Navigation Analysis

Welcome to the Navigation Analysis tool! This powerful feature helps you evaluate your e-commerce website's approach to filter and faceted navigation based on its sitemap structure. Here's how to use it:

Understanding the Faceted Navigation Analysis Tool

The Navigation Analysis tool provides insights into your e-commerce site's navigation structure, focusing on:

• E-commerce Detection: Determines if the site is an e-commerce platform with faceted navigation.
• Filter and Facet URL Patterns: Identifies and categorises different types of filters or facets.
• URL Structure: Evaluates the clarity and consistency of URLs for filtered and faceted pages.
• Hierarchy and Relationships: Analyses the structure of filter and facet URLs within the sitemap.
• SEO Implications: Assesses the impact of faceted navigation on crawl budget and indexation.
• Scalability: Evaluates how well the current structure can accommodate future growth.
• Mobile Considerations: Analyses the impact on mobile user experience.

Accessing the Faceted Navigation Analysis Tool

1. Navigate to the Sitemap Explorer page on your website.
2. Select a specific sitemap from the list provided.
3. Look for the "Analyse Navigation" button on the page.

Running a Faceted Navigation Analysis

1. Ensure you have selected a specific sitemap you wish to analyse.
2. Click the "Analyse Navigation" button to start the process.
3. Wait while the system processes the sitemap data. This may take a few moments, especially for larger e-commerce sites with complex navigation structures.

Understanding the Analysis Process

The tool works through several steps:

1. It retrieves the selected sitemap data.
2. The tool then analyses the compiled sitemap data, focusing on URL structures that indicate faceted navigation.
3. It determines if the site is an e-commerce platform and adjusts its analysis accordingly.
4. Finally, it presents the insights in a formatted, easy-to-read report.

Interpreting the Results

The Faceted Navigation Analysis report typically includes:

1. E-commerce Site Determination: Confirms if the site is an e-commerce platform with faceted navigation.
2. Filter and Facet URL Pattern Analysis: Overview of detected filter and facet types.
3. URL Structure Evaluation: Assessment of URL clarity and consistency for faceted pages.
4. Hierarchy and Relationship Mapping: Insights into the organisation of faceted navigation.
5. SEO Implications: Evaluation of potential SEO challenges related to faceted navigation.
6. Scalability Assessment: Analysis of how well the structure can accommodate future growth.
7. Mobile Considerations: Insights into the impact on mobile user experience.
8. Comparative Analysis: How the site's approach compares to industry standards.
9. Actionable Recommendations: Specific suggestions for optimising faceted navigation.
10. Impact Assessment: Evaluation of potential benefits from implementing changes.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Analysis

• Run analyses regularly, especially after making changes to your navigation structure or adding new product attributes.
• Pay special attention to the "SEO Implications" section to understand potential crawling and indexing issues.
• Use the "Actionable Recommendations" to prioritise your optimisation efforts.
• Consider the "Scalability Assessment" when planning for future catalog expansions.
• Remember that while comprehensive, this analysis is based on sitemap data. Combine these insights with user behaviour data and actual page content for a full picture.

Troubleshooting

• If the analysis fails, ensure you have selected a specific sitemap, not the sitemap index.
• For very large e-commerce sites with extensive faceted navigation, the analysis might take longer. Be patient and allow the process to complete.
• If you encounter persistent issues, check that your sitemap accurately reflects your current faceted navigation structure.

Remember, this tool is designed to give you an overview of your e-commerce site's faceted navigation structure based on its sitemap. It's great for understanding navigation complexity, identifying SEO challenges, and planning optimisations. Always respect the website's terms of service and robots.txt file when using this information.

The Navigation Analysis tool is most powerful when used as part of a comprehensive e-commerce SEO strategy. Use these insights to guide your decisions on navigation structure, URL optimisation, and crawl management, while also considering other factors like user experience, conversion rates, and broader e-commerce best practices.