Constructing a logical and hierarchical navigation system should be one of the main aims for a website. Visitors and search robots both rely on navigational links to find their way around a site, so careful consideration here improves search engine optimisation in both the long and medium term.
As well as enabling search spiders to find all the pages contained within a site, the navigational structure also helps them to understand how various pages relate to one another, and for that reason it is sensible to make sure those pages which share a common theme are linked. Although in most cases, where a website is of a reasonable size, it would be crazy to attempt to link each page to every other page, it is best to make sure none of the pages are too difficult to reach, requiring dozens of clicks to view them. Such pages are likely to be rated by search engines as being of lower importance.
A logical system of navigation moves from broad categories to narrower groups of topics, and finally to individual subjects. In keeping with this flow, a 'breadcrumb' navigation menu, which shows a visitor exactly where she is positioned within the hierarchy of a site, may be a positive addition. It can also be used by search robots, and is therefore a useful tool for SEO.
Navigational links should be presented in the form of text, as this guarantees that search crawlers can read them. Using JavaScript or images for links makes them unusable for search robots, preventing them from moving around a site with the result that pages are not indexed and search engine optimisation suffers. A simple text link is easy to create and, with descriptive use of words, provides information about the link destination. This is beneficial for search robots trying to make sense of a website, and for human visitors, especially those who are visually-impaired and surfing using screen readers.
Including a site map, a page which displays the entire navigational structure of a site, can be useful for helping human visitors find their way around. For search robots, an equivalent exists in the form of an XML Sitemap file, which increases the chances of every page being indexed.
A problem which sometimes occurs in site navigation is the existence of links which take visitors in a loop, leading nowhere. This can also affect search robots, which may become lost in what is effectively a trap. Loops like this can usually be avoided by planning navigation thoroughly and carefully, and subjecting the website to usability testing.
Another difficulty arises when pages are missing, and this situation can be catered for by creating a 404 error page, to be displayed when visitors follow a broken link. It is worth spending time regularly checking all the links on a site, and removing or altering any which no longer work, as, if numerous, they do not give a positive impression of the website.
At SearchEngineOptimization.co.uk we have the experience to create the best navigational structure for your site.
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