If you’ve done keyword research, you’ve probably seen some SERPs that incorporate what’s called a Sitelink Search Box.
The SERP (Search Engine Result Page) is a page that displays the results for a Google search query. Followed with a search box, it’s the page your search results are displayed on.
Often times in the SERPs results, there will be an indented area towards the top of the page. This indented section generally contains additional links to common pages on a site. This section of the SERPs is referred to as a sitelink searchbox. And, if you have a large and popular website, you may also see your sitelinks listed separately below the search box. People refer to this area of the SERPS as the sitelinks section.
Sitelinks are quite often an add-on to yourwebsite. And, most of the time, they are included by default. But, if you have a large and popular website, you need to initiate the process to get them. Here’s how to do it.
The process is pretty simple, but it can take a little bit of time. It involves requesting and verifying you site map with Google. Once approved, you’ll begin getting your site links listed in your SERPs. And, the best thing about the process is, once it’s done you don’t have to doit again. It’s just a matter of making it a habit to submit your site map every so often. I like to update mine about once a month or whenever something major changes on the website.
Submitting a Sitemap to Get Google Site Links
The best way to get started is to log into yourGoogle Webmaster Tools account. If you already have an account, click the ADD A SITE button. If you don’t have an account, click the Add a Website link to start. Follow the onscreen instructions to create your account. Then, once you have youraccount set up, click Sitemaps > Add Sitemap > Browse to upload your sitemap. (Remember, you can only upload one.) Then, submit it for review. You should receive a notification in your Webmaster Tools account if everything is verified. (I usually get an email saying my sitemap was approved.) And, once you’ve received that notification, then Google has verified and isusing your sitemap. Now, you should start seeing your Site Links listed in your Search Engine Results Pages. And, you should continually keep submitting your sitemap to a regular basis as things change on your site. There’s really no limit to how often you should, though. As long as you keep your information current, you should be good.
As you might imagine, being as large and popular as theInternet is, there are millions of websites out there. And, getting and staying ranked in popular search engines requires constant upkeep. And, the best way to do this is to make sure your site is secure and your links are up and running. Submitting yousitemap on a regular basis, and especially before any major Web changes, is the best way to ensure you get a good ranking. And, it’s a smart thing to also make sure you’re regularly submitting new content to all of your channels. If you’re still stumped, here’s a great article on How to get backlinks that I wrote a while back. Hopefully, it will help you when it comes to ranking better in the major search engines. And, as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help out.Until next time, have a great day!
