SEO

Sitelinks

Q: What are Google sitelinks?

Sitelinks are additional sub-URLs that Google displays in the search results beneath the main result. Typically: 4–6 important categories of a brand for a brand query. They increase the visible space in the SERP and the click-through rate.

Q: How do you get sitelinks?

Automatically from Google, with no direct control. Google shows sitelinks for established brands with a clear site architecture and high search volume. Factors: internal linking, consistent anchor texts, clear categories. For new sites: only after several months of building trust.

Q: Can sitelinks be influenced negatively?

Individual sitelinks can be suppressed — previously via a GSC feature, but no longer directly possible today. The alternative: exclude pages with noindex or link to them internally very little, after which they usually disappear from the sitelinks.

Also known as: Site Links, Google Sitelinks, SERP sitelinks

Sitelinks are clickable sub-links beneath the first main result in the Google SERP that lead to important subpages of the domain. They are generated automatically by Google — based on internal site architecture, navigation and usage patterns — and are not set directly by website operators. They appear above all for brand searches and for highly authoritative domains, give a substantial visibility boost and are a clear brand trust signal.

Which types of sitelink exist

Full sitelinks — 4–6 large sitelinks in a two-column layout. Only for highly authoritative domains and usually only for brand searches.
Mini sitelinks — 2–4 smaller sitelinks beneath the result snippet.
Inline sitelinks — integrated as a horizontal list.
Search sitelinks — a built-in search input field directly in the SERP that leads on to the domain's site search. Configurable via the SearchAction schema.

How to influence sitelinks

Sitelinks cannot be controlled directly, but they are influenced indirectly by: (1) A clear site architecture with a logical hierarchy. (2) Descriptive title tags on the potential sitelink pages — these often appear as the sitelink anchor. (3) Consistent internal linking to the most important subpages. (4) High site authority — sitelinks usually only appear from DR 30+. (5) Schema.org BreadcrumbList helps with recognising structures.

Sitelinks audit and demotion

The old Search Console offered the option of ”demoting” (hiding) individual sitelinks. This function was withdrawn in 2016 — sitelinks can no longer be hidden manually today. Anyone with an unwanted sitelink (for example an outdated page) has to proceed structurally: remove the page or set it to noindex, update the sitemap, redirect the internal linking. Over time Google replaces the sitelink with another suitable page.

Example from practice

Example: A SaaS provider had only 2 mini sitelinks beneath the main result for the brand search ”Rankmio”. Strategy: a clear site architecture refresh (main navigation with 8 descriptive top-level items instead of 14), a title tag refresh for all money pages with a brand suffix, and Schema.org BreadcrumbList across the whole site. After 6 months: full sitelinks with 6 large buttons plus a search sitelink box for brand searches. Brand search clicks to the site's own domain rose by 85 %, because the SERP presence became noticeably more prominent and easier to navigate.

Frequently asked questions

What are Google sitelinks?

Sitelinks are additional sub-URLs that Google displays in the search results beneath the main result. Typically: 4–6 important categories of a brand for a brand query. They increase the visible space in the SERP and the click-through rate.

How do you get sitelinks?

Automatically from Google, with no direct control. Google shows sitelinks for established brands with a clear site architecture and high search volume. Factors: internal linking, consistent anchor texts, clear categories. For new sites: only after several months of building trust.

Can sitelinks be influenced negatively?

Individual sitelinks can be suppressed — previously via a GSC feature, but no longer directly possible today. The alternative: exclude pages with noindex or link to them internally very little, after which they usually disappear from the sitelinks.

Are sitelinks relevant to rankings?

Not directly — they are the result of authority, not its cause. If sitelinks appear, the site is already strong. Visible sitelinks additionally increase brand perception and the click-through rate for brand queries.

Used in Rankmio for

Site architecture audit in the SEO check

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Last updated: 2026-06-17 · Browse all glossary entries