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7 SEO tips for infinite scroll websites

Infinite scrolling websites have become very popular because they are extremely user friendly, but there’s one major downside to infinite scrolling websites – they’re not so search engine friendly.

Why infinite scroll isn’t naturally SEO friendly

Instead of making users navigate menus to find content, infinite scrolling sites deliver it up constantly as the user scrolls down the page. This suits many applications and can be the best way to present your content in a linear, distraction-free way.

Unfortunately though, Google and other search engines cannot always mimic the scrolling action so their spiders often cannot access all the content on your infinite scroll site. This means that it is likely that Google is only crawling the content that initially loads and missing the rest of your content.

How to fix your infinite scroll SEO issues

To be sure that Googlebot can index all your content, Google suggests you break the components of your infinite scroll site into separate pages.

Here are the 7 SEO tips from Google for infinite scroll websites:

  1. Split your infinite scroll content into separate pages that don’t rely on Javascript. This will maintain the infinite scroll experience for the user but adjust the URL as they scroll down the site. This demo by Google’s Webmaster Trends Analyst, John Mueller shows how an infinite scroll site has been paginated behind the scene.
  2. Make sure each page clearly delivers the content a searcher would be looking for
  3. Follow other standard SEO recommendations
  4. Ensure your pages load quickly
  5. Be sure that there is no content overlap between your pages
  6. Allocate individual URLs to each page and ensure the <head> tag contains rel=next and rel=prev values
  7. Use HTML5 Pushstate to help Googlebot follow user actions like clicks or page turns

Following these SEO tips from Google will help to ensure your infinite scroll website is just as loved by Googlebot as your visitors.

Developing a sound strategy before commencing your website project means that potential SEO issues like this can be avoided. With a deep knowledge of website development, Search Engine Optimisation and digital marketing strategy, iFactory can provide the know-how you need right from the outset. If you have a website that needs refinement or want to ask about other areas such as SEO, talk to us today about engaging a talented team who can make your site work harder for your business.

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