Technical SEO

Google Announces the Retirement of Sitelinks Search Box Feature

Google has announced the retirement of the sitelinks search box feature, effective November 21, 2024. This marks the end of a tool that has been part of Google Search for over a decade. Despite the removal, search rankings and other sitelinks remain unaffected. Websites can retain the existing markup, though it will no longer be utilized by Google. The sitelinks search box launched in 2014 to facilitate site-specific searches but its usage has declined. Although this change doesn’t impact search rankings, Google will update related tools like the Search Console rich results report and the Rich Results Test. While the structured data for the sitelinks search box can be removed, doing so isn’t necessary. Other structured data types, such as ‘WebSite,’ will remain supported. Website owners and SEO professionals should be informed, although no immediate action is needed.

Photo of SEO SEO Send an email October 21, 2024
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Google has announced that it will retire the sitelinks search box feature. This change, effective November 21, brings an end to a tool that has been a part of Google Search for over ten years.

The sitelinks search box, introduced in 2014, allowed users to conduct site-specific searches directly from Google’s search results page. It typically appeared above the sitelinks for certain websites, often when searching for a company by name.

Declining Usage

Google cites declining usage as the reason behind this decision, noting that over time, usage has dropped.

Potential Impact

Google confirms that removing the sitelinks search box will not impact search rankings or the visibility of other sitelinks. This is a purely visual change that does not affect a site’s position in search results.

Implementation

This update will be implemented globally, affecting search results in all languages and countries. Google has stated that the change will not be included in the Search status dashboard, indicating it isn’t considered a major algorithmic update.

Search Console & Rich Results Test

Following the removal of the sitelinks search box, Google plans to update certain tools:

1. The Search Console rich results report for the sitelinks search box will be removed.
2. The Rich Results Test will no longer highlight the corresponding markup.

Structured Data Considerations

While it is possible to remove the sitelinks search box structured data from websites, Google states it’s unnecessary. Unsupported structured data will not cause issues in Search or trigger errors in Search Console reports. It’s worth mentioning that the ‘WebSite’ structured data, also used for site names, will continue to be supported.

Historical Context

The sitelinks search box was first announced in September 2014 as an enhancement to help users locate specific website content more easily. It supported features like autocomplete and allowed websites to use schema markup for smoother integration with their own search pages.

Looking Ahead

Website owners and SEO professionals should be aware of this update, but no immediate action is required.

Featured Image: MrB11/Shutterstock

Photo of SEO SEO Send an email October 21, 2024
0 6 1 minute read
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