Which of the following best describes a usability technique known as tree testing?

Tree testing is a usability technique that specifically evaluates how easily users can find topics within a website's structure. It does this by focusing on the hierarchy and organization of the content, allowing researchers to present users with a simplified version of the website's navigation structure—often referred to as a "tree." In this context, users are tasked with locating specific items or information in the tree structure, which helps to determine whether the site’s navigation is intuitive and effective.

The strength of tree testing lies in its ability to directly assess the findability of information without the influence of design elements or other distractions present in a live website. This technique is particularly useful in identifying issues with how users perceive the organization of content and whether they can successfully navigate through it.

This approach differs fundamentally from other options that may focus on visual organization, user feedback collection, or evaluating overall website performance, which are not specifically centered on topic findability as tree testing is. Hence, option C accurately captures the essence of what tree testing is designed to achieve.