In this context, the term means the meaningful organization and structuring of content. Information architecture thus refers to the structural design of a website. Websites function as information spaces that enable users to access information quickly and easily.
Important: IA (information architecture) has nothing to do with visual UX design. Here, it is often mistakenly assumed that the two aspects are related. The fact is that IA is simply the foundation for UX design. The design aspect is less structural.
What does information architecture mean for search engine optimization?
Particularly relevant for search engine optimization: there is a large and a small information architecture. The large information architecture is primarily to guide the communication with the user. The small information architecture refers mainly to the labeling of the data to prepare them for the search engine. This is primarily about creating a high quality website and optimizing it onpage. Talking URLs, keywords, click path as well as depth are particularly important.
Also important for search engine optimization: the URL structure. This is firmly related to the information architecture, as the URL reflects the hierarchical structure of the information architecture. In any case, the information architecture should be as flat as possible.
Thematically relevant sub-pages:
