Breadcrumbs

So-called breadcrumbs are one type of navigation within a portal. It usually takes the form of a horizontal bar indicating the path taken by the user, which provides insight into how the user got to a particular place on the site. Implementation of this solution can help create an appropriate hierarchy of sub-pages. What is more, the fruit of such actions is already visible at the stage of browsing search engine results, and can thus increase their clickthrough rate.

The advantages of using breadcrumbs can be seen both from the perspective of visitors to the site and from that of robots. This is because they make it easier for real people to navigate the portal and, at the same time, can help to improve internal linking, which is part of an on-page SEO.

How do breadcrumbs work?

Breadcrumbs are a hierarchical path that shows users which page they are currently on and which categories (or subcategories) they visited to get there. This way, when a user is on the home page of a website, they can easily navigate to another section of the site that interests them.

Breadcrumbs consist of several levels (usually three), which are linked together by separators (e.g. ‘>’ or ‘/’). The first level is usually the home page, the second level is a category and the third level is a specific subcategory or product page.

How do breadcrumbs affect SEO?

Breadcrumbs are also an important element of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). They improve the indexing of a page by search engines, which in turn affects the page’s position in search results. Here are some of the ways in which breadcrumbs affect SEO:

1. Improve page index ing – breadcrumbs make it easier for search engines to index a page because they allow search engine robots to understand the page hierarchy and the position of the current page in that hierarchy.
2. Increase clickability – breadcrumbs are an additional element that draws users’ attention and encourages them to click through to the next level of navigation. This makes the page more likely to generate organic traffic.
3. Improved UX – breadcrumbs also improve the usability of the site as they make navigation easier, especially for large websites. Users can quickly find their way through the site’s hierarchy and find the content they are interested in.

How do I add breadcrumbs to my website?

To add breadcrumbs to your website, you need to apply the appropriate HTML code. This can be done manually or with the help of plugins for WordPress or other CMS platforms.

Here are some tips to consider when adding breadcrumbs to your website:

1. Make sure the breadcrumbs are consistent with the site hierarchy – it is important that the breadcrumbs reflect the site hierarchy and allow users to easily find their way around the site.
2. Choose the right separator – the separator should be easy to read and should not confuse users. Characters such as “>” or “/” are most commonly used.
3. Use appropriate HTML code – there are different types of HTML code that can be used to add breadcrumbs to a website. The most commonly used is ul and li list code.
4. Consider using a plugin – if you are using a CMS platform such as WordPress, you can use a plugin to add breadcrumbs. These plugins are easy to use and allow you to customise the appearance of breadcrumbs to suit your needs.

Summary

Breadcrumbs are an important part of website navigation, making it easier for users to find their way around the site hierarchy. They are also important from an SEO point of view, as they improve page indexing and increase clickthrough and UX. Adding breadcrumbs to your website is easy and worth doing to increase the value of your site to users and search engines.

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