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Using Internal Links, Site Maps and Menus to Help Google Crawl Your Site
If Google can’t find your content, it can’t rank it. Smart internal link building, navigational menus, and site maps are often ignored by event marketers. Yet they quietly underpin crawl efficiency, SEO performance, and user experience. This post shows how to use them right.
Why Crawlability Is a Bigger Deal Than You Think
Most event marketers focus on the visual front of their site. But Google Search Console shows a different story: pages that look great but aren't connected properly can become orphan pages.
They exist, but nothing links to them. That means search engine crawlers can't find them, and they won't show up in search engine results.
Think of Googlebot as a curious but lazy intern. If your links and menus don’t point clearly to what matters, they won’t go hunting. They’ll skip it.
Google and AI tools like Perplexity or ChatGPT depend on a crawlable link structure to understand your site. Without clear, well-placed navigational links, even your best content won’t be indexed.
“Good website navigation makes it easy for your visitors to find what they want and for search engines to crawl. The result: more conversions and greater search visibility.”
Quick Win:
The Unsung Power of Internal Links
Internal links are like airport walkways. They connect you to the right terminal without getting lost.
They do much more than get people from A to B:
- Pass link juice from high-performing pages to lower-profile ones
- Signal your website hierarchy and help search engines prioritise content
- Improve crawl depth by bringing deeper internal pages closer to your homepage
- Increase page authority and discovery of evergreen content pieces
“Internal links play an important role in your website’s ability to rank. They help search engines understand which pages are most important, shape how authority is distributed, and guide users through your content.”
Internal Link Building in Practice
Let’s say your AI conference has 50 archived speaker profiles. Most of these are only linked once from a session page that disappears after the event. Those are classic orphan pages.
Instead:
- Link to top speakers from a persistent "Past Highlights" page
- Mention them in related blog posts that form part of a topic cluster
- Add contextual links from pillar pages like "Why Attend" or "Our Experts"
Quick Win:
Header, Footer and Menu: Make Them Work for SEO
Your site’s menu is like the floorplan at a trade show entrance. It sets expectations and directs traffic. Hide the good stuff, and no one finds your best booth.
Main Navigation
A clear main navigation (or Navigation Menu) helps with crawl efficiency and signals content importance. Link to key evergreen sections:
- "Speakers"
- "Sessions"
- "Exhibitor Highlights"
- "Insights" or "Blog"
Use plain, descriptive anchor text that mirrors how people search.
Footer Links
The footer links section is like a mini sitemap. Many users (and bots) use it as a last resort to find buried pages. Include:
- Sitemap
- Privacy or Cookie Policies
- Blog Index
- Archived Content
Breadcrumb Navigation
Breadcrumbs are the "You Are Here" stickers of your website. They provide contextual navigational links, support site architecture, and reinforce topical relevance.
Breadcrumbs are like trail markers on a forest hike. They help users know where they are, where they’ve been, and how to get back without getting lost.
Quick Win:
What Google Needs From Your Sitemaps
Sitemaps guide search engines through your content. You need both:
- XML sitemaps for bots. Ideally auto updating and submitted in Google Search Console
- HTML sitemaps for humans and bots. Often linked in the footer
An HTML sitemap is like the index at the back of a conference programme. Quick to scan, easy to use, and a last resort when someone gets lost.
A clean sitemap reduces wasted crawl budget and improves SEO efforts.
Quick Win:
Broken Links and Crawl Traps: The Invisible Saboteurs
Few things kill SEO performance faster than broken internal links or mismanaged redirects.
Redirects are like forwarding your post to a new address. But too many forwards in a row? That’s like asking a courier to pass the parcel through five people before it gets delivered.
- Run a Site Audit using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs
- Check for 404s, 301 redirecting chains, redirect URLs that loop, or nofollow links on key internal pages
- Review the Broken Backlinks Report in your SEO platform
Quick Win
Creating a Crawlable, Discoverable Website Structure
Everything we’ve discussed so far supports one goal: a structured crawlable link structure that matches how your users and Google think.
Think of your site architecture like the floorplan of an expo hall. If the stands are arranged at random, attendees get lost and frustrated. Logical layout boosts both flow and satisfaction.
This is where site architecture and content silos come in. By grouping pages into logical clusters, you:
- Reinforce topic relevance
- Support AI powered discovery
- Make navigation intuitive
- Enable scalable internal linking
Topic clusters are like themed conference tracks. Grouping sessions around a topic makes it easier for attendees to stay engaged. And for search engines to understand what your site is about.
Example: Your AI Event might be structured as:
- /ai-conference/
- /ai-conference/speakers/
- /ai-conference/sessions/
- /ai-conference/blog/
- /ai-conference/registration/
Each acts as a pillar page with links to and from related content pieces.
Quick Win
One More Thing: Think Like a Librarian
As we wrote in our technical SEO guide, Google is like a librarian. Crawling is browsing the shelves. Indexing is adding books to the catalogue.
Internal links, menus, and sitemaps? They’re your signage. They point to the good stuff. The keynote sessions, speaker bios, evergreen blogs, and past event highlights.
Without them, even your best pages might stay locked in the storage cupboard.
What To Read Next
References
- Search Engine Land – Internal Linking for SEO: Types, Strategies & Tools – Excellent breakdown of link distribution and ranking influence.
- Search Engine Journal – Website Navigation: 7 Essential Best Practices For Users And SEO – Practical tips for SEO friendly menu structures.
- SE Ranking – Internal Linking for SEO: A Practical Guide – Useful companion for readers who want a tactical approach.
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