Lesson 21
Navigation Links vs In-Content Links
What you’ll learn
By the end of this lesson, you’ll understand:
The difference between navigation and in-content links
What each type is best used for
How they work together to support SEO
Navigation links: structure and access
Navigation links include:
- Main menus
- Footer links
- Sidebar navigation
They help:
- Users find key sections of the site
- Search engines understand overall structure
- Establish which pages are most important
Navigation is about access, not explanation.
In-content links: context and meaning
In-content links appear within the body of a page.
They:
- Provide additional context
- Explain relationships between topics
- Guide readers through related ideas
In-content links carry more contextual meaning than navigation links.
Why both matter
Navigation links tell search engines:
“These pages are important.”
In-content links tell search engines:
“These pages are related in this specific way.”
Both signals are useful — they just serve different roles.
Don’t rely on navigation alone
A common mistake is assuming:
- “It’s in the menu, so it’s linked enough.”
Menus help discovery, but they don’t explain why pages relate to each other.
That explanation comes from in-content links.
A balanced approach
A healthy site usually has:
- Clear navigation for core pages
- Contextual in-content links between related topics
Neither replaces the other.