There are numerous factors that influence what appears on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). The SERPs can include text results, graphic results, rich elements, exploratory tools, and more, depending on how Google currently describes search results.
You have a better possibility of getting the clicks and website traffic from your intended audience if the area is larger and you may control more SERP real estate. Sitelinks are a significant and disregarded component of the SERPs and a means of increasing your visibility. In this blog post, you will learn how to influence sitelinks and the type of sitelinks.
What are Sitelinks?
Sitelinks are secondary links or navigational components that are displayed in the SERP accompanying a text result or ad result for a particular website or domain. Sitelinks are generally navigational in nature and let searchers discover more options for clicking on your website. They are excellent techniques to not only control real estate but also to attract targeted traffic and keep visitors on your page once they arrive. Internal pages may appear more prominently thanks to sitelinks.
If underperforming pages are included as sitelinks on more popular pages, their traffic may increase. Having sitelinks with your paid advertisements and organic results is a significant possibility that is sometimes disregarded.
Benefits of Sitelinks
The improvement in space on the SERP is one of the sitelinks primary advantages. Your listing automatically occupies the space of two to three listings when your domain shows sitelinks, catching the attention of every user on the page. This additional area on the SERP also contributes to the development of your company’s reputation and trustworthiness. Sitelinks are only given by Google to websites that are considered important for the extra space.
Remember that the sitelinks help in displaying a number of different pages on your site. It could consist of the primary sections of your menu, specific product pages, or sections of a blog. This encourages customers to navigate throughout your site since they can see it.
Types of Sitelinks
Most individuals are comfortable with the sitelinks that Google automatically produces in response to particular queries. These sitelinks, which could also change depending on the query’s nature and what Google interprets as the user’s intent, are displayed alongside the top organic search result.
And some of the common sitelinks types are:
- Organic Sitelinks: Organic sitelinks, which are most frequently employed for branded terms, are allowed to have up to six sitelinks on different pages of your website. It is a regular occurrence for a user who may have looked for your website to not want to go straight to the homepage. Additionally, this encourages users to explore your website and find the information they were unaware was there.
- One–line Sitelinks: It is the most popular form of Sitelinks. These can be found on various search query types and can contain up to four links. One-line sitelinks are unique from other types of links in that they can use fragmented links to direct visitors directly to specific content on one web page or to other web pages.
- Sitelinks search box: Sitelinks search boxes, which are frequently used by leading brands, enable users to request and immediately access a website’s search results on the SERP itself. Google automatically includes it in the results.
- Paid Sitelinks: You have the option of paying for sitelinks extensions to appear in adverts in addition to organic sitelinks. Paid sitelinks provide you the entire control over the content and URL on your advertising, unlike organic ones, where you have no control over how they appear. Paid sitelinks are also independent of Google’s algorithms and your website’s content.
How to Influence Sitelinks?
Sitelinks in organic search results cannot be modified. They are generated using algorithms. With Google Search Console, you used to be able to demote them, but unfortunately, Google eliminated this feature. There are a few methods to influence Sitelinks and are,
Submit a Clear Sitemap
The Site structure plays a major role in determining the receiving of sitelinks. The search engine index and crawl your website. The crawlers arrive at your primary URL and move on to your site’s numerous sections and links. They inspect your XML sitemap, content, and menu link structure. A sitemap in XML helps Google better crawl your website.
Website Structure
The structure of your website has a significant role in your total Google PageRank rankings. Google will have to rely on other elements of your website to display the sitelinks if your website has a flat architecture. On the other hand, if your site has a hierarchal structure and layout, you make it easier for Google’s crawlers to navigate.
Focus on Internal Linking
Sitelinks make it simple for visitors to access different parts of your website, thus providing accurate internal linking is beneficial. The interlinking rules are somewhat concise. Use the right anchor texts when generating internal links.
Try Noindex Tags
Noindex pages will no longer appear in the site link. Although it might not be the best way of handling sitelinks, you can try using indexing tags to prevent a link from showing up in a site link.
Keep Unique Headings
The title tag is the most important component of the SEO equation in terms of on-page optimization. A good title of the content should be descriptive and relate to the customer search query. Google crawlers may confuse if two different pages have similar titles and so make a unique and simple title for the content.
Add table of Contents
Blogs that have a table of contents are always appreciated by the viewers. Finding the relevant information on the website for the readers is made easier by the use of a table of contents. It raises the chance that your content will receive sitelinks and establishes the authority of your website.
Optimize for On-Page SEO
Google is always enhancing the techniques in which it gives its users information. It is essential to focus on your on-page SEO and technical SEO in order to maintain your website featured at the top of Google search results. These elements significantly raise the standard of your website’s content and guarantee that Google will find your site helpful each time a user types in their search term.
Conclusion
A primary objective of SEO is to have as much space as possible in the SERPs for organic results, as this can increase site impressions and clickthrough rate. You want to have the most exposure and control given the numerous different types of non-organic content that compete for attention in the SERPs. Sitelinks can provide you with more space, direct readers to more in-depth links on your website, and give searchers additional detail before they land on your page.
