Sitelinks
Additional sub-page links displayed beneath a main search result, typically for branded or navigational queries.
💡 Think of it like this: Your website is a building. Sitelinks is like the plumbing behind the walls — visitors never see it, but without it working correctly, nothing functions properly.
How Sitelinks Works
Sitelinks are additional links to a website’s internal pages that Google displays beneath the main search result for certain queries — most commonly branded searches (e.g., searching for a company name) and navigational queries where Google determines users would benefit from direct links to specific sections. Sitelinks typically appear as four to six sub-links below the main result, each with its own title and brief description, allowing users to jump directly to relevant sections of a site.
Why Sitelinks Matters for SEO
Google determines sitelinks algorithmically and awards them to sites it considers highly relevant to a particular query with clear, well-structured internal navigation. Factors that influence sitelink eligibility include clear site structure, descriptive navigation labels, well-optimized page titles, strong internal linking, and high brand search volume. Sitelinks are most commonly triggered for branded queries because Google recognizes the site as the clear authoritative destination for that search. If you’re unsure how Sitelinks is impacting your site, working with an experienced SEO consultant can help you identify the problem and fix it efficiently.
Common Sitelinks Mistakes
While webmasters cannot directly choose which sitelinks appear, they can influence eligibility by maintaining a logical site architecture, using descriptive and unique page titles, implementing clear navigation menus, and ensuring important sub-pages are well-linked internally. In the past, Google Search Console allowed demoting specific sitelinks — this feature was removed in 2016. A sitelink search box, where users can search a site directly from the SERP, can be enabled through Sitelinks Searchbox structured data markup.
Do’s and Don’ts: Sitelinks
Related SEO Terms
TL;DR: Additional sub-page links displayed beneath a main search result, typically for branded or navigational queries.
If you remember one thing — focus on how Sitelinks affects your users first, then optimise for search engines second.
