How To Optimize Website Navigation For Better UX and SEO Performance

In today’s technology-driven world, people like to access information from your website in a hassle-free way. As a digital marketer or website owner, it is your responsibility to provide a satisfying user experience and, at the same time, SEO performance for the targeted audience. Here comes the relevance of website navigation optimization. Optimised website navigation leads to better UX and SEO performance. In this blog, you will learn about the role of website navigation optimization and website navigation tips.

Website navigation optimization?

Website navigation refers to moving around and finding information on your website in a user-friendly manner with the aid of menus, links and interactive elements. Good navigation easily guides users to find information and resources on a website. Website navigation optimization is crucial for better UX and SEO performance.

Website navigation optimization: Relationship between SEO and user experience

Mobile UX and SEO are interrelated. A website’s user experience refers to your target person’s perception of your website, ease of use and efficiency. Achieving a supreme user experience is important for your business. Just like user experience, it is crucial to get a top rank on SERP. A good user experience on the website means Google values just how your target feels satisfied with products and services. Achieving both user experience and a better SEO performance for a business is directly linked to powerful Website navigation SEO. 

Benefits of better website navigation

• Improved user experience – A better website navigation ultimately benefits the user experience. It helps a user find information they require in a flick of time with menus, links and appropriate icons. Without any frustration and hassle, you can get the required resources.

• Improved crawlability and indexability – Your website’s navigation structure helps a search engine to understand the website structure, leading to crawlability and indexability. All your pages will get an index for certain.

• Increased brand value – People are more likely to recommend your website to loved ones or acquaintances and gravitate towards your brand if it has better website navigation.

• Increased user engagement – Once a person finds a website that has better website navigation, he likely to explore a site and interact with your content because of its user-friendly website structure.

Types of Website Navigation SEO

Horizontal Navigation Menus

Horizontal navigation menus can be seen on almost all platforms and websites. It is a common way of navigating settings used by businesses. It appears as a horizontal list of links at the top of the page. If your website is small and has a limited number of categories to display, you can definitely choose the horizontal menu. 

Drop-down Navigation Menu

If you are a large website with lots of categories to display, you can certainly try out a drop-down navigation menu because of its nested tiers of navigation. When you click on a main menu, submenus appear as drop-down lists. It is very user-friendly and ensures optimal space usage. 

Vertical Navigation Menu

Website structure and SEO affect the choice of a navigational menu. If your business is Content-rich, you must adopt vertical navigation menus to utilise space to the maximum level. 

Mega menu

A mega menu is a rare type of navigational menu for common businesses as these types fit into e-commerce stores. This type of menu may have one or more subcategories depending on links or products. It shows an array of options and boosts navigation efficiency. 

Sticky Navigation Menu

Just like a horizontal menu, it is visible on the top of the page but ensures continued access to the sections. Here, you need not scroll or surf to reach out to a category in the menu. As the name suggests, even if you scroll, all menus are still reachable to you. Another name is fixed menu. 

Interactive Navigation

The interactive menu is an icon-based, movable navigational menu. It has changing stats and uses animation to make it really interesting and overall pleasant to interact with. This type of navigation can be used in static scenes, virtual talks, and interactive videos to enhance the user experience and make the website more engaging. 

Hamburger Navigation Menu

Navigation options can be seen once you click the three-line menus that look like a Hamburger. Most responsive design uses this kind of navigational menu owing to their space-conserving design. Smaller screens can really benefit from a hamburger navigation menu. 

Best practices for navigation

To have a sound website architecture for SEO as well as the brink of user experience, you need to follow the best practices for navigation.

• Place social media icons – It is vital to embed major social media icons on your website as part of your navigation regime. Make your Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn icons visible and easily accessible for everyone.

• Include your logo – Make sure the business logo is part of the navigation and people can easily recognise it.

• Search bar – The search bar comes in handy for users because they can find information very easily. A search bar allows users to quickly find specific content or pages on the website.

Things needed for a user-friendly website structure

• Stick to a standard navigation style –   It is good to stick to a standard navigational style that most people opt for, depending on your needs. Be aligned with your target’s needs.

• Use Descriptive labels – Descriptive labels that clearly state the content of the page are more valuable than generic ones.

• Limit your menus – Choose a navigational menu as one category is very important so that you can avoid overloading it.

• Inclusion of footer – The footer at the end of the page is necessary as it serves as a secondary menu for your end-users.

So you have an idea about what makes a good user experience.  Website navigation SEO reveals a lot about your website. It is good practice to embrace best website navigation practices to ensure SEO and UX benefits. In other words, if you are not paying attention to navigation, you will be basically shutting out a huge number of potential customers. 

With the expertise of a UX design company in Dubai, you can get to know vivid website navigation tips and types of navigation menus to figure out what works for your business.