering resources can target informational keywords. Link to relevant blog posts and product/service pages within your resources.
Example: "Download our guide on the benefits of Acupuncture [link to Acupuncture page]. For more information, check out our blog post [link to the related blog post]."
Forums/Community: User-generated content can target a wide range of keywords. Link to relevant blog posts, resources, and product/service pages in your responses to user posts.
Example: "User A: Can anyone tell me more about Acupuncture? Response: Sure, you can check out our Acupuncture service here [link to Acupuncture page] and read our detailed blog post here [link to the related blog post]."
E-commerce pages: Pages like the checkout page and customer account pages are crucial for the user experience. Link to your contact us page for any queries and your privacy policy and terms of service.
Example: "Ready to check out? Review your Shopping Cart [link to the Shopping Cart page]. If you have any questions, please Contact Us [link to the Contact Us page]. By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service [links to these pages]."
Not every website will utilize every type of page, but this provides a great checklist to evaluate whether you should incorporate a certain type of web page into your site. As a business owner or marketer, you can cover the four types of search intents: informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial investigation. This allows you to maximize your keyword coverage and optimize your website for your customers and SEO.
Start with the Home Page, which serves as not only the first impression but also the central hub to guide visitors to relevant pages such as Product/Services Overview, Detailed Product/Services, Shopping Cart, and Contact Us.
By creating Informational Pages like blog posts, you can provide valuable insights and establish your expertise. These pages can link to relevant product/service pages, optimizing your coverage of keywords and phrases related to the informational search intent. Additionally, Testimonials/Reviews, Case Studies, and Resources/Downloads pages further enhance your keyword coverage and credibility.
The About Us page allows you to showcase your company's story, values, and team members. By linking to relevant product/service pages and blog posts, you optimize coverage for keywords aligned with commercial investigation intent.
To cater to transactional intent, e-commerce websites can incorporate pages like Shopping Cart and Checkout. These pages should link to detailed product pages, offer related products, and encourage customer reviews, expanding keyword coverage and facilitating smooth transactions.
The ultimate goal is to optimize your website for users, search engines, and now generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Google's Bard. By incorporating a diverse range of pages that cater to different search intents, expanding your keyword coverage, and increasing your chances of ranking for relevant queries, you can create an optimized website that improves your organic search visibility, attracts more qualified visitors, and drives business growth."