Concealing Key Links on Mobile Version
We have shop-like pages that feature filter options, primarily organized by location. On desktop, there’s a sidebar on the left that displays a long list of cities, and clicking on these links takes users to a new page—these links are firmly embedded in the code.
However, on mobile, we opt not to display this sidebar. Instead, we employ a different filtering menu using JavaScript, which does not contain any direct links. Although the desktop sidebar is part of the mobile code, it remains hidden from view.
These pages are crucial for our business, but aside from the sidebar, they have limited visibility across the website.
While this setup enhances the user experience, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are these pages still receiving adequate link juice? Does anyone have access to relevant case studies on this topic?
2 responses to “Hiding important links on mobile version”
It sounds like you have a challenging situation regarding how to effectively manage important links on mobile versus desktop versions of your site. Here are a few thoughts on your setup and whether pages receive good link juice:
Link Juice: Search engines like Google prioritize content that is easily accessible and well-linked throughout a website. If the links are present in the code for the mobile version but are not visible to users, search engines may still find them, but this relies heavily on how the site is structured and whether the crawlers can interact with the JavaScript. If your important pages are mainly linked through the sidebar, it could impact the SEO performance since these links don’t receive the same visibility and engagement on mobile.
JavaScript-Only Links: While search engines are getting better at crawling JavaScript, there’s still a risk that certain links could go unnoticed or not indexed if they are only accessible through JS, especially if there are no fallback options for non-JS environments.
User Experience: From a user experience perspective, having visible and easily accessible filters on mobile is crucial, especially if the location options are important. Consider a mobile-friendly version of the sidebar or a dropdown menu that is more visible and user-friendly, leading users directly to those critical pages.
Case Studies: While no specific case study fits your exact scenario perfectly, there are several examples within SEO communities that discuss the impact of JavaScript links on SEO. You might want to explore case studies from companies that have transitioned from JavaScript-heavy to more traditional linking structures and how it affected their link equity and page performance. Websites like Moz and Search Engine Journal often publish insightful studies that highlight the impact of different site structures.
Recommendations:
In conclusion, while having your important pages in the code is a step in the right direction, enhancing their visibility and accessibility on mobile could significantly improve your site’s performance and link juice.
What an interesting approach to mobile navigation! Hiding key links on mobile certainly raises some important considerations around SEO and user experience. While concealing the sidebar may enhance aesthetic appeal and simplify navigation on smaller screens, it can potentially impact the SEO value those links provide. Since search engines crawl the desktop version of websites, it’s possible that hiding links in a mobile-only format might limit their visibility and reduce the link equity that could be passed to those crucial pages.
One way to enhance both user experience and SEO could be to implement a responsive design that retains the essential links in a collapsible format on mobile. This way, users can easily access them without cluttering the interface. Additionally, you might want to look into using structured data to help search engines understand the context of your content better, which could enhance your discoverability.
As for case studies, I recommend keeping an eye on industry research from sources like Moz or Search Engine Journal, as they often explore the impacts of mobile usability on seo. Engaging with UX experts directly might also yield valuable insights tailored to your specific scenario. How are you currently measuring the effectiveness of the mobile filtering menu? This could provide a baseline for assessing any changes you may implement.