Theme Pyramids Site Structure

What's the minimum pages?

[web_india]

What's the minimum number of pages one should have in the site to build on the site structure according to Brett's excellent article on Theme Pyramids ?

[fathom]

Bretts post was the one that hooked me into staying around.

I would start at 6 - 10 pages per theme but the more you have the better position you are in.

As an example:

Widgets -- is the overall site theme.

products: widgets -- you want the sell widgets

sub theme --- single colored widgets
------------- black & white widgets
------------- multi shade widgets

the history of widgets -- straight forward

sub theme --- the inventor of widgets
------------- antique widgets
------------- future of widgets

homemade widgets -- how to section

sub theme --- woody widgets
------------- scrap iron widgets
------------- plastic widgets

fix your own widgets -- possibly a customer service/support section

sub theme --- preventive servicing of widgets
------------- troubleshooting widgets
------------- FAQ of widgets

Notice "Widgets" is used consistently and not "widget"

But this could be your second primary theme using different theme categories.

like a widget of a diffent kind
widget press releases
and the list goes on.

[Slade]

I saw this somewhere else, but it makes more sense to ask here...

Would it be totally inappropriate to link from 'future of widgets' to 'plastic widgets'?

Brett's original base pyramid layout says this is a no no, but how would I integrate 'Buy Me Now' links into other sections?

[fathom]

I believe what Brett was pointing out is -- over linking reduces PR potential.

Every addition link you place in a hierarchy reduces PR transferred to other pages. PR to pages that have no inbound links themselves can make the differece between first page results to 2nd or 3rd results.

Therefore links between pages that really don't have that much in common (other than your overall theme) just reduce passed PR to pages that are relevant and need that PR.

[Marcia]

My minimum is 4-5 pages :)

1. The index page
2. A page in the root with company information, privacy policy, etc.
3 & 4. If there are two product lines starting with one page which can be developed outward in future, a /directory/ for each.
5. Printable order form where applicable, or contact information.

I won't always do this, depending on certain other factors, but it starts out with a logical structure. There may be 10 products to start, let's say it's scarves and hats - a site for accessories. It can then build out.

/hats/index.htm (5 hats to start)

Then, if we end up having straw hats, felt hats, summer hats, the index.htm is linked from the homepage like it always was, but then links to more specific pages within the directory are branched to from /hats/ main page. Same with the scarves - we can end up with wool scarves, silk scarves, etc. It depends on the extent of the potential product line, even if it's started very limited, which some people do.

This makes it very easy for a tiny site to grow instead of everything landing in the root and having to use 301's and change site structure later on.