Breadcrumbs are a navigational aid that shows users where they are within a website’s hierarchy. While they are common on e-commerce sites, local businesses can also benefit from implementing them.
Why Breadcrumbs Matter for Local SEO
Breadcrumbs enhance both user experience and SEO by:
- Helping Google understand your site structure – This improves how your pages are indexed and ranked.
- Enhancing search results – Breadcrumbs can appear in search listings, making them more visually appealing and improving click-through rates (CTR).
- Providing location-based context – For businesses with multiple locations, breadcrumbs in search results help users quickly identify and navigate to the right page.
How to Implement Breadcrumbs for SEO
The best way to implement breadcrumbs is by using structured data (Schema markup). Google’s rich snippet documentation provides guidelines on how to correctly format breadcrumbs using microdata.
To get started:
- Use Schema markup to define breadcrumbs properly.
- Format links correctly (using a small arrow separator like ›).
- Ensure logical hierarchy—breadcrumbs should match your site structure.
When to Use Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are ideal for deeply structured websites with multiple categories or locations. However, if your site structure is flat (e.g., a simple homepage and a few service pages), they may not be necessary.
Final Thoughts
Breadcrumbs improve Local SEO by enhancing site navigation, boosting rankings, and increasing CTR. If your site has multiple locations or a complex structure, they are a worthwhile investment for better search visibility.
