What Are Google Sitelinks?
Google sitelinks are the additional links that sometimes appear indented below a website’s main search result on Google. They are essentially shortcuts to key pages within the same site, shown directly on the search results page.
Google’s own documentation defines sitelinks as “links from the same domain that are clustered together under a text result” which help users quickly find the information they’re looking for.
In the example above, a branded search for Growform shows the homepage as the top result, and beneath it are five sitelinks (“pricing”, “templates”, “wordpress”, etc).
Each of these is a prominent page on the site that Google has identified as likely useful to someone searching for that brand.
Sitelinks like these let users jump directly to specific sections of the website, rather than having to navigate from the homepage.
Sitelinks typically appear for navigational or branded queries
In other words, when you search for a specific website name or a very well-known entity. They usually show up only for the top-ranked result. For example, searching for a company name or unique website often yields a set of 2–6 sitelinks below the main listing.
These are known as organic sitelinks (as opposed to paid sitelinks in ads). Google will only show sitelinks when it believes they will genuinely help the user. If there aren’t clear candidate pages or the query isn’t navigational, Google may not show any sitelinks at all.
There are a few variations of sitelinks in Google’s results
Standard Organic Sitelinks
These are the full-size sitelinks with one-per-line, often with a brief description snippet under each link.
Here’s an example from Instatus.
You might see anywhere from 1 up to about 6 sitelink entries (in addition to the main result). They appear mostly for brand/homepage queries.
One-line Sitelinks
For certain queries (including some non-branded queries), Google may show a single line of smaller sitelink items under a result. These inline sitelinks usually appear as a row of 3–4 links (with no descriptions) beneath a result.
One-line sitelinks can appear for the top result or sometimes for lower-ranking results as well, and they might even link to sections of the page (using anchor links) in some cases. They take up less space but still provide quick navigation options.
Sitelinks Search Box
In some cases, Google displays a special search box within a sitelink block, allowing the user to search within that site directly from Google’s results.
This typically appears for very large or content-rich sites (like Wikipedia, YouTube, or large e-commerce sites) where users might want to jump straight to an internal search. Site owners can help enable this by using structured data, but Google decides when to show it.
How Are Sitelinks Generated and When Do They Appear?
Sitelinks are generated algorithmically by Google – you cannot manually set them up or request specific pages to be shown.
Google’s systems analyze the link structure and content of your site to determine what your most important pages are, and also consider the user’s query. If the query seems to be specifically seeking your site (like a brand name or unique product name) and your site has a clear structure, Google may display sitelinks. Google will only show them if it thinks the sitelinks will be useful (i.e. likely to be clicked by the user to reach what they want).
How to Influence Sitelinks Appearance (Best Practices)
While you can’t force Google to display sitelinks, you can influence the likelihood and quality of sitelinks by following SEO best practices for site structure:
Organize Your Site Logically
Create a clear and hierarchical site structure that’s easy for users (and crawlers) to navigate. Important pages should be linked prominently (for example, from your main menu or homepage).
If your site navigation makes it easy to find your key sections, Google is more likely to identify those sections as sitelinks.
Use Descriptive, Concise Page Titles
The text used as the link in sitelinks usually comes from the page’s title or anchor text. Ensure each important page has an informative and unique title that reflects its content.
For example, “Contact Us – XYZ Corp” is clear; a vague title like “Untitled” or a generic “Products” for multiple pages could confuse Google’s selection.
Avoid Redundant Content
Having many pages with very similar content or titles can dilute the prominence of each. Google’s advice is to avoid repetitions that might make it hard to pick distinct sitelinks.
For instance, if you have multiple “Contact us” pages for different regions, consider consolidating or differentiating them, otherwise Google may not show any if it’s unsure which to pick.
Provide an HTML Sitemap or Footer Links
Supplement your main navigation with an HTML sitemap page or footer links that list key pages.
This can reinforce Google’s understanding of your site’s important pages and their relationship. It’s not explicitly required, but it helps ensure no important page is orphaned deep down.
Structured Data
Implementing structured data like Website schema and the Sitelinks Searchbox schema can indirectly help.
The sitelinks search box schema, for example, tells Google how to handle an internal search box for your site (if Google decides to show one). While schema doesn’t guarantee sitelinks, it can enhance how your listing appears when sitelinks are shown.
What if you want to remove a page from sitelink?
If a certain sitelink keeps showing up and you really don’t want it (perhaps it’s a page that’s not ideal for first-time visitors), you have a few options: improve your site’s structure to elevate more preferred pages instead, or consider noindexing the unwanted page if appropriate.
As a last resort, removing that page entirely (or merging its content elsewhere and redirecting it) will prevent it from appearing as a sitelink.
But use that carefully – only remove/noindex if that page truly isn’t one you want users landing on from search.
Overall, the best strategy to “get” sitelinks is to build a great site architecture. Make your homepage a launchpad to your most important content. Use clear navigation labels. Ensure your site has a good user experience where important pages are easy to find. Over time, if your brand query volume grows and Google sees users navigating to specific subpages on your site frequently, sitelinks are likely to appear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can sitelinks appear for non-branded queries?
They typically show up for branded searches (like your company name), but it’s possible for sitelinks to appear on non-branded queries—especially if your site dominates the topic and has a strong structure. It’s rare, though, and usually tied to exact match domains or very clear site hierarchies.
Do sitelinks show on mobile as well?
Yes. Sitelinks often appear on mobile, but the format is slightly different. Instead of multiple columns, they usually show as vertical links under the main result. Google might also show fewer sitelinks on mobile depending on screen size and intent.
Can I track sitelink clicks in Google Search Console?
Not directly by sitelink label, but you can track performance for URLs that often appear as sitelinks. Check your GSC Performance report and filter by page to see how those internal pages are performing. If you see high impressions but low clicks, that might be a sitelink you can improve with better titles or meta descriptions.
Can sitelinks lead to duplicate content concerns?
Not really. Sitelinks don’t create new content or duplicate pages—they just highlight existing ones. But if you notice the same page appearing for different queries without variation, it’s worth checking for duplicate title tags or weak on-page signals that might be confusing Google’s structure.
Are there schema markup options that help with sitelinks?
There’s no specific schema that guarantees sitelinks, but good use of Breadcrumb schema, SiteNavigationElement, and clear markup for key pages can support sitelink visibility. Structured data helps Google understand how your site is organized, which plays a part in sitelink generation.
