Menu interlinking Pages

[seoanalytics]

Hello,

I have my most important pages in my menu. Those pages are present on all my pages because they are on the menu. Are those pages considered to be linking between each other because they are in the menu or should I create links between those pages in my text if I want them to link with each other ?

[Nigel_Carr]

Hi

A site wide menu at the top is essential. If you don't have links to, say, sub categories in that menu, then have a side menu with the lesser (lower) pages in there. Make sure they are linked through the anchor text you deem to be the most searchable term.

Yes, Google 'counts' - (follows and uses it to help index for search terms) the menu links.

The menu is either a structural set of links at the top on the website on every page. Or a list of links in the left or right-hand side of the page on certain pages.

I fear there may be a slight misunderstanding of terminology & semantics here as I have tried to be very clear,

Regards Nigel

[seoanalytics]

Hi Nigel,

Thank you for your reply. So in other words, it is better to have a menu link and text link than just a menu link because apparently the architecture is understood better thru text than menu links correct ?

[Nigel_Carr]

Hi

The fact that the menu is on every page means that each page is connected to every other as you say. Google only recognises the anchor text from the first link on the page so adding further links in the text to 'strengthen' SEO is futile for promoting another anchor text. What I would say though is that if adding a link makes for a better user experience then do it.

So if you sell Table Lamps and there is a link in the menu for Table Lamps - you might be describing them in a block of text on another page - say Floor Lamps. It would not be unreasonable to add an anchor link in that text block to Table Lamps as the two categories are similar and it offers a quick hop across to the 'sister' collection. It also provides for additional 'flow' through the pages which makes for a better user experience and helps Google understand the architecture of the site more.

There is a bit more here: https://moz.com/learn/seo/internal-link

Regards Nigel