With many online sellers on the market, it can be a challenge to outshine the competition. Implementing an effective search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy is a sure way to make sure your site remains at the top of Google search rankings and ‘breadcrumbs’ are one way of doing so. Before you ask―I’m not talking about literal breadcrumbs.
In the SEO world, breadcrumbs are a series of links that ensure users can track the path they take on your website to the page they are on currently. Without even realising, you may have already seen them, and they usually reside at the top of the page.
For instance, the breadcrumbs on an online fashion store would look something like this: Home > Women’s Fashion > Dresses > Summer Dresses > Sale. Both users and search engine bots can get confused while on your site, but breadcrumbs can clearly show where a user is at all times.
Breadcrumbs don’t necessarily have a major impact on SEO, but as its name suggests, it is a small but helpful way to give your site an extra boost. Read on below on the important aspects of breadcrumbs and how to implement them effectively.
1 Know when to use breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are not necessary for all websites―in fact, it is more effective when its used on more complicated ones. It is useful if your website has a large range of pages and categories, such as e-commerce websites, where users often browse deep into a single category.
2 Breadcrumbs are not the main navigation
There should be a differentiation between the main navigation and the breadcrumbs, so breadcrumbs should not replace your typical menu function. The main navigation still needs to be functional and clear, while the breadcrumbs act as a little extra to provide unique links to the previous pages the user was on.
3 Categorise neatly
Another common mistake is having messy categories. Ensure that your categories are in order before putting together your breadcrumbs. It can end up being confusing and have the reverse impact on helping users navigate your site.
4 Google will love you
When implementing breadcrumbs, Google will display it on their search engine results page. It will appear underneath the page title and replace the URL with the breadcrumb path that URL takes. Your Google page rankings will have a positive impact if you do this!
5 Reduce bounce rates
If your site depends on users viewing more than one page, perfecting your breadcrumbs strategy is recommended so first-time users can easily navigate through. By doing this, users are more inclined to stay on your site and click through more than one page.
By Davide Defendi, SEOShark.com.au
Related News
