10 Reasons Websites don’t rank in Google Pt8: Inaccessible links


When Google visits your site, it can only find its way from page to page by following the links (also known as URLs or Hyperlinks) that it finds on each page. If these links are hidden, buried too deep in your page’s source code or contain Javascript code, these could be a serious barrier.

A common problem can be with links that are used in website menus that move, or appear to fly-out when you hover over them. These can often use Javascript to create the animation effect.

So why is Javascript such a big problem? The truth is, it isn’t always, however depending on how the Javascript is written, and it can be very difficult for Google to ascertain where the link is actually going to.

If Google can’t work this out, it won’t be able to find all the pages on your

If Google can’t access all the pages on your website, it can’t read all of the content you have.

If Google can’t read your entire website’s content, it will only be able to run you based on a fraction of the keywords it could possibly find.

If Google doesn’t find all the keywords it could, guess what… poor ranking!

Adding sitemaps and pages full of links can help this issue, but ensuring search natural links using Search Engine accessible code is always safest.

As a final thought, it’s also not just about Search Engine accessibility, but human accessibility. People using screen readers and relying on the use of a keyboard without a mouse will also likely encounter problems.