What are Sitelinks and why do they matter?

We have all seen sitelinks, however you may not have realised what they were.

Sitelinks are links within the Google search engine results page that show a websites homepage along with several internal pages listed below it.

These are TeamProps sitelinks below:

Sitelinks are only displayed for branded searches. For example, if a user searches for your company name, they are likely trying to get to your website. Google recognises this and delivers you with your homepage as well as some options for internal pages of the site that may be of interest to the user.

There are variations of displaying sitelinks. Some estate agents may find they have sitelinks as well as a Knowledge Graph when searching for their brand. For example, if you search for ‘Bonetts’ Google will return a list of sitelinks as well as a Knowledge Graph down the right-hand site:

Why do Sitelinks matter?

Google display sitelinks to help users find what they are looking for quicker. By doing this they provide your audience with a better user experience as they cut out the navigation process.

Not only are sitelinks useful for the user, they can improve your website by:

• Enhance brand reputation due to more visibility
• Increase click-through rates as there is more links
• Increase trust by showing more content
• They dominate valuable positioning on the search results page
• They shortening the conversion process

Google will only provide your brand with sitelinks if they believe that it will be useful to the user. If the structure of your website doesn’t allow Google to find relevant sitelinks then they simply won’t show them.

How do you create Sitelinks?

Sitelinks are automated by Google and there isn’t any way of creating these links yourself.

You also have no control over which links are displayed or where they are positioned, but you can demote sitelinks that you believe aren’t important or relevant. Click here for the demote sitelink guide.

All we know is sitelinks are created by following the basics, good content, good site architecture, clear navigation and on-site optimisation. Here are the best practices for getting sitelinks:

1. Use a unique brand name - Your domain name and brand name are crucial for sitelinks. Your website name needs to be something that is set apart from generic searches.

2. Organised navigation – your website needs to flow in a logical order. The important pages of your website need to be within the primary navigation.

3. Ensure your website has a site map

4. Produce accurate and relevant page titles for every page

5. Create informative and relevant content

Having Google Sitelinks isn’t about luck, if your website follows Google guidelines and isn’t a generic term then sitelinks are likely to appear under your branded search.