{"id":1017,"date":"2019-10-29T08:15:09","date_gmt":"2019-10-29T15:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/technicalseo.com\/insights\/?p=1017"},"modified":"2019-10-29T08:15:11","modified_gmt":"2019-10-29T15:15:11","slug":"analyzing-the-on-site-user-journey-page-pathing-for-seo-insights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/technicalseo.com\/insights\/blog\/analyzing-the-on-site-user-journey-page-pathing-for-seo-insights\/","title":{"rendered":"Analyzing the On-Site User Journey: Page Pathing for SEO Insights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>At the heart of SEO is content, establishing a platform on which we can create beneficial user experiences. Optimized content brings users to your site and keeps them there, meeting them at their search intents and guiding them down the conversion funnel. However, we often forget to analyze where content leads users once they interact with it. This gap in the optimization process is where page pathing comes into play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2>What is Page Pathing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Page pathing is an analysis that tracks the path a user\ntakes from entrance onto the site to exit. It reveals insights into user\nbehavior that enable brands to better optimize content, funneling users to the\nclosest and most beneficial conversion points. More specifically, page pathing helps\nto discover: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Common user behaviors<ul><li>Frequent product browsing without purchase<\/li><li>Internal site searches<\/li><li>Cart abandonment<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Content optimization opportunities<ul><li>Thin content<\/li><li>Unclear messaging<\/li><li>Content discoverability and accessibility<\/li><li>Content gaps<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/technicalseo.com\/insights\/blog\/search-engine-journal\/seo-ux-play\/\">Linking hierarchy<\/a> improvements<ul><li>Orphaned content<\/li><li>Gaps in hierarchy<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>User journey roadblocks<ul><li>Broken navigational elements<\/li><li>Unexpected technical issues on the site<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Keyword strategy improvements<ul><li>Content cannibalization<\/li><li>Anchor text optimizations<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>How Do You Track User\nPaths?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Different tools can be used to track user paths, but the\nmost efficient way to conduct a page pathing analysis is to leverage your\nanalytics platforms. Most platforms have built-in reports to show how users interact\nwith your site; our job as SEO managers is to understand how to use and\ninterpret those reports. Here are a few examples of page pathing reports in\ncommon analytics platforms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><em>Adobe Analytics<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>PathFinder <\/li><li>Previous Page Flow Report<\/li><li>Next Page Flow Report<\/li><li>Entry Page Report<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4><em>Google Analytics<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Landing Pages &amp; Second Landing Pages Report<\/li><li>Exit Pages Report<\/li><li>Entry Pages Report<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note: <\/strong>Google Analytics has a Next Page Path dimension, but it was deprecated in 2015. To view previous page and next page flows, I prefer to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getelevar.com\/analytics\/funnel-analysis-hack-view-next-page-path-in-google-analytics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">create a custom report<\/a> using Page and Previous Page Path as dimensions and Pageviews as a metric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>What Can Page Pathing\nReveal?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After pulling pathing reports, filter through the data from\na user\u2019s perspective; by doing so, you put yourself in the consumer\u2019s shoes to\ndiscover content opportunities that can improve the user experience. Use the\nhighlights below as a reference guide when analyzing paths:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Common user behaviors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding user behaviors helps generate useful content ideas and organize site hierarchy. As you get a feel for how users navigate across your site, you can track pathing changes that occur as new implementations are made to continue gaining new insights to provide beneficial user experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Content optimization opportunities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Reviewing user paths can uncover opportunities to improve content across the site. For example, frequent      bounces from a page could be due to thin content. Further examining pages that commonly lead to exits and re-evaluating the usefulness and relevancy of the content to the user can lead to content improvements that encourage lower bounce rates and facilitate the journey down the conversion funnel.<br><br>Additionally, short session durations with frequent movement to a new page could be due to poor content accessibility or lack of content altogether. If users cannot find the content they need, it hinders their on-site conversion. Make sure to evaluate users\u2019 needs to provide content most pertinent to their user journey stages, as seen in the example below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"818\" height=\"824\" src=\"https:\/\/technicalseo.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/page-pathing-seo.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1018\" srcset=\"https:\/\/technicalseo.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/page-pathing-seo.png 818w, https:\/\/technicalseo.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/page-pathing-seo-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/technicalseo.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/page-pathing-seo-298x300.png 298w, https:\/\/technicalseo.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/page-pathing-seo-768x774.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3>Linking hierarchy improvements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Evaluating user paths often reveals that users do not follow the intended path set forth by webmasters and marketing teams. Once you understand which paths users are following  instead of the intended one, you can adjust internal linking efforts to funnel users closer to conversion points, rather than away from them. While we often refer to a conversion funnel, users rarely follow a linear approach. Having an effective internal linking structure can help your      users reach conversion points regardless of the page on which they enter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>User journey roadblocks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you regularly monitor user paths, then you can react quickly to sudden spikes in exits from pages that typically perform well. In some cases, a spike in exits indicates technical issues with the site that cause pages or buttons to malfunction, creating a frustrating user experience that leads to exits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Keyword strategy improvements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Organic entry page reports may show pages that are competing with one another in the search engine results page (SERP). For example, a women\u2019s apparel site with both a Jeans category page and a Shop All Jeans category page may see both pages appear in the top ten most organically entered pages. More strategic keyword optimizations should be utilized to avoid cannibalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>By analyzing page pathing reports, we can find user journey\npatterns that reveal a number of insights into user behavior, search intents,\nand content gaps. Once we identify these patterns, we can better cater content\nto meet user needs at the appropriate stages in their paths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Search engines want to give users the best experience\npossible. If your content is not meeting users\u2019 expectations, adjusting it to\nbetter cater to users\u2019 needs can improve performance while helping your client\nstay ahead of the content curve. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the heart of SEO is content, establishing a platform on which we can create beneficial user experiences. Optimized content [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/technicalseo.com\/insights\/blog\/analyzing-the-on-site-user-journey-page-pathing-for-seo-insights\/\" class=\"read-more\">Read more <span class=\"mdi mdi-trending-neutral\"><\/span><\/a>","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":1019,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.6.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Analyzing the On-Site User Journey: Page Pathing for SEO Insights | TechnicalSEO.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/technicalseo.com\/insights\/blog\/analyzing-the-on-site-user-journey-page-pathing-for-seo-insights\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Analyzing the On-Site User Journey: Page Pathing for SEO Insights | TechnicalSEO.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At the heart of SEO is content, establishing a platform on which we can create beneficial user experiences. 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