Website Navigation Best Practices: SEO and UX Guide

Improve Website Navigation for Better SEO and UX

Website navigation is one of the most overlooked elements in SEO, but it plays a major role in how users and search engines understand your site.

Getting your navigation right doesn’t just help users find what they need - it also helps search engines crawl your site more effectively, improving your SEO performance and overall visibility.

This article breaks down what makes good website navigation, why it matters for SEO and UX, and how to structure your menus and internal links in line with website navigation best practices.

If you're running a business website, this is one of the simplest ways to strengthen your SEO foundation.

Outline: Website Navigation and SEO - What We’ll Cover

1. What is Website Navigation and Why Does it Matter?

2. How Website Navigation Affects SEO Performance

3. Navigation and UX: Why Users Stay or Leave

4. What Makes Good Website Navigation?

5. Main Navigation Menus and How to Optimise Them

6. Mega Menu vs Dropdown Menu: Which is Better?

7. Sidebar Navigation and Footer Links: When and Why to Use Them

8. Mobile Navigation: UX on Mobile Devices

9. Internal Links and Anchor Text: Supporting SEO Navigation

10. Avoiding Common SEO Issues with Site Navigation

11. How to Use Google Analytics to Test Navigation

12. Structuring Navigation for SEO and UX Together

13. How Many Links Should a Navigation Menu Include?

14. Understanding Faceted Navigation

15. SEO Teams and Developers: Working Together on Navigation

1. What is Website Navigation and Why Does it Matter?

Website navigation refers to how users move through a site to find the information or pages they need. This includes the navigation bar, dropdowns, mega menus, sidebars, footer navigation, and internal links.

From an SEO perspective, navigation is key because it:

• Helps users find what they need quickly

• Helps search engines understand the hierarchy of pages

• Makes it easier to distribute page authority through internal linking

• Helps users return to a previous page or related content

Without clear site navigation, even well-written content can get buried. Navigation helps users and search engines locate the important pages across your website.

2. How Website Navigation Affects SEO Performance

Search engines like Google rely on structured navigation to crawl your site efficiently. If your navigation is shallow, broken, or inconsistent, important pages may be missed or devalued.

Well-planned navigation helps search engines:

• Understand the relationships between pages

• Recognise which pages are most important

• Follow links to other pages naturally

This directly affects your SEO rankings, crawl depth, and how often pages are indexed. Optimise your navigation to help search engines do their job properly.

3. Navigation and UX: Why Users Stay or Leave

Poor navigation causes frustration. If users can’t find the information they came for, they’ll leave.

Good navigation:

• Reduces bounce rate

• Increases time spent on site

• Encourages users to explore other parts of the website

From a UX point of view, navigation can help users feel in control. It also supports accessibility and mobile use, especially when backed by consistent design.

UX and SEO are closely linked - navigation helps both.

4. What Makes Good Website Navigation?

Here are a few website navigation best practices:

• Keep menus clear and concise

• Use predictable terms (e.g. “Contact” instead of “Reach Us”)

• Group similar items together

• Avoid hidden menus unless necessary

A good navigation structure also includes:

• A clear hierarchy of pages

• Use of internal links to guide the user journey

• Anchor text that matches the destination

Navigation should be designed to help users understand the structure of your website. It’s not just a tool - it’s part of your content strategy.

5. Main Navigation Menus and How to Optimise Them

The main navigation menu is the starting point for most users. It’s typically shown as a horizontal navigation bar at the top of the page.

To make the most of your main menu:

• Limit the number of links - five to seven is often best

• Use top-level pages only, with dropdowns if needed

• Keep it consistent across the site

This type of navigation is especially important for SEO, because search engines treat these links as high-priority. They help users find the important pages and reinforce the structure of your site.

6. Mega Menu vs Dropdown Menu: Which is Better?

Mega menus are large panels that display multiple levels of navigation at once. They work well for large websites with many categories, such as ecommerce stores.

Dropdown menus are smaller and more traditional. They expand from the main navigation to show subcategories.

When to use a mega menu:

• If you have more than 10 core categories

• If users need to see everything at a glance

• For desktop navigation only - not ideal for mobile

When to use a dropdown menu:

• For simple, limited categories

• When you want a more compact design

• Works better on mobile with a hamburger menu

Both have SEO benefits, but a cluttered mega menu can dilute link value and confuse users if overdone.

7. Sidebar Navigation and Footer Links: When and Why to Use Them

Sidebar navigation works well for content-heavy pages like blogs or support centres. It helps users navigate within a section without returning to the top menu.

Footer navigation provides extra access to important pages that don’t fit in the main menu.

Examples of good footer links:

• FAQs

• Delivery info

• Privacy policy

• Sitemap

Search engines crawl these links too. A footer can help reinforce internal linking and improve crawlability.

Just avoid stuffing too many links - the number of links in the footer should stay manageable.

8. Mobile Navigation: UX on Mobile Devices

Mobile navigation presents its own challenges. The hamburger menu is common, but it’s not always user-friendly.

To improve mobile navigation:

• Make menu items easy to tap

• Use a clear structure - avoid too many layers

• Keep dropdowns simple or use expandable panels

Navigation on mobile devices should prioritise speed and clarity. UX issues here can hurt SEO indirectly through bounce rates and poor engagement.

Mobile navigation matters because more users browse on their phones than desktop.

9. Internal Links and Anchor Text: Supporting SEO Navigation

Internal links connect one page of your site to another. They support navigation within your content and help search engines understand the structure.

Tips for internal linking:

• Use descriptive anchor text (e.g. “kitchen worktops” instead of “click here”)

• Link to related pages that add value

• Place links naturally within content

Good internal linking improves SEO results and helps users explore more of your website.

It also spreads authority to less prominent pages, boosting overall SEO performance.

10. Avoiding Common SEO Issues with Site Navigation

Some navigation setups can harm your SEO:

• JavaScript-heavy menus that search engines can’t crawl

• Overuse of dropdowns that hide content from crawlers

• Duplicate navigation structures across subdomains

• Faceted navigation that creates multiple duplicate URLs

If you're not careful, your menu navigation can generate SEO issues like crawl waste or broken internal links.

Test your site regularly using tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console.

11. How to Use Google Analytics to Test Navigation

Google Analytics can help track how users move through your navigation.

Key metrics to check:

• Behaviour flow

• Exit pages

• Pages per session

• Time on site

If users are exiting after the homepage, your main navigation may not be helping them find what they need.

Use event tracking to see which menu items get clicked and adjust accordingly. Navigation helps users - and data shows you how well it’s working.

12. Structuring Navigation for SEO and UX Together

SEO and UX should not be treated separately when designing navigation. Navigation starts with great structure, then gets refined by usage.

A few shared principles:

• Keep structure shallow - no more than 3 levels deep

• Maintain consistent naming and layout

• Group related content by topic or user need

Navigation can help users and help search engines if it’s well-planned.

Remember, navigation is often the first part of the website that gets tested by users - and the last thing they’ll tolerate if it doesn’t work.

13. How Many Links Should a Navigation Menu Include?

There’s no hard rule, but a long list of links in a navigation menu can cause confusion and dilute SEO value.

• Stick to 5-7 top-level items in your main menu

• Use dropdown navigation or a mega menu to show subcategories if needed

• Include links to only the most important pages

The goal is to help users find the information they’re looking for - not overwhelm them.

This approach also keeps the number of links reasonable, which matters for crawl efficiency and page authority.

14. Understanding Faceted Navigation

Faceted navigation lets users filter results by attributes like price, size, or category - common in ecommerce.

But if left unchecked, it can lead to duplicate content, crawl waste, and cannibalised SEO rankings.

SEO-friendly faceted navigation tips:

• Block crawlable URLs for non-valuable filters

• Use canonical tags

• Add noindex to pages with little unique value

Faceted navigation must be handled carefully to avoid damaging your SEO structure.

15. SEO Teams and Developers: Working Together on Navigation

Navigation should never be designed in isolation. SEO teams, UX designers, and developers all need input.

Why?

• SEO teams know how search engines crawl

• Developers understand what’s technically possible

• UX designers focus on how humans interact

Together, they can create a navigation system that works for users and search engines alike.

A good navigation menu is never an accident - it’s designed.

Summary: What to Remember About Website Navigation and SEO

• Website navigation is key for SEO, UX, and site structure

• Good navigation helps users and search engines find the important pages

• Main navigation menus should stay simple and structured

• Use mega menus or dropdown menus only when appropriate

• Sidebar and footer links add value, but should not be overloaded

• Mobile navigation needs special attention for UX and clarity

• Internal links and anchor text support navigation within pages

• Avoid SEO issues like duplicate links, crawl traps, or hidden content

• Use Google Analytics to monitor and improve how users interact with your menus

• Navigation should be a collaborative effort between SEO, design, and development

Need help fixing your website navigation to boost SEO results? Get in touch with SEOJet - we work with businesses to create structured, search-friendly websites that are designed to grow.