Optimal page nesting level from Jeff Jackson's blog

In the process of creating an online project, you need to think about how to build the structure of the site so that it is convenient for potential clients and ordinary users. This concerns the construction of a hierarchical ladder of pages, where each of them is assigned a place in the main category, subcategory, and sections. In other words, this is the level of page nesting that affects the degree of comfort when visiting online stores, various catalog sites, and other trading platforms.

How important is the level of nesting, how to evaluate it - let’s try to figure it out now.

Determining the nesting level of site web pages

How advise Kirill Kulagin the founder of KeyRealSeo the level of nesting (NL) refers to the number of clicks that must be made to get to the material you are looking for. The unspoken rule says: a page for high-frequency queries should be optimally at the level of two clicks relative to the main one, although for the latter most often high frequencies can be used. For mid-frequency, low-frequency – three clicks are allotted. The optimal depth for a portal is considered to be no more than 4 levels.

But you need to know that the method of calculating indicators is different for Internet users and search engines.

Custom option

The calculation is based on the number of transitions (clicks) from the main page, which has the 1st level, to the required project tab. The parameters have the corresponding designations: Page attachment-1, page attachment-2 and so on.

Option for search engines

Search engine bots determine the indicator based on the length of the URL of a particular page. The most common unit of calculation is the “/” symbol, the frequency of its use in the URL.

What is the importance of this parameter for search engine optimization?

The level of nesting of pages determines the understanding of their importance. The content frequently viewed on them affects the indexing, the rating that search engine robots assign when ranking. What is the relationship?

Resource pages with a “deep” level of nesting are poorly ranked. More slashes means less hope that a search engine will notice them. It’s a shame if a webcam designed in accordance with all the rules and with suitable content ends up out of business.

The more clicks you make away from the first page, the more you will increase the level of nesting. For search engines, the indicator is measured by the number of slash characters in the URL.

HC can affect the price of an outgoing link. The higher the level of nesting, the cheaper the link is valued. The closer the tab is to the main page, the more valuable the link space is.

Three click rule

The level of investment is related to the number of transitions; the higher the indicators, the more confusing the structure of the online platform can be. This is not welcomed by users and search engines. In the web community there is a “Three Clicks” rule, which says that a user should be able to get the information they need in no more than 3 clicks. Otherwise, the visitor may leave, despairing of “getting to the bottom” of the desired content.

Ideally the diagram should look like this:

1. Query in a search engine
2. Follow the link from the search results
3. Click on the resource itself.

But there are other options.

How to calculate the level of nesting of site pages

There are several different types of calculation:

• By the number of transitions from the main page (UV-1) to the desired page (UV-2 and beyond). The countdown goes down from the main page, each new click increases the level indicator.
• By URL length, number of “/”. The formula looks something like this: http://site/folder1/folder2/folder3/искомый контент. An address line that is too long is poorly indexed or not indexed at all by bots, which does not contribute to the SEO promotion of the project.

Conclusion

If your resource is difficult to perceive by visitors, this will affect the depth of views. Thoughtful navigation, correct placement of web tabs and content are factors that will have a positive impact on the progress of the project. Take a few final tips:

• Try limiting yourself to three levels of page nesting;
• Place a site map on the main page if it is impossible to do without a large number of HC;
• The structure of an online platform must obey the logic and principle of hierarchy.