How to restructure your website using personas: A guide for better results

Focusing on target personas throughout your site can create more meaningful connections with visitors and increase conversions. Here's how.Focusing on target personas throughout your site can create more meaningful connections with visitors and increase conversions. Here's how.Ever notice how website visitors rarely follow the exact path you’ve planned for them? You might build great landing pages for different customer types, but visitors have their own plans. They Google something random and land on your blog post. They click a link from social media that drops them into your resources section. Or they skip your homepage completely and jump straight to a product page. This creates a problem. How do you make sure your website works for all your target customers when they aren’t following your planned customer journeys? The answer is simple: Build your entire website, not just specific landing pages, with your target audiences in mind. Let’s explore some practical ways to restructure your website so it delivers relevant experiences to every visitor, regardless of how they enter or navigate your site. Understanding website personas: More than just customer profiles A website persona represents your ideal customer based on data-driven research. But we’re not just talking about basic demographics here. We’re talking about a detailed profile built from real data, the kind that goes beyond who your customers are to tell you: How they think. What keeps them up at night. What makes them click that “Buy Now” button. Quick win: Take 15 minutes today to look at your top three customers. What do they have in common? What questions do they always ask? There’s the start of your persona. What makes an effective user persona? You’ve probably seen some basic customer profiles that just list age, location, and job title. But a real, working persona? That’s different. Here’s what you need to capture: Demographic details: Sure, get the basics: age, location, job title, income level. But dig deeper. Behavioral patterns: What devices do they use? When do they browse your site? Are they comparison shoppers or impulse buyers? The more you know about their habits, the better you can serve them. Pain points: What problems keep them searching for solutions? What frustrates them about current options? These are your opportunities to connect. Goals: What are they really trying to achieve? Sometimes it’s not what you think. A person buying a drill isn’t actually looking for a drill, they’re looking to hang pictures on their wall. Technical proficiency: How comfortable are they with technology? This affects everything from your site’s complexity to how much hand-holding your interface needs to provide. Quick win: Look in Google Analytics to see the demographic details of your best-converting visitors. Real example of personas in action Want to see how this works in actual practice? Let’s look at our Search Engine Land Award-winning campaign. A traditional bank came to my agency with a challenge: they needed to completely shift their online presence from local retail banking to positioning themselves as a leader in Fintech and Banking as a Service (BaaS). Their target? C-suite executives and decision-makers in fintech companies. Instead of creating generic banking content, we built detailed profiles of their target CTOs and CFOs, understanding that these executives prioritize technical documentation, API capabilities, and compliance information. We worked alongside them to restructure their site around how these executives actually find and consume content. The results were dramatic: Organic traffic increased from 6,600 to over 38,000 monthly visitors. B2B lead generation more than tripled. Most importantly, they started reaching exactly who they wanted to target. Quick win: Look at your top-performing content. Which persona is it really serving? Are you attracting an audience you hadn’t even considered? Below is a screenshot of searchengineland.com’s top pages: From this, I can see that three of their top five pages are directed toward beginners who are eager to learn about Google, digital marketing, SEO, and PPC. This aligns with a core group they ideally want to target. The role of personas in website strategy Personas shape website strategy through three core functions: Content direction: Think of this as your website’s GPS. It guides what you say and how you say it for different user groups. For instance, if you’re talking to busy C-suite executives, you might lead with ROI stats and quick-scan bullet points. For technical users? Detailed specs and documentation come first. Navigation planning: Ever noticed how Amazon’s website feels intuitive no matter what you’re shopping for? That’s persona-based navigation at work. It’s about creating paths that match how different users naturally browse. Feature prioritization: What’s important for one persona might be irrelevant for another. This helps you decide what gets prime real estate on your site. Quick win: Pull up your website analytics right now. Look at your top five most visited pages. Are they easily accessible for each of your personas? Do they speak to the features or things they care about most? If not, there’s your great optimization opportunity. How to implement effectively Getting personas right isn’t a one-time deal. Here’s what effective implementation looks like: Map user journeys: Create a visual path for each persona. Where do they enter your site? Where should they go next? What information do they need at each step? Build content hierarchies: Structure your content like a pyramid, with the most important stuff at the top and details below. But remember, what’s “most important” varies by persona. Test against real users: Your assumptions about user behavior? They might be wrong. Test your design with actual users who match your personas. Adjust based on feedback: What users say they want and what they actually do can be very different. Watch how they interact with your site and adjust accordingly. Measure everything: Set up tracking for each persona’s typical journey. Are they finding what they need? Where are they dropping off? Tip: The most successful websites we’ve seen aren’t necessarily the prettiest, they’re the ones that best understand and serve their users’ needs. Creating user personas for your website User personas shape website design through data-driven research combining qualitative insights with quantitative metrics. Start with what you know Ever noticed that your best insights often come from actual conversations with customers? Start there. Qualitative research: Interview 8-12 customers who represent your ideal users (yes, actually talk to them). I like to use meeting recording software during this, so I can download the transcriptions and then analyze the commonalities from the conversations. Watch how real users interact with your site. Send out surveys that ask the right questions (hint: “Why?” is often more valuable than “What?”) Quantitative data (the numbers game): Dive into your analytics to see how people actually use your site. Track those user paths (where are they going, and more importantly, where are they leaving). Look at conversion data by user segment (some paths work better than others, find out why). A/B test everything (let the data tell you what works). Behavioral analysis and demographics Here’s what you should be tracking and why it matters: Pages per visit: Sure, the average might be 3-5 pages, but what’s really interesting is the path they take. Are they spending time navigating your site looking for answers? Or following a clear path to conversion? Time on page: Got a page where users spend 4 minutes instead of the usual 2? That’s either really good (super engaging content) or really bad (they’re confused). Navigation patterns: Where do users go? Is it where you think they should? Exit points: When visitors leave, are they leaving satisfied or frustrated? Look for patterns in your exit pages. Device preferences: Mobile vs. desktop is about context. Mobile users often have different needs and behaviors than desktop users. Quick win: Pick your top landing page. Watch a session recording of how real users interact with it. You’ll probably spot at least three opportunities for improvement in the first 5 minutes. I like to use Microsoft Clarity for this. Planning your website structure around personas Website structure optimization starts with understanding how different user personas interact with your site. Creating an effective information architecture ensures each persona finds relevant content through their preferred navigation paths. Navigation and information architecture Primary navigation elements reflect the main tasks personas aim to complete on your site. Create clear pathways based on persona behavior patterns: Place high-priority content within three clicks from the homepage. Position critical links where personas expect to find them. Design mega menus or dropdown navigation based on persona categories. Add breadcrumb navigation to help personas track their location. Quick win: Map out the three most common tasks for each of your personas. Now count how many clicks it takes to complete each one. Found any shortcuts you could add? Content strategy and messaging Ever notice how some websites feel like they’re reading your mind? Here’s how to make your content resonate with each audience: Headlines targeting specific persona pain points. Scannable content blocks with persona-relevant information. Call-to-action buttons using persona-preferred language. Information hierarchy based on persona goals. Media elements selected for persona preferences. Quick win: Look at your top landing page. Does the first paragraph answer your primary persona’s biggest question? If not, rewrite it right now. Implementing persona-driven design Persona-driven design transforms websites into targeted experiences that match visitor needs. The implementation focuses on key touchpoints where personas interact with the site. Homepage and landing page optimization Homepage design starts with clear paths for each persona type. Create distinct sections with relevant headlines, images, and calls to action that direct visitors to persona-specific content. Analytics data shows visitors form opinions about websites in 0.05 seconds, making first impressions critical. Key optimization elements include: Prominent navigation paths labeled for each persona type. Persona-specific value propositions above the fold. Content blocks addressing unique pain points. Visual cues guiding visitors to relevant sections. A/B testing different layouts to improve engagement. Conversion paths: Think of conversion paths like a conversation. Each step should feel natural: Awareness stage: Blog posts optimized for search Educational content that establishes credibility No hard sell – just valuable information Consideration stage: Comparative content showing your advantages Case studies matching the persona’s industry More detailed technical or business documentation Decision stage: Clear, persona-specific CTAs Simplified conversion forms (ask only what you need) Next steps that match the user’s pace Measuring success When it comes to measuring the success of your persona-driven website, not all metrics carry equal weight. Start by tracking how different personas find and interact with your site. Watch how visitors engage with persona-specific content. Time spent on key pages and interaction rates will tell you if you’re hitting the mark. Conversion performance is where the real story unfolds. A well-executed persona strategy typically improves conversion rates along persona-specific paths. But don’t just count conversions; measure their quality. Are you attracting the right leads? Are they moving smoothly through their journey? Testing and iteration The key to continual improvement lies in systematic testing. Watch real users interact with your site through session recordings. These often reveal unexpected behaviors that analytics alone might miss. Pay special attention to how different personas search your site and where they tend to exit. This helps you refine their paths to conversion. Make optimization a regular habit. Remove what isn’t working, expand what is, and adjust messaging that fails to connect. What’s next? Your website restructure doesn’t end with implementing persona-based design; it’s an ongoing process of refinement and optimization. By focusing on your target personas throughout your site, you’ll create more meaningful connections with visitors and effectively guide them toward conversions.

Ever notice how website visitors rarely follow the exact path you’ve planned for them?

You might build great landing pages for different customer types, but visitors have their own plans.

They Google something random and land on your blog post.
They click a link from social media that drops them into your resources section.
Or they skip your homepage completely and jump straight to a product page.

This creates a problem.

How do you make sure your website works for all your target customers when they aren’t following your planned customer journeys?

The answer is simple:

Build your entire website, not just specific landing pages, with your target audiences in mind.

Let’s explore some practical ways to restructure your website so it delivers relevant experiences to every visitor, regardless of how they enter or navigate your site.

Understanding website personas: More than just customer profiles

A website persona represents your ideal customer based on data-driven research.

But we’re not just talking about basic demographics here.

We’re talking about a detailed profile built from real data, the kind that goes beyond who your customers are to tell you:

How they think.
What keeps them up at night.
What makes them click that “Buy Now” button.

Quick win: Take 15 minutes today to look at your top three customers. What do they have in common? What questions do they always ask? There’s the start of your persona.

What makes an effective user persona?

You’ve probably seen some basic customer profiles that just list age, location, and job title.

But a real, working persona? That’s different.

Here’s what you need to capture:

Demographic details: Sure, get the basics: age, location, job title, income level. But dig deeper.
Behavioral patterns: What devices do they use? When do they browse your site? Are they comparison shoppers or impulse buyers? The more you know about their habits, the better you can serve them.
Pain points: What problems keep them searching for solutions? What frustrates them about current options? These are your opportunities to connect.
Goals: What are they really trying to achieve? Sometimes it’s not what you think. A person buying a drill isn’t actually looking for a drill, they’re looking to hang pictures on their wall.
Technical proficiency: How comfortable are they with technology? This affects everything from your site’s complexity to how much hand-holding your interface needs to provide.

Quick win: Look in Google Analytics to see the demographic details of your best-converting visitors.

Real example of personas in action

Want to see how this works in actual practice? Let’s look at our Search Engine Land Award-winning campaign.

A traditional bank came to my agency with a challenge: they needed to completely shift their online presence from local retail banking to positioning themselves as a leader in Fintech and Banking as a Service (BaaS).

Their target? C-suite executives and decision-makers in fintech companies.

Instead of creating generic banking content, we built detailed profiles of their target CTOs and CFOs, understanding that these executives prioritize technical documentation, API capabilities, and compliance information.

We worked alongside them to restructure their site around how these executives actually find and consume content.

The results were dramatic:

Organic traffic increased from 6,600 to over 38,000 monthly visitors.
B2B lead generation more than tripled.
Most importantly, they started reaching exactly who they wanted to target.

Quick win: Look at your top-performing content. Which persona is it really serving? Are you attracting an audience you hadn’t even considered? Below is a screenshot of searchengineland.com’s top pages:

From this, I can see that three of their top five pages are directed toward beginners who are eager to learn about Google, digital marketing, SEO, and PPC. This aligns with a core group they ideally want to target.

The role of personas in website strategy

Personas shape website strategy through three core functions:

Content direction: Think of this as your website’s GPS. It guides what you say and how you say it for different user groups. For instance, if you’re talking to busy C-suite executives, you might lead with ROI stats and quick-scan bullet points. For technical users? Detailed specs and documentation come first.
Navigation planning: Ever noticed how Amazon’s website feels intuitive no matter what you’re shopping for? That’s persona-based navigation at work. It’s about creating paths that match how different users naturally browse.
Feature prioritization: What’s important for one persona might be irrelevant for another. This helps you decide what gets prime real estate on your site.

Quick win: Pull up your website analytics right now. Look at your top five most visited pages. Are they easily accessible for each of your personas? Do they speak to the features or things they care about most? If not, there’s your great optimization opportunity.

How to implement effectively

Getting personas right isn’t a one-time deal. Here’s what effective implementation looks like:

Map user journeys: Create a visual path for each persona. Where do they enter your site? Where should they go next? What information do they need at each step?
Build content hierarchies: Structure your content like a pyramid, with the most important stuff at the top and details below. But remember, what’s “most important” varies by persona.
Test against real users: Your assumptions about user behavior? They might be wrong. Test your design with actual users who match your personas.
Adjust based on feedback: What users say they want and what they actually do can be very different. Watch how they interact with your site and adjust accordingly.
Measure everything: Set up tracking for each persona’s typical journey. Are they finding what they need? Where are they dropping off?

Tip: The most successful websites we’ve seen aren’t necessarily the prettiest, they’re the ones that best understand and serve their users’ needs.

Creating user personas for your website

User personas shape website design through data-driven research combining qualitative insights with quantitative metrics.

Start with what you know

Ever noticed that your best insights often come from actual conversations with customers? Start there.

Qualitative research:

Interview 8-12 customers who represent your ideal users (yes, actually talk to them). I like to use meeting recording software during this, so I can download the transcriptions and then analyze the commonalities from the conversations.
Watch how real users interact with your site.
Send out surveys that ask the right questions (hint: “Why?” is often more valuable than “What?”)

Quantitative data (the numbers game):

Dive into your analytics to see how people actually use your site.
Track those user paths (where are they going, and more importantly, where are they leaving).
Look at conversion data by user segment (some paths work better than others, find out why).
A/B test everything (let the data tell you what works).

Behavioral analysis and demographics

Here’s what you should be tracking and why it matters:

Pages per visit: Sure, the average might be 3-5 pages, but what’s really interesting is the path they take. Are they spending time navigating your site looking for answers? Or following a clear path to conversion?
Time on page: Got a page where users spend 4 minutes instead of the usual 2? That’s either really good (super engaging content) or really bad (they’re confused).
Navigation patterns: Where do users go? Is it where you think they should?
Exit points: When visitors leave, are they leaving satisfied or frustrated? Look for patterns in your exit pages.
Device preferences: Mobile vs. desktop is about context. Mobile users often have different needs and behaviors than desktop users.

Quick win: Pick your top landing page. Watch a session recording of how real users interact with it. You’ll probably spot at least three opportunities for improvement in the first 5 minutes. I like to use Microsoft Clarity for this.

Planning your website structure around personas

Website structure optimization starts with understanding how different user personas interact with your site.

Creating an effective information architecture ensures each persona finds relevant content through their preferred navigation paths.

Navigation and information architecture

Primary navigation elements reflect the main tasks personas aim to complete on your site. Create clear pathways based on persona behavior patterns:

Place high-priority content within three clicks from the homepage.
Position critical links where personas expect to find them.
Design mega menus or dropdown navigation based on persona categories.
Add breadcrumb navigation to help personas track their location.

Quick win: Map out the three most common tasks for each of your personas. Now count how many clicks it takes to complete each one. Found any shortcuts you could add?

Content strategy and messaging

Ever notice how some websites feel like they’re reading your mind? Here’s how to make your content resonate with each audience:

Headlines targeting specific persona pain points.
Scannable content blocks with persona-relevant information.
Call-to-action buttons using persona-preferred language.
Information hierarchy based on persona goals.
Media elements selected for persona preferences.

Quick win: Look at your top landing page. Does the first paragraph answer your primary persona’s biggest question? If not, rewrite it right now.

Implementing persona-driven design

Persona-driven design transforms websites into targeted experiences that match visitor needs. The implementation focuses on key touchpoints where personas interact with the site.

Homepage and landing page optimization

Homepage design starts with clear paths for each persona type. Create distinct sections with relevant headlines, images, and calls to action that direct visitors to persona-specific content.

Analytics data shows visitors form opinions about websites in 0.05 seconds, making first impressions critical.

Key optimization elements include:

Prominent navigation paths labeled for each persona type.
Persona-specific value propositions above the fold.
Content blocks addressing unique pain points.
Visual cues guiding visitors to relevant sections.
A/B testing different layouts to improve engagement.

Conversion paths:

Think of conversion paths like a conversation. Each step should feel natural:

Awareness stage:
- Blog posts optimized for search
- Educational content that establishes credibility
- No hard sell – just valuable information
Consideration stage:
- Comparative content showing your advantages
- Case studies matching the persona’s industry
- More detailed technical or business documentation
Decision stage:
- Clear, persona-specific CTAs
- Simplified conversion forms (ask only what you need)
- Next steps that match the user’s pace

Measuring success

When it comes to measuring the success of your persona-driven website, not all metrics carry equal weight.

Start by tracking how different personas find and interact with your site. Watch how visitors engage with persona-specific content. Time spent on key pages and interaction rates will tell you if you’re hitting the mark.

Conversion performance is where the real story unfolds. A well-executed persona strategy typically improves conversion rates along persona-specific paths.

But don’t just count conversions; measure their quality. Are you attracting the right leads? Are they moving smoothly through their journey?

Testing and iteration

The key to continual improvement lies in systematic testing. Watch real users interact with your site through session recordings. These often reveal unexpected behaviors that analytics alone might miss.

Pay special attention to how different personas search your site and where they tend to exit. This helps you refine their paths to conversion.

Make optimization a regular habit. Remove what isn’t working, expand what is, and adjust messaging that fails to connect.

What’s next?

Your website restructure doesn’t end with implementing persona-based design; it’s an ongoing process of refinement and optimization.

By focusing on your target personas throughout your site, you’ll create more meaningful connections with visitors and effectively guide them toward conversions.