Sitelinks: What Are They & How Do You Get Them?

Understanding sitelinks is important to increase visibility on the Google SERP. Learn what they are and how they can enhance your website’s presence.

What Are Sitelinks?

Sitelinks are supplementary navigational links that appear beneath a website’s main search result on Google. These links assist users in reaching key pages on a website more directly, making navigation and the user experience easier.

Sitelinks increase visibility and click-through rate (CTR), and send visitors to the more important pages within the site. Google’s algorithm automatically decides which sitelinks to show, based on relevance and user behavior.

Sitelink Types

There are several types of sitelinks that can show up on the SERPs:

1. Inline Sitelinks – These display as a group of small links below the first search result and are often aligned horizontally.
2. Expanded Sitelinks – A larger sitelink format, showing more text and as a column list.
3. Search Box Sitelinks – A search box in the result, allowing users to search the website from Google.
4. Paid Sitelinks – Custom sitelinks in Google Ads to push traffic to particular landing pages.

How to Get Sitelinks

There is no way directly asking for sitelinks in Google, but by following best practices improves the possibility of getting them:

1. Clear Site Structure – Make sure your website has a clear hierarchy and navigation is intuitive.
2. Descriptive Page Titles & Headings – Use clear, relevant titles to help Google understand content on a page.
3. Internal Linking – Link important pages properly to enforce authority and relevance.
4. Breadcrumb Navigation – Helps Google understand the structure and relationship between pages.
5. Schema Markup – Implement structured data, especially WebSite structured data for search box sitelinks.
6. Google Ads Optimization – If using Google Ads, configure sitelinks in ad campaigns for better control.

Managing Sitelinks

If Google displays an unwanted sitelink, consider:

• Reviewing internal linking strategies.
• Updating the content or importance of pages within the site structure.
• Applying the noindex tags for irrelevant pages.

Conclusion

Sitelinks are important aspects that help businesses increase visibility and improve user experience, as well as enhance click-through rates. Optimizing a site structure and content can further increase the chance of getting beneficial sitelinks on Google’s SERPs.