Website sizes can range from a few pages to millions, each serving a different purpose. Novices might assume that all pages on a website are equally important and should be easily found by users. However, when it comes to user experience and search engine optimization, the concept of “click depth” plays a significant role in a page’s discoverability. But does it affect Google rankings?

Perspective: Click Depth as a Ranking Signal

Click depth refers to the number of clicks a user needs to take from the homepage of a website to reach a specific page.

A numerical value can be assigned to each page based on its distance from the homepage. The homepage has a value of 0, pages linked directly from the homepage have a value of 1, pages linked from a page with a depth of 1 have a value of 2, and so on. The theory suggests that pages with lower click depths tend to rank higher in search engine results.

Evidence for Click Depth as a Ranking Factor

In a 2018 Google Search Central video hangout, John Mueller briefly touched on the topic of click depth. While he didn’t elaborate, he acknowledged that Google pays attention to how easily findable the content on a website is. He mentioned that since the homepage is often the most authoritative page on a website, Google tends to give slightly more weight to pages that are reachable in one click than to pages buried deep within the site.

This aligns with our understanding of how search engine crawlers function. According to Brendan Bennett of Selesti, Google’s crawlers typically don’t venture beyond three clicks from the homepage—unless the site is considered to have extremely high authority. Pages located beyond three clicks are less likely to be indexed, rank highly, or attract significant organic traffic.

Botify also suggests that strategic pages are ideally placed within five clicks of the homepage. However, this can vary depending on the specific website’s structure and how internal PageRank is distributed.

Google’s PageRank Algorithm and Internal Linking

Google’s PageRank algorithm assesses the value of a webpage based on the quantity and quality of links pointing to it. However, internal PageRank refers to the ranking and value of pages within a single website. On most websites, the homepage is the most linked and authoritative page, providing the most link equity. As you move further away from the homepage, link equity decreases, and therefore, the potential for ranking improvements diminishes.

Click Depth as a Ranking Factor: Our Conclusion

Click depth may be a ranking factor, but it’s unlikely to be a decisive factor influencing your overall rankings. It’s more important to ensure that your website provides a positive user experience and that visitors can easily find content. Based on Mueller’s cautious comments, it can be inferred that while Google may consider click depth in its ranking algorithm, improving accessibility and usability for your audience is more important. If you’re looking for tips on enhancing user experience, consider exploring 10 Essential SEO Content Writing Rules.

Source: Art SEO