What Are Breadcrumbs in SEO?

Breadcrumbs are a key feature for website navigation, significantly affecting SEO and user experience.

Many websites overlook the use of breadcrumbs, which is a major oversight. Implementing breadcrumbs is easy and they benefit SEO.

Here’s an overview of breadcrumbs, their impact on SEO, and common errors to avoid.

What Are Breadcrumbs In SEO?

Breadcrumbs are automated internal links that help users identify their location on a website and their proximity to the homepage. They are typically found at the top of a website or just below the navigation bar. Like internal links, they keep users engaged by helping them locate the information they seek, reducing the likelihood of them using the browser’s back button.

Here’s an example of breadcrumbs from eBay’s website:

Breadcrumbs show the categories users clicked on to reach their current page, making it easy to backtrack.

4 Common Types Of Breadcrumbs

There are four primary types of breadcrumbs, each serving a different purpose. Before adding them to your site, identify which type best enhances user experience.

1. Hierarchy-Based Breadcrumbs (a.k.a., Location-Based Breadcrumbs)

The most common type, indicating user location within the site structure and the path to the homepage.

Example: Home > California > San Francisco

2. Attribute-Based Breadcrumbs

Usually found on ecommerce sites, they display the attributes the user has selected.

Example: Home > Shoes > Hiking > Womens

eBay cleverly manages lengthy breadcrumbs by truncating them and expanding upon user interaction.

3. Forward Or Look-Ahead Breadcrumbs

These breadcrumbs show the user’s current path and potential next steps, enhancing navigational foresight.

4. History-Based Breadcrumbs

Rarely used, these visualize users’ browsing history on the site, similar to a browser history.

Example for searching SEO news: Home > SEO article 1 > SEO article 2 > Current page.

However, they might confuse users due to variability in user navigation paths.

3 Benefits of Using Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs improve user experience, increase on-site retention, and bolster internal linking.

1. Breadcrumbs Improve UX

They simplify site navigation, encouraging users to explore more without losing track.

Example: Navigating Nestle’s site easily using breadcrumbs.

2. Keep People Onsite Longer

While bounce rate isn’t a ranking factor directly, engagement signals from breadcrumb navigation bolster SEO.

Example: Using breadcrumbs on Adidas’s site for efficient navigation.

Breadcrumbs can prevent users from returning to search engines and selecting competitor sites.

3. Breadcrumbs Improve Internal Linking

Breadcrumbs enhance internal link structure, helping search engines understand site architecture and supporting rich snippets when marked up correctly.

Rich Snippets In SERPs

By using structured data, breadcrumbs can appear as rich snippets in search engine results, enhancing visibility.

Example JSON-LD code for structured data:

[{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@id": "https://www.example.com/#breadcrump",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 1,
      "item": "@id": "https://www.example.com/",
      "name": "Home"
    },
    ...
  ]
}]

4 Common Mistakes When Using Breadcrumbs For SEO

Proper implementation is crucial to ensure breadcrumbs enhance rather than hinder SEO.

1. Size Appropriately

Ensure breadcrumbs are visible yet unobtrusive.

2. Avoid Redundancy

Don’t replicate existing navigation in breadcrumbs.

3. Retain Navigation Bars

Breadcrumbs supplement, not replace, primary navigation.

4. Choose Correct Breadcrumb Type

Use the well-suited type of breadcrumb for your site’s structure.

How To Implement Breadcrumbs In WordPress

Breadcrumbs can be easily added to your site using various tools and plugins.

• Use Yoast SEO: Integrates easily with WordPress.
• WordPress Plugins: Tools like Breadcrumb NavXT provide easy customizations.
• WooCommerce Breadcrumb Plugin: Useful for styling e-commerce breadcrumbs.

Explore built-in options in site builders like Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace.

Conclusion

Breadcrumbs are analogous to an essential supplement to your site, improving navigation and potentially enhancing search result visibility. Plugins like Yoast simplify implementation, helping sites become more user-friendly and potentially better ranked in search engine results.

More resources:

Featured Image: BestForBest/Shutterstock