Crawl depth and SEO

What is crawl depth?

Crawl depth is a measure of how many clicks or “steps” a web crawler has to take from the homepage to reach a specific page. The homepage has a crawl depth of 0, a subpage linked directly from the homepage, footer or navigation has a crawl depth of 1, and so on.

The deeper a page sits in your website's structure, the higher its crawl depth, and the harder it is for search engines like Google to find and index it. A high crawl depth can therefore affect your page's visibility in the search results, which makes crawl depth an important technical SEO factor.

Imagine your website as a complex building with many floors and rooms. The homepage is the lobby, and every extra click represents moving through doors and up stairs to reach a specific room.

The more rooms (or clicks) it takes to reach a particular page, the greater the likelihood that the search engine will miss it during its crawl. That can be a problem, as even the most valuable content can end up being overlooked if it's buried deep in your website's structure.

Especially for large websites, such as e-commerce platforms or information portals with many pages, or if you work with Programmatic SEO, it's important to keep track of crawl depth to make sure all content is discovered and indexed correctly.

A flat structure, where the most important pages are accessible within two or three clicks of the homepage, is considered an optimal crawl depth. It makes it easier for search engines to find and index the content quickly. Conversely, a deep structure can mean that pages are overlooked or not crawled as often, which can lead to important content not appearing in the search results.

How does crawl depth affect your SEO?

Crawl depth doesn't just affect search engines; it also matters for the user experience. A complex structure that's hard to navigate can frustrate visitors trying to find specific information.

If users struggle to find what they're looking for, they may quickly leave your site, which can increase your bounce rate and lower engagement, factors that can indirectly affect your SEO rankings.

In the following sections, we'll dive deeper into what crawl depth is, why it matters and how you can optimise your website to make sure your most important pages get the visibility they deserve.

Why is crawl depth crucial for SEO?

1. Indexing efficiency: Search engines have a limited crawl budget, that is, a limited number of pages they will crawl on your website within a given timeframe. Pages with a high crawl depth aren't crawled as often as those closer to the homepage, which can mean they aren't updated or indexed correctly.
2. Link value (Link Equity): Pages closer to the homepage generally receive more link equity (aka link value), which can improve their rankings in the search results. If important pages are hidden deep down in the hierarchy, they may not get enough link value to rank well.
3. User experience and conversion: A well-structured website makes it easier for users to find the information they're looking for. That can lead to a lower bounce rate and a higher conversion rate. For example, if a user lands on your homepage and has to click through several categories and subcategories to find a product, they may become impatient and leave your site. A simpler structure can help keep users engaged and improve overall performance.
4. Freshness: Pages with a low crawl depth are crawled more often, which means new content or updates are discovered and indexed by search engines more quickly. This is particularly important for websites that update their content frequently, such as news sites or e-commerce platforms with frequent product changes.
5. Improved SEO performance: By making sure your most important pages have a low crawl depth, you increase their chances of being indexed and ranked correctly. That leads to better visibility in the search results, which can generate more organic traffic and strengthen your overall SEO strategy.

How to optimise your crawl depth

To make sure your website is indexed optimally by search engines, it's important to keep your crawl depth low. The fewer clicks it takes to reach your most important pages, the easier it is for both users and search engines to find them.

Here are some effective strategies for optimising your website's structure and reducing crawl depth:

Simplify your navigation: Work with a flatter structure where all important pages can be reached in a maximum of three clicks from the homepage. Consider adding links to important pages in the main menu or linking to them directly from popular blog posts.

Use internal links strategically: Internal links help both users and search engines navigate your website. By adding links from pages with a low crawl depth to those with a higher crawl depth, you can move the deeper pages up the hierarchy.

Optimise your URL structure: Keep your URLs simple and descriptive. Avoid complex parameters and deep folder structures, as they make it harder for both users and search engines to find your pages.

Update and maintain your sitemap: An up-to-date XML sitemap makes it easier for search engines to find and crawl your pages. Make sure all important pages are included and that the sitemap is updated regularly.

If you have many subpages with a high crawl depth, you can also consider creating a so-called HTML sitemap, which is essentially just a subpage with a list of links to all your subpages. You can then place your HTML sitemap in your website's footer. That way, none of your subpages will have a crawl depth of more than 2.

You can read more about both XML and HTML sitemaps here.

Implement breadcrumb navigation: Breadcrumbs give both users and search engines a better understanding of your website's structure. They also help search engines understand how different pages relate to each other, which can improve indexing.

Reduce redundant and thin content: Pages with very little content or duplicate content can use up crawl budget and reduce the effectiveness of your SEO. Identify and improve or remove these pages to make sure search engines focus on your most valuable pages.

Analyse your crawl depth with Screaming Frog

I can definitely recommend using Screaming Frog to analyse your website's crawl depth. It gives you a clear overview of how search engines like Google navigate your content. With Screaming Frog, you can quickly identify pages that sit too deep in your website's structure, and then optimise their visibility.

Here's a simple method for gaining insight into your crawl depth:

1. Crawl your website: Start by crawling your entire website by entering the URL in Screaming Frog and clicking "Start". The tool will now scan all pages and links on your website.
2. Filter by HTML pages: Go to the “Internal” tab and select “HTML” in the filter menu. This gives you only URLs that refer to subpages, that is, the pages search engines and users will typically interact with.
3. Export data: Export the data to a spreadsheet so the information is easier to work with. This makes it easy to analyse and sort the data.
4. Filter by indexable pages: Remove all non-indexable pages (for example, redirected and noindexed pages) from your dataset. This ensures you're only working with the pages that search engines and users should be able to find.
5. Sort by crawl depth: Sort the “Crawl Depth” column in descending order so the pages with the greatest crawl depth appear at the top. This makes it easy to find the pages that take the most clicks to reach from the homepage.
6. Identify key pages: Find the pages with a crawl depth of more than 3. Consider whether you need to reduce their depth by adding internal links or changing their position in the navigation structure.
7. Prioritise optimisation: Focus on optimising the most important pages first. These could be pages with high traffic potential or pages that are important for your conversion goals.

Common crawl depth problems, and how to fix them

• Overly complex website structure: Websites with many subcategories and nested pages can create a complicated structure that's hard for both users and search engines to navigate. Simplify your structure by consolidating similar content and reducing the number of categories and subcategories.
• Missing internal links: If your website lacks sufficient internal links, it can be hard for search engines to find deeper pages. Make sure all pages, especially those several clicks away from the homepage, are linked to from other parts of your site.
• Orphan pages: Pages that aren't linked to from any other pages on your website, known as orphan pages, are hard for search engines to find. Use tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console to identify these pages and add internal links to them.
• Broken links and redirect chains: Broken links and complex redirects can disrupt crawling and prevent search engines from reaching deeper pages. Carry out regular audits to identify and fix these issues.

Crawl depth: a summary

Crawl depth is a critical factor in how search engines and users interact with your website. By optimising your structure, navigation and internal links, you can make sure your most important pages are easily accessible and indexed correctly. This leads to better SEO performance, an improved user experience and, ultimately, a more successful online presence.

Want to optimise your website and make sure it's discovered by search engines? At Amplify, we specialise in technical SEO and can help you streamline your website's structure so it reaches its full potential. Let’s Amplify!