Pages need more than 3 clicks

If Semrush has flagged pages on your website as requiring "more than three clicks to be reached," it’s time to rethink your site structure. This notice indicates that some pages are buried so deep within your site that they may seem unimportant to both visitors and search engines, potentially affecting your SEO.

Why Click Depth Matters for SEO Click depth is an SEO signal that measures how accessible a page is from the homepage. Pages requiring more than three clicks to reach are considered “buried,” making them harder for users to find and potentially less valuable in Google’s eyes. Google values user experience, so if key pages on your site are difficult to access, it could harm your SEO.

Common Causes of Deeply Buried Pages This issue often arises unintentionally in blog sites, where new posts bury older ones as the blog grows. Users navigating older content might need to click “previous” multiple times, exceeding the three-click threshold.

You may also encounter related issues in Semrush, like:

• Single Link Pages: Only one internal link leads to the page.

• Orphaned Pages: Pages with no internal links leading to them.

These related issues all signal to Google that content might be for SEO alone and not intended for visitors, which can hurt rankings.

How to Fix the Issue Several steps can improve navigation and reduce click depth on your site:

1. Add Navigation Options: Use categories, side navigation, or tags to allow users to explore your site more easily. Remember, tags should enhance user navigation, not serve as a tool for keyword stuffing, as that’s considered spammy.

2. Use Semrush’s Crawl Depth Feature: Within Semrush, you can sort your pages by crawl depth to identify the number of clicks needed to reach each page. Focus on pages with higher click depths, particularly if they are key pages or valuable blog posts.

3. Consider Content Pruning: For old content that’s no longer relevant or valuable, consider removing it. However, follow the proper steps to avoid harming your SEO. Pruning, as covered in the Semrush blog module, ensures you don’t lose the SEO value from old posts.

Conclusion 

Keeping your website structure user-friendly benefits both your visitors and your SEO. By reducing click depth on key pages and maintaining a well-organized navigation structure, you enhance user experience, increase page visibility, and make your site more appealing to search engines. Addressing these Semrush notices ensures your content remains accessible and valuable to both users and search engines.