Pagination affects both navigation and content discovery. Test page 1, a middle page, and the final page of an archive. Confirm that “Next,” “Previous,” and page-number links reach the expected results, do not create loops, and do not drop the visitor into unrelated content. Check whether the site has useful links from individual articles back to their category or directory.
Do not turn pagination into a maze of near-empty pages. If an archive has dozens of pages, provide categories, filters, or a clear search path where that better serves the visitor. Ensure controls have understandable labels and remain usable on mobile. When a post is removed or a slug changes, update internal links so visitors do not encounter broken routes.
Google emphasizes clear navigation in its AdSense page-readiness guidance and lists broken links and difficult paths among potential issues in its approval help. The goal is to help visitors find relevant material, not to maximize the number of links on the page.
Example: A video directory has page numbers, but every number loads page one because the query parameter is stripped by a caching rule. Test the links directly, correct the routing or cache configuration, and confirm that pages two and three display different results.
Run SiteReadyScore to help spot URLs and navigation signals to inspect. Use a browser to click through pagination, record the expected and actual destinations, and retest after changes. If a scan finds only a sample, do not assume unscanned pages are clear.