On-Page Navigation (Named Anchors) Added to Google Mini-Sitelink?
For a long time SEOs have been wondering about the SEO value of named anchors (/page#headline1) linking to some parts of the page. It is often used for FAQ pages where each link qauickly takes you to the chosen answer.
A really great find by WebmasterWorld member: Google adds Wikipedia on-page navigation to mini-sitelinks within Google SERPs.
Here’s one of the examples:
Here’s how Google SERPs look like for [Star Wars]:
Notice those mini-sitelinks under result #3:
Now, here’s how the Wiki article is intra-linked:
I am not sure if Wikipedia receives any special treatment regarding on-page navigation but in any case, that’s a huge reason to try adding it to some of your (long) pages:
- Make each link within your page navigation consist of one – three words (no more) – this seems to be easier picked up;
- Place it at the top of your page source code;
- Try using the words “menu” in the CSS class (hat tip to Rishi Lakhani)
I am guessing this will be beneficial to both your users and search crawlers.
30 Responses to “On-Page Navigation (Named Anchors) Added to Google Mini-Sitelink?”
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On-Page Navigation (Named Anchors) Added to Google Mini-Sitelink? | Daily SEO Tip http://tinyurl.com/kls6kk #SEOM
This came up at Search Engine Strategies London in February and I’m not sure if it was someone from Google or just someone ‘guessing’ that as such a significant number of results come from Wikipedia that they have taken this into consideration and worked out best practices for showing them. It makes sense and perhaps is a sign where Google will go for all results in time and best for us to follow these suggestions.
I’ve seen results (i.e. ‘new york’ ‘ireland’) where those mini-links look like a replacement for sitelinks and aren’t for anchor links, and maybe like sitelinks Google hasn’t said specifically how they are determined.
By playing back those hash tags in their SERPS, Google might have introduced a new kind of problem – especially when page layouts and CSS classes get updated. Take yesterday’s publication of SEOmoz’s search ranking factors:
Google results here
Now, noone at the Mozplex could have predicted this, and they are aware of the issue and fixing it.
I really think Google should be spending more time in recognising attributes that use more consitent naming conventions such as class=”breadcrumb”. Lots of good examples of Google spotting those and playing them back in the SERPs too today, but first identified by Philip at Blogoscoped
Ann Smarty Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Thanks for the great links, Richard. Really appreciated.
This software gives a non-technical user the capability to build and maintain a robust, feature-rich website without the assistance of a programmer.thanks for sharing this informative post with us.
These site links are implemented by Google sometimes ago and doing SEO for such named anchor links have been a quite daunting task. Your post seems to be useful and the results may differ by implementing the tips you have stated and adding some more techniques. I guess having the keyword variation can help.
internal linking is always very important so that not only users have ease of navigation but also the web page gets crawled more often.
my rule of thumb is more than two headlines — you need a table of contents (named anchor links). I do it more for usability but the SEO benefits are good as well
fyi — for those on WordPress there is a table of contents plugin that can do this automatically.
it is often used for FAQ pages where each link qauickly takes you to the chosen answer. but Your post seems to be useful and the results may differ by implementing the tips you have stated and adding some more techniques.
I’m not sure, but I would guess that a certain PR would be needed before Google would do this for the result. Do you think there is any correlation?
Business Marketing Reply:
August 31st, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Probably need at least some links, of course…but hey, thats what testing is for, right? Seeing what works and what doesn’t and all that jazz.
Very clever find. If nothing else, you’re right, I can definitely see it being beneficial to users of a site. (and yea, gonna go test it right now).
Your post seems to be useful and the results may differ by implementing the tips you have stated and adding some more techniques.thanks.
Good post about page navigation names. It’s effective for search engine. Thanks for information.
Thanks for information. Its great post about page navigation names. It’s effective for search engine.
- Try using the words “menu” in the CSS class
What about using a heading tag/strong tag on words such as “contents”, “table of contents”, “menu”, straight in the content of the page, just before such list of links?
It makes, at least, as much sense as naming CSS classes or using some microformat for that (if available).
Good example of navigation and anchor name. Thanks for information about it.
Ann I have noticed one thing please confirm, I have recently re structured my website http://www.otssolutions.com and in next update i loose my page rank and my SERP ranking also at that time my website doesn’t had any SITELINKS also and in next update my website got page rank again and google generated 4 sitelinks for my website and all of them has PR1. so my question is does Google shows only those links in sitelinks who has page rank>?
Ann Smarty Reply:
September 7th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Sorry, can’t confirm that… I haven’t seen any direct connection betwen the toolbar PR and sitelinks..
If your domain age getting old, Then you have choice to implement small links to your website. Internet linking really works in this process. great info. Thanks
Good example of mini sitelink. Thanks for information about anchor as on page navigation name.
I first time heard about mini sitelink. Thanks for explanation with example.
The address of new friendships, thank you
Thanks for this explanation, I was actually trying to figure this out a couple weeks ago but couldn’t find an example of Google’s treatment of anchors.
No doubt internal linking having importance but keep in mind to much internal links will effect page rank.
I guess I think of it from the perspective that anything that can help a search engine crawl a site it is helpful.
I tried something similar a little while ago with a small website. One page pretty much had all of the info with anchor links to the different sub-headings. Pretty much the same thing for more precise searches. At the time it was all about user experience (send the visitor to the correct section of the page), but now looks like it could have knock on SEO effects.
sub-headings. Pretty much the same thing for more precise searches. At the time it was all about user experience (send the visitor to the correct section of the page), but now looks like it could have knock on SEO effects.
thanks very much.
Informative! This type of navigation is extremely important. I am absolutely obsessed with SEO at the moment, Google haunts my dreams.. LOL
thanks you admin eline sagl?k bu backlinke ihtiyac?m?z var