Sitelink Titles in Google SERPs

Brennan Mack · 09-14-2011, 05:14 PM

I've noticed a recent change in Google in that they are showing far more sitelinks (the links under a listing in Google to different pages of the same domain) for the 1st ranked site than they used to. One page I've seen had 12 sitelinks under it. That's so many that there was only ONE other search result under the first site. Obviously, it makes a lot of sense to try to get more sitelinks under your site. With sitelinks, it's pretty easy to push down your competition so far that users don't even see them.

Knowing how important sitelinks can be to SEO, I am really curious as to HOW Google seems to choose the title of sitelinks. Google seems to choose arbitrarily. From what I can tell, it has little or nothing to do with standard meta tags, the title attribute, the file name (i.e. "index.php" or "links.htm", etc.). However, I noticed for a couple sites using Open Graph meta tags, the meta property "og:title" was almost always the same as the title of the sitelink. Is this a coincidence? Am I grasping at straws? Or could making the "og:title" meta tag of a page help Google identify the title for the sitelink

Note: I did post this question in another thread about a month ago, with no replies, and this question was sort of off topic from the thread anyways, so I figured it'd be fine if I post it in a new thread. Really looking for answers here.

nospamming · 09-14-2011, 10:32 PM

In my option google has consider most visited page/ page that really useful to user. Those pages are consider as sitelinks. meta title will consider as sitelink title. if i'm wrong correct me.

IMKid · 09-14-2011, 10:36 PM

From what I know it says authority/trust and nobody but Google decides it. I had a site with 3 site links for like 2 days and they went away just like they came

Brennan Mack · 09-17-2011, 02:22 PM

Yeah, Google does like changing the game pretty quick. I know that Google has ultimate control, but I was more concerned with how Google chooses the title of the sitelink. I agree with you nospamming. I think the meta title (by that I'm assuming you mean the title attribute, sometimes referred to as the title tag) plays a part, but I HAVE seen sitelinks that DO NOT match their title attribute. My only guess would be that maybe the title attribute had changed, an Google hadn't indexed it yet, but the site that I'm thinking of has had the same titles on those pages since it has been up. That was what confused me.

09-14-2011, 05:14 PM	#1
Brennan Mack Active Warrior Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Vista, CA Posts: 40 Thanks: 6 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Contact Info	Sitelink Titles in Google SERPs I've noticed a recent change in Google in that they are showing far more sitelinks (the links under a listing in Google to different pages of the same domain) for the 1st ranked site than they used to. One page I've seen had 12 sitelinks under it. That's so many that there was only ONE other search result under the first site. Obviously, it makes a lot of sense to try to get more sitelinks under your site. With sitelinks, it's pretty easy to push down your competition so far that users don't even see them. Knowing how important sitelinks can be to SEO, I am really curious as to HOW Google seems to choose the title of sitelinks. Google seems to choose arbitrarily. From what I can tell, it has little or nothing to do with standard meta tags, the title attribute, the file name (i.e. "index.php" or "links.htm", etc.). However, I noticed for a couple sites using Open Graph meta tags, the meta property "og:title" was almost always the same as the title of the sitelink. Is this a coincidence? Am I grasping at straws? Or could making the "og:title" meta tag of a page help Google identify the title for the sitelink Note: I did post this question in another thread about a month ago, with no replies, and this question was sort of off topic from the thread anyways, so I figured it'd be fine if I post it in a new thread. Really looking for answers here.

09-14-2011, 10:32 PM	#2
nospamming Warrior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 25 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Sitelink Titles in Google SERPs In my option google has consider most visited page/ page that really useful to user. Those pages are consider as sitelinks. meta title will consider as sitelink title. if i'm wrong correct me.
	paper cup machine

09-14-2011, 10:36 PM	#3
IMKid Active Warrior Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 54 Thanks: 4 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts	Re: Sitelink Titles in Google SERPs From what I know it says authority/trust and nobody but Google decides it. I had a site with 3 site links for like 2 days and they went away just like they came

09-17-2011, 02:22 PM	#4
Brennan Mack Active Warrior Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Vista, CA Posts: 40 Thanks: 6 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Contact Info	Re: Sitelink Titles in Google SERPs Yeah, Google does like changing the game pretty quick. I know that Google has ultimate control, but I was more concerned with how Google chooses the title of the sitelink. I agree with you nospamming. I think the meta title (by that I'm assuming you mean the title attribute, sometimes referred to as the title tag) plays a part, but I HAVE seen sitelinks that DO NOT match their title attribute. My only guess would be that maybe the title attribute had changed, an Google hadn't indexed it yet, but the site that I'm thinking of has had the same titles on those pages since it has been up. That was what confused me.