What are Website Breadcrumbs?
Website breadcrumbs, also known as “navigational breadcrumbs,” are hyperlinks displayed on a webpage letting the user know where they are on the website and how they got here. Breadcrumbs provide a good user experience by allowing the user to retrace their steps and be ware of what section of the website they are on. Ex: www.website.com/blog/recipes/thanksgiving/ would have the breadcrumbs Home > Blog > Recipes > Thanksgiving Recipes
Why are They Called Breadcrumbs?
The name makes reference to the phrase “following a trail of breadcrumbs” where you can tell everywhere the bread has been based on the crumbs left behind. In the case of a website, the crumbs are the pages used to get the user to where they currently are.
Are Breadcrumbs Good for SEO?
Breadcrumbs themselves are not considered a ranking factor but some of the things they deal with are. Breadcrumbs provide additional internal links on the pages of your site which help search engine crawlers with indexing and determining the most important content on your site. Breadcrumbs also help get additional target keywords onto your internal pages. Finally, breadcrumbs help users navigate your site more easily and provide a good user experience.
Website Breadcrumbs Best Practices
Update Home Page Anchor Text: Many users expect the logo on a website to return them to the home page, so using “Home” as anchor text can be redundant. Instead, consider replacing it with a more descriptive target keyword relevant to your business, such as “Denver Chiropractor,” to better align with your SEO goals.
Use Clear, Descriptive Labels: Ensure that breadcrumb labels are clear and accurately reflect the content of the pages they link to. This helps users understand the site structure at a glance and improves overall navigation.
Implement Schema Markup: Utilize schema.org markup to enhance the way breadcrumbs appear in search engine results. This structured data helps search engines understand and display your breadcrumb navigation more effectively, potentially enhancing your search visibility.
Maintain Consistent Structure: Keep the breadcrumb structure consistent across your site. This means using the same hierarchy and format on all pages to avoid confusing users and search engines alike.
Limit Breadcrumb Levels: Aim to keep the breadcrumb trail concise by limiting the number of levels. Ideally, breadcrumbs should not go beyond three to four levels deep to ensure users can quickly navigate without getting overwhelmed.
Ensure Mobile Compatibility: Make sure your breadcrumb navigation is mobile-friendly. On smaller screens, breadcrumbs should be easily accessible and readable to provide a seamless experience across all devices.
Navigational Breadcrumbs for Your Website
Breadcrumbs are just one of many best practices for optimizing your website and enhancing your SEO strategy. Implementing effective breadcrumbs can significantly improve user navigation and search engine indexing, but it’s only part of a comprehensive approach. That is why I focus on a wide range of SEO and web design strategies to ensure your website not only meets but exceeds industry standards. From intuitive navigation to keyword optimization and beyond, my services are designed to boost your online presence and drive meaningful results.