“Breadcrumbs” are used as a metaphor in web terminology for the users to track where they are on the website and how far they are from the homepage. These SEO breadcrumbs are usually found at the top of the website or under the navigation bar. Taking inspiration from the tale of Hansel and Gretel, the term “breadcrumbs” is used on the website just as Hansel placed breadcrumbs as a way to track their route back home if they got lost.
Using the breadcrumbs model, Google also made these breadcrumbs visible on their search results. A company can use Yoast SEO breadcrumbs to give structure to the website. In this manner, the users can get an easy-to-understand overview of where the page sits on your website in the search results.
TYPES OF BREADCRUMBS
There are 3 common types of SEO breadcrumbs where each serves a specific purpose. If you wish to add these to your website, then choose the type which best suits your website.
Hierarchy-based or Location-based Breadcrumbs
These breadcrumbs tell the users where they are in the website structure and how to get back to the homepage.
Attribute-based Breadcrumbs
Attribute-based breadcrumbs are generally used for e-commerce websites where users search for a specific attribute of the product, like its color, size, shape, etc. This makes it easier for SEO services to be implemented accordingly.
History-based Breadcrumbs
These breadcrumbs show the users which other places in the website they have already visited, much like a browser history.
HOW DO SEO BREADCRUMBS HELP A WEBSITE?
What do breadcrumbs actually do to help SEO? There are quite a few advantages of using these navigational aids on your website:
Improve UX and enhance user experience
Breadcrumbs make sure that the user doesn’t get lost in the website. They make it easier for the user to navigate through the website without the fear of getting lost. The breadcrumbs encourage the user to check out other sections of the site too. Without having to click the back button, the user experiences easy ways in and out of the website.
Improves the ranking of the site
With the usage of breadcrumbs, Google is able to go through the website to understand its structure. Once it does, it categorizes the website accordingly for search results. To make your breadcrumbs more visible on Google search results, you must use structured data like Yoast SEO breadcrumbs.
Reduce bounce rate
When users visit the page and don’t get what they are searching for, breadcrumbs lower bounce rates by giving alternative ways of browsing through the website without going to another website completely. This works most efficiently for e-commerce websites.
HOW TO ADD SEO BREADCRUMBS TO YOUR WEBSITE?
Breadcrumbs are easy to add to your website, given that they are useful navigational aids to both the users and search engines. Here are few ways to add this feature to your site:
- Use Yoast SEO breadcrumbs as they come with built-in breadcrumb support.
- Use WordPress plugins that can easily add breadcrumbs to your website.
- Use WooCommerce breadcrumbs for your e-commerce website, which you can restyle accordingly.
Using breadcrumbs for your website is a simple move that can make your website stand out. Google loves structured pages and can make your SERPs go higher. Use Yoast SEO breadcrumbs to make your website easier to navigate and work wonders for the SEO services used.
