Footer and SEO

[Group2]

Hi All...

We have a client who wants to really minimize and simply their website.  They want to remove some of the footer info.  Obviously we do not want to remove any contact or address but they would like to remove the footer menu system.

I have read various things about it NOT effecting SEO and that it is there for user navigation and usability.

Thoughts?  Opinions?

zach

[MGMT]

Hi Zach,

If you're footer menu is redundant and other menus (like top menu or sidebar) link to all your pages in a logical manner, then it should be no problem at all. However if only the footer contains important links (e.g. the link to the blog of the website) then the footer is important. But of course, you can integrate these important links into other menus as well.

I don't think that google valuates sites with a big footer better than a site without a footer. In fact people often misuse the footer to fill it with "important" information. Unfortunately, you often have a problem with duplicate content then. If you're client has valuable information in the footer, then integrate it into the appropriate pages.

Hope this helps.

MGMT

[Sean_Dawes]

Unless the footer links to something that is not included elsewhere, I would not worry about the SEO value. I would though look at a heatmap of this site and see if people are using the footer at all over any other navigational areas on the site. This way you do not hurt the usability of the site.

[Group2]

Thanks for the response.  This is the exact answer I was looking for.  It's not the main navigation system, so I think we are good to get rid of it.

[Group2]

Great...thanks Sean for the response.  Just what I was looking for.