Content
What Does Breadcrumbs Mean in SEO?
July 26, 2024
20 mins
Understanding breadcrumbs in SEO is essential because they not only guide users through your website but also improve crawlability and overall user experience, which indirectly supports search engine rankings. Breadcrumbs act as navigational aids, helping visitors understand their location within a site’s hierarchy while allowing search engines to better interpret site structure.
Breadcrumbs are interface navigational elements that enhance usability and improve a website’s crawlability. Technically, a breadcrumb is a small text path located at the top of a page that shows users where they are within the site. By indicating the current page in the context of higher-level parent pages, breadcrumbs make navigation intuitive for both desktop and mobile users.
Within website architecture, breadcrumbs reflect the hierarchy of pages. Higher-level parent pages appear before the current page, forming a trail that allows users to see the path they’ve taken. For example, if a user navigates from the homepage to a page titled “SEO Promotion,” the breadcrumb trail might display: Home > SEO Services > SEO Promotion, helping users orient themselves quickly.
While breadcrumbs are not a direct ranking factor, they influence SEO indirectly by improving user experience (UX) and enhancing crawlability. Better UX encourages longer sessions and lower bounce rates, which can positively impact rankings. Similarly, a clear breadcrumb structure helps search engines understand your site hierarchy, enabling more effective indexing and potentially richer search result snippets.
While users may take various paths to what they browse for, there are several types of breadcrumbs. Exploring SEO breadcrumbs in layman’s terms, we will now dive deeper into the major types of breadcrumbs.
Hierarchy-based breadcrumbs, aka. location-based breadcrumbs, follow your site hierarchy from a homepage through the nested subcategories to a particular page URL. That’s how breadcrumbs show users where they are on your site, and the steps they should take to get back to the homepage.
Home > Blog > Category > Article name
Hierarchy-based breadcrumb path to the blog post
Home > Gear > Car > Seat Covers
Hierarchy-based breadcrumb path to a product
Hierarchy-based breadcrumbs are super helpful for users who get onto your website from Google search results. That’s because users may get back to any subcategory throughout your site hierarchy or navigate more options.
Location breadcrumbs are also vital for crawlers once they need to explore your site structure:
Attribute-based breadcrumbs are based on the same formula as hierarchy-based (location) breadcrumbs. These breadcrumbs use keywords rather than attributes like page titles or other identifiers to describe the page.
Attribute-based breadcrumb navigation is beneficial for eCommerce sites when users want to view the products with the same attributes.
On eCommerce sites, attribute-based website breadcrumbs generate a user trail based on multiple filters like product attributes:
Home > Product category > Gender > Size > Color
Attribute-based breadcrumbs indicate the most popular attributes clicked by users:
Home > Shoes > Hiking > Women’s > 7,5 > Black
Top Tip: Never duplicate hierarchy-based (location-based) breadcrumbs with attribute-based breadcrumbs. That's because search engines disapprove of duplicate breadcrumbs. In case of duplication, Google or Bing may feature your website as “thin” or the one that’s lacking original content. Once you spot a duplication issue, we recommend pursuing your SEO strategy with location-based breadcrumbs. Oksana Babenko, SEO Expert at Promodo.
Path-based breadcrumbs are back buttons that help users return to their last visited page. Path-based breadcrumbs best display a user path to their current page:
Back > Home > Women > Tennis > Racket
Path breadcrumbs show the actual path a user undergoes on a website to their current page. That shows how a user reaches a particular item page, like a Sony camera on Amazon, for example.
The functionality of path-based breadcrumb navigation is limited though; a breadcrumb meaning in website here is that it serves just as the “back” button in a user’s browser.
History-based websitebreadcrumbs show what a user has been doing on your site. That type of navigation replicates the internet history bar:
Home > Previous page > Previous page > Current page
Just like browser history, leverage history-based breadcrumbs to show users the pages they have visited on your site. Say, a user might have read a few SEO articles:
Home > SEO blog post 1 > SEO blog post 2 > Current page
Top Tip: The most commonly used types of website breadcrumbs on websites are hierarchy-based, attribute-based and path-based breadcrumbs. They improve navigation on a website in the best way by giving users a clear idea of their location and options to return to previous pages.If your site lacks a nested structure of category pages, history-based breadcrumbs will suit you better than location breadcrumbs. Oksana Babenko, SEO Expert at Promodo.
Breadcrumbs not only improve user navigation but also play a key role in internal linking and PageRank distribution. They help pass authority from deep-level pages to category hubs, enhancing crawlability — the ability of search engine bots to efficiently scan your website.
💡 Tip: Implement SEO breadcrumbs on all pages with a multi-level site structure. For small or flat websites, breadcrumbs are less critical, but for deep architectures, they significantly enhance UX and SEO effectiveness.
Adding SEO breadcrumbs correctly is essential not only for SEO but also for user experience and site accessibility. Follow these best practices to implement breadcrumbs effectively:
<nav> element with aria-label="Breadcrumb" for accessibility. Use an ordered list <ol> with <li> items for each breadcrumb step to improve semantic structure.💡 Tip: Properly implemented breadcrumbs improve crawlability, enhance user navigation, and contribute to a cleaner, more accessible website structure.
There are multiple ways to add breadcrumb navigation to your site to mitigate repetition and appear more natural. Everything depends on the content management system (CMS) you are using. There are also manual ways of adding breadcrumbs to your code.
Because WordPress is the most used CMS, we primarily suggest using this platform. Many themes, like Ocean WP, include built-in breadcrumb options.
Alternatively, we suggest making the best use of various plugins like Breadcrumb NavXT. The plugin generates locational breadcrumbs and allows for individual customization.
You may also benefit from Yoast SEO or WooCommerce Breadcrumb plugins which will let you restyle built-in breadcrumbs.
🟠 Click on Plugins
🟠 Add new
🟠 Select the plugin you want, i.e. Yoast SEO
🟠 Install now
🟠 Activate
🟠 Copy a code to the header.php file section of your theme:
<?php
if ( function_exists('yoast_breadcrumb') ) {
yoast_breadcrumb( '</p><p id="breadcrumbs">','</p><p>' );
}
?>
🟠 Go to Appearance
🟠 Select Theme file editor
🟠 Paste the code under the “header.php” section
🟠 Update file
Adding breadcrumbs to your web pages using JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) helps search engines understand the structure of your website. Here's how you can do it:
JSON-LD Script:
Add the JSON-LD script in the <head> section of your HTML or right before the closing </body> tag.
JSON-LD for Breadcrumbs:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 1,
"name": "Home",
"item": "https://www.example.com/"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 2,
"name": "Category",
"item": "https://www.example.com/category"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 3,
"name": "Subcategory",
"item": "https://www.example.com/category/subcategory"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 4,
"name": "Current Page",
"item": "https://www.example.com/category/subcategory/current-page"
}
]
}
</script>
Explanation
@context: specifies the context, which is always https://schema.org for schema markup.
@type: indicates the type of data structure, in this case, BreadcrumbList.
itemListElement: contains an array of ListItem objects.
@type: each item is of type ListItem.
position: the position of the breadcrumb in the list.
name: the name of the breadcrumb (visible text to users).
item: the URL of the breadcrumb.
Integration:
🟠 Add the JSON-LD script to each page where breadcrumbs are applicable
🟠 Ensure the URLs (item values) are correct and match the actual page URLs
🟠 Use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool or the Rich Results Test to validate your JSON-LD markup and ensure it's correctly implemented.
By following these steps, you can successfully add breadcrumbs to your website using JSON-LD, which can enhance your site's SEO and improve visitor navigation.
Installing breadcrumbs on your site will primarily depend on:
🟠 Site type
🟠 Site structure
🟠 CMS
🟠 Breadcrumb type
Each CMS has its unique way of handling themes and templates. By following the general approach of installing breadcrumb modules/plugins and inserting JSON-LD scripts dynamically, you can customize breadcrumbs for any content management system (CMS). Always validate the JSON-LD output using Google's Rich Results Test to ensure proper implementation.
Customizing breadcrumbs using JSON-LD for different content management systems involves integrating the JSON-LD script into the templates or plugins of each CMS.
The installation process will depend on the complexity of your CMS and whether you’ll need additional customization.
Analyzing user behavior is essential for improving the effectiveness of breadcrumbs on your website. Here are time-proven ways of analyzing user behavior and optimizing your breadcrumb navigation:
1. Use Web Analytics Tools
🟠 Set up and monitor key SEO metrics with Google Analytics
🟠 Navigate to Behavior > Behavior Flow to see how users move through your site
🟠 Check exit rates on pages where breadcrumbs are used to identify drop-off points
🟠 Set up events to track breadcrumb clicks and goals to measure their impact on the user journey.
2. Heatmaps and Session Recordings
🟠 Use Hotjar, Crazy Egg, or Mouseflow among other feasible tools
🟠 Identify where users are clicking on the page and how far they scroll.
🟠 Watch recordings of user sessions to see how they interact with breadcrumbs.
3. A/B Testing
🟠 Use tools like Google Optimize, Optimizely, or VWO
🟠 A/B test multiple breadcrumb designs, placements, and text to see which performs better
🟠 Experiment with multiple changes simultaneously to identify the most effective combination.
4. User Feedback
🟠 Implement on-page surveys using tools like Qualaroo or SurveyMonkey.
🟠 Ask users if they found the breadcrumbs useful.
🟠 Gather suggestions for improvement.
🟠 Conduct usability tests to get direct feedback on breadcrumb navigation.
5. Analyze Internal Search Data
🟠 Look at what users are searching for within your site.
🟠 Identify if users are searching for categories or paths that should be easily accessible via breadcrumbs.
6. Examine Funnel Reports
🟠 Set up funnel reports in Google Analytics to track user progression through key steps
🟠 Identify where users drop off and if breadcrumbs could help navigate back to the desired path.
7. Review Mobile vs. Desktop Behavior
🟠 Ensure breadcrumbs are effective on both desktop and mobile.
🟠 Check Google Analytics to compare user behavior and engagement with breadcrumbs on different devices.
8. Monitor Navigation Patterns
🟠 Use analytics to see the common paths users take.
🟠 Determine if breadcrumbs align with these paths and help users find their way.
9. Optimize Breadcrumb Structure
🟠 Test different breadcrumb structures: flat vs. hierarchical
🟠 Ensure that breadcrumbs reflect the actual structure and hierarchy of your site.
🟠 Consider using dynamic breadcrumbs that adapt based on user paths and context.
10. Implement and Monitor Changes
🟠 After analyzing data and making changes, continuously monitor the impact. Use the same tools and methods to ensure improvements are effective and sustainable.
Breadcrumbs should be visible but not intrusive. While a slightly smaller font is acceptable, text that is too small can be difficult to see and click on mobile devices. Position breadcrumbs at the top of the page, beneath the hero image, or just above the H1 title to ensure they are easily found.
Breadcrumbs are meant to complement, not replace, other navigational features. Ensure that breadcrumbs supplement the navigation bar rather than serve as the sole navigation method.
Think of breadcrumbs as an essential, yet supplementary, navigational aid. They are a minor addition that can significantly enhance the user experience and visibility in search results.
Implementing breadcrumbs is simple with the suggested plugins above will improve site navigation and search rankings with just a few clicks.
If your breadcrumbs merely replicate the navigation bar, they may not add any value. Avoid unnecessary coding and clutter if it doesn't enhance the user experience or provide additional context.
If you need assistance with arranging breadcrumbs on your website, Promodo's experts are here to help. Our professionals specialize in optimizing breadcrumb navigation to enhance user experience and improve site structure.
Breadcrumbs, a navigational aid used in websites, can significantly influence both user experience (UX) and search engine optimization (SEO). Here’s how breadcrumbs impact SEO:
1. Enhanced User Experience
Breadcrumbs improve site navigation by providing a clear path back to previous pages or the homepage. This helps users understand website structure, find their way around more easily, and reduces bounce rates. A positive user experience can indirectly boost SEO as it often leads to longer visit durations and increased page views.
2. Improved Crawlability and Indexing
Search engines use breadcrumbs to understand the structure of a website. Breadcrumbs create internal links that search engine bots can follow, making it easier for them to crawl and index your site. This improved crawlability ensures that more pages are discovered and indexed by search engines, potentially boosting your site's visibility.
3. Rich Snippets in Search Results
Breadcrumbs can enhance the way your website appears in search engine results pages (SERPs). When implemented correctly, search engines may display breadcrumbs in the search results, providing a more detailed and organized view of your site’s hierarchy. This can improve click-through rates (CTR) as users get a better sense of the page's location within your site.
4. Reduced Bounce Rates
Breadcrumbs help users find relevant content more efficiently, reducing the likelihood of them leaving your site after viewing only one page. Lower bounce rates are often interpreted by search engines as a sign of high-quality content, which can positively affect your rankings.
5. Contextual Relevance
By displaying the path of navigation, breadcrumbs provide context to the content on a page. This context helps search engines understand the relationship between different pages and their relevance to specific topics or queries, improving the overall semantic understanding of your site.
6. Increased Keyword Relevance
Breadcrumbs often include keywords that describe the categories or subcategories of the content. These keywords can enhance the relevance of the page for specific search queries, contributing to improved SEO performance.
Breadcrumbs are a simple yet powerful tool that can enhance the navigational structure of your website, improve user experience, and provide SEO benefits. By implementing breadcrumbs thoughtfully and ensuring they are properly optimized, you can make your website more accessible and attractive to both users and search engines.
[[FAQ-START]]
Breadcrumbs create a clear hierarchy of your website’s structure, showing the relationship between pages and categories. They improve crawlability, help search engines index content accurately, and provide context for SERPs. By passing internal PageRank from deeper pages to parent categories, breadcrumbs indirectly support SEO and enhance site visibility.
The last element in the breadcrumb trail — representing the current page — should never be clickable. This ensures users know their exact location, avoids unnecessary navigation loops, and improves user experience, especially on mobile devices.
Common separators include “>”, “/”, or “→”. The key is to choose a visually clear and consistent separator that clearly indicates hierarchy, improves readability, and aligns with your website design. Avoid overly complex symbols that may confuse users.
Always assign a primary category for breadcrumbs. This prevents duplicate breadcrumb paths, avoids confusion for users and search engines, and ensures consistent internal linking. Secondary categories can exist but should not appear in the main breadcrumb trail.
[[FAQ-END]]
Content Marketing Manager at Promodo
Taras has 16 years of hands-on copywriting experience overseas with 3000+ unique copies.
Accredited with Certificate of Proficiency in English (C2 level) by Cambridge University. Studied at Writing Launch Academy (United States) and owns an Academic Writing Certificate from Oregon University. Author of 12 dictionaries with Apriori Publishers.
You may also like
Choose quality and trusted services to improve the presence of your company on the Internet, and feel free to contact our UK team if you have any questions.
Changing a website’s domain has always been — and will remain — a risky process for any site.
The demand for mental health services is higher than ever, creating a unique opportunity for therapists to grow their practices.
According to the IAB report, ¾ of the advertising expenditures are forwarded to digital channels.
We at Promodo are ready to help you improve your performance across all digital marketing channels.
Get started
.svg){kind=logo}
