Why do some URLs display in the SERPS with > seperators between subfolders, and others display with a /
-
Why do some URLs display like this:
cargurus.com › Used Cars › Jeep Wrangler
and others display like
https://www.carmax.com/cars/jeep/wrangler
Is there a significance to having the sub folders separated with an arrow vs a backslash?
-
Makes total sense. Thanks!
-
What you have described above is "breadcrumb navigation."
A “breadcrumb” (or “breadcrumb trail”) is a type of secondary navigation scheme that reveals the user's location in a website or Web application. The term comes from the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale in which the two title children drop breadcrumbs to form a trail back to their home. This kind of navigation has clear benefits for users, including:
- It looks better in search and can increase CTR.
- It lowers bounce rate on-site and decreases "pogo-sticking" in the SERPs
- It shows users a clear site hierarchy.
- It emphasizes primary navigation by being more "helpful" to users.
Here are some great resources on breadcrumb navigation you may want to review:
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/breadcrumb-navigation-examined-best-practices-examples/
https://www.woorank.com/en/blog/breadcrumb-navigation-a-guide-to-types-benefits-and-best-practices
https://developers.google.com/search/docs/guides/enhance-site#enable-breadcrumbs
That last link above is the "documentation" from Google on how to enable breadcrumbs. And here is the Google page on best use practices with examples
https://developers.google.com/search/docs/data-types/breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs, especially on a ecommerce-based site, are a MUST for users. So if this is a new concept to you, definitely read-up. Google likes them and visitors like them.
Hope that's helpful.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Site appearing and disappearing from google serps.
Hi, My website is normally on page 2-3 on google consistently. Over the past month it has been appearing and then completely disappearing from the serps. One day it will be on page 2, then the next day completely missing from the serps. When i check the index it seems to be indexed correctly when doing site:mysite.com. I don't understand why this keeps happening, any experience with this issue? It doesn't seem to be a google dance as far as I can tell. When my other sites dance they typically just go up or down a few ranks for a couple weeks until they stabilize. Not completely fall off the search engine.
Algorithm Updates | | Chris_www0 -
Tick mark against Free Shipping text in SERP
In Google SERP I saw a tick mark before the text such as Free Shipping, Cash on Delivery, etc. These are part of the second line of the description shown in the SERP. Is this coming from micro data or from some feature within the shopping cart?
Algorithm Updates | | promodirect0 -
I can't understand why I am not rank one on SERPS
Hi Guys, I really cannot understand why I am no longer rank 1 on SERPs? My link data shows great weight in comparison to competitors, my on page SEO is good, nice and diverse on the alt text. I know there are a lot of factors that effect SERPs but I believe I have done well but am still not ranking? Have I missed something?
Algorithm Updates | | TomLondon
I really appreciate any thoughts and ideas. Thanks,
Tom0 -
Optimizing Main URL with Various Relevant Keywords
Hi, I am new to working with SEO on my website and making attempts to create rich content to allow me to rank above and near competitors of our very niche market for LED microlights. I understand the concept now of on-page optimization. I have found key words that are perfect for optimizing specific products. I am working on structuring my website with enriching content that specific key words will direct organic search traffic to products. However, what techniques do I use to drive traffic to my main domain with a keyword that is relevant to my site but no specific products? For example, the phrase "light show gloves" or "light show" is a keyword relevant to my site in general, so I would like my main URL to show in search results when these phrases are searched. What can I do to optimize my site for such phrases? Do I merely use them in related categories and product content? And if yes, how can I ensure I have optimized my domain fully for various relevant keywords and compare to competitors? Thanks!
Algorithm Updates | | Rofldew0 -
Choosing domain name - ccTLD vs Vanity URL
I have to choose between a country specific domain name that is long and difficult to remember, vs or a .me domain which is short and contains the exact keywords I'm optimising for. The challenge is that I'm only targeting local search traffic for the service I am advertising. Does a country specific domain name have any benefits in terms of weighting when I'm only interested in traffic from that country?
Algorithm Updates | | flashie0 -
Google Places/Points of Interest Rankings?
Does anyone have an idea on how Google ranks or determines the 'Points of Interests' that come up when searching about places/cities?
Algorithm Updates | | CarlLarson0 -
Why is my domain URL ranking instead of individual pages?
Hello, Google is ranking my homepage for many keywords instead of showing the various sites pages? Any idea why? Thanks, David
Algorithm Updates | | DavidSpivac0 -
Sitelink Disappeared from SERPs
Hi everyone, Something weird has happened to one of our client's site. First of all I want to explain that the client's name is something like a Person Name plus another generic keyword, for example Truxy Lawyers. Before when you searched for the brand keyword (in my example Truxy), Google would show in the SERPs the client's site as first result with six sitelinks below. Now when searching for the same branded keyword (for example Truxy), Google doesn't show the sitelink anymore, but the first result is the home page and the second and third results are subdomain pages. Does anybody know why Google all of the sudden decided to stop showing the site link? Things get more weird when you search the complete brand name "Truxy Lawers" for example, because in this case Google shows the site link. Does anybody know what has caused this? Thank you!
Algorithm Updates | | Aviatech0