25 replies to this topic

[EGOL]

Have you seen the HUGE sitelinks that Google is now displaying?

In the past you could get up to eight sitelinks that would simply be topical names for the pages on your site.

Now, on some queries, Google is giving something like an abbreviated title tag for site links. If you get eight, ten or even TWELVE of of them they are SO BIG THAT THEY WILL RUN YOUR COMPETITOR OUT OF TOWN.

They frequently show for brand names such as "MOMA" or "Behr" or a domain query.... however, I have also seen them displayed for unbranded queries.

You can read about them here

I think that they are helpful when they display for a legitimate brand name. However, when they display for a generic query I think that they give undue advantage to a single site. But, Google must think that the site deserves the overwhelming attention.

[jonbey]

yep, I blogged about that yesterday.

Getting 12 bigguns for Mutley. One is a subdomain (which is still in limbo....). Never seen any site links for non-branded queries though (for my site). That would be nice.

[Dr.Marie]

Too funny. I'm using a different computer at work than I usually do and I just googled cre8asite to get here and thought, "Weird...this computer monitor must be messed up...the sitelinks are huge."

For my site if you type in the site name, my 12 sitelinks take up the entire first page! But, I don't see any sitelinks for any of my keywords.

[iamlost]

It appears to be aimed at what G thinks are strictly navigational queries. For instance if a domain name consists of two words the termterm (without a space) may show sitelinks while term term (with the space) will not. Thus, as Dr.Marie (gosh darn but that intermediary period is a pain!) mentions keywords are typically not navigational queries and so do not generate the 6 to 12 sitelink behaviour.

It will be interesting to identify edge cases where navigational intent does not show sitelinks or where non-navigational intent does.

Aside #1: I note that single generic word domain names are not being considered navigational. I presume where intent is ambiguous the default is for for a normal broad search return. Once the tld is added sitelinks show as ambiguity is resolved.

Aside #2: I note brand names appear to be considered as navigational but not trademarks or service marks. Interesting distinction.

Edited by iamlost, 17 August 2011 - 10:43 AM.

[tam]

Wow, bye bye being happy with no.2 result. On my screen I can't even see result no.2 any more, it's below the fold.

[jonbey]

I noticed that for my site, if I Google mutleyelf I get 12 results, but with mutley elf only 8. So yeah, domain / brand / keywords affect total responses.

[EGOL]

I notice a few single word queries that display sitelinks for the keyword domain. For example "weather".

Also, I have a TM that when typed in displays sitelinks for one of my websites - but the domain of that website is not the same as the TM. The TM appears in text only in the footer of the site.

[iamlost]

Actually 'weather' is an interesting example. If I do the query on dotca the sitelinks show; the query on dotcom or dotcouk I get regular query results without sitelinks; the query on dotca via non-Canadian IP proxy also loses the sitelinks. I guess a geolocation filter is in play, at least for that term, when deciding whether query is navigational.

Edited by iamlost, 17 August 2011 - 02:38 PM.

[jonbey]

I searched for weather and saw nothing.

What is the weather domain you see Egol?

[EGOL]

weather.com

[iamlost]

That is really interesting EGOL as what I see is theweathernetwork.com.

[SEOigloo]

Wow...my company looks cool

Thanks for pointing this out Egol. That's quite enormous.


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P.S. I've noticed something interesting. It looks to me like my most recent blog post on several properties is showing as the bottom link in the lefthand column of the sitelinks. That's kind of neat-o.

Edited by SEOigloo, 17 August 2011 - 03:39 PM.

[jonbey]

Wow, nothing like weather network in the UK.

I just get weather for Hounslow, which is way over on the opposite side of London, and then some BBC and other links.

Maybe the MET office need an SEO?

[EGOL]

what I see is theweathernetwork.com.

Is that a really popular weather site in your area?

[iamlost]

Is that a really popular weather site in your area?

I guess...don't have a clue...I use the govt weather site local forecast via bookmark.

[fisicx]

The google explanation: http://googleblog.bl...panded-and.html

It's all about the type of search you make - destination searches rather than general search.

The number of site links depends on the scope of the search.

I quite like them.

[Michael_Martinez]

This makes me wonder now if people aren't going to start valuing domains in part on the basis of how many sitelinks they are assigned (and how many queries for which they have earned sitelinks).

I have seen a few domains that display sitelinks in more than one query.

[EGOL]

Heh.... if you can get twelve sitelinks for something highly commercial your site would be worth a lot.

[iamlost]

Heh.... if you can get twelve sitelinks for something highly commercial your site would be worth a lot.

I'd like to think so...
What I really really like is when 'as the query is input' the instant results show increasing sitelinks...4-6-8-12...with each additional letter :nanacomputer:
I guess that is a Google proof of niche (navigational) term dominance?

[Michael_Martinez]

Well, I'll keep my eyes open for monetization channels built around sitelinks. I think the incentive is there now.