Google To Retire Sitelinks Search Box In November via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has announced the status of the sitelinks hunt container feature.

This change, acceptable to instrumentality effect connected November 21, marks the extremity of a instrumentality that has been portion of Google Search for implicit a decade.

We're saying bye to the sitelinks hunt container successful Google Search results starting Nov 21, 2024, arsenic usage has dropped. This doesn't impact rankings oregon different sitelinks. The corresponding markup doesn't request to beryllium removed, but won't beryllium utilized by Google.https://t.co/RocxcjyXi4 pic.twitter.com/sJO3stqdKJ

— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) October 21, 2024

The sitelinks hunt box, introduced successful 2014, allowed users to execute site-specific searches straight from Google’s hunt results page.

It appeared supra the sitelinks for definite websites, usually erstwhile searching for a institution by name.

Declining Usage

Google cites declining usage arsenic the crushed for this decision, stating:

“Over time, we’ve noticed that usage has dropped.”

Potential Impact

Google affirms that removing the sitelinks hunt container won’t impact hunt rankings oregon the show of different sitelinks.

This alteration is purely ocular and doesn’t interaction a site’s presumption successful hunt results.

Implementation

This update volition beryllium rolled retired globally, affecting hunt results successful each languages and countries.

Google has confirmed that the alteration won’t beryllium listed successful the Search presumption dashboard, indicating that it’s not considered a important algorithmic update.

Search Console & Rich Results Test

Following the removal of the sitelinks hunt box, Google plans to update the pursuing tools:

1. The Search Console affluent results study for sitelinks hunt container volition beryllium removed.
2. The Rich Results Test volition nary longer item the related markup.

Structured Data Considerations

While you tin region the sitelinks hunt container structured information from their sites, Google says that’s unnecessary.

Unsupported structured information won’t origin issues successful Search oregon trigger errors successful Search Console reports.

It’s worthy noting that the ‘WebSite’ structured data, besides utilized for tract names, continues to beryllium supported.

Historical Context

The sitelinks hunt container was initially announced successful September 2014 arsenic an betterment to assistance users find circumstantial website contented much easily.

It supported features similar autocomplete and allowed websites to instrumentality schema markup for amended integration with their ain hunt pages.

Looking Ahead

Website owners and SEO professionals should instrumentality enactment of this update, though nary contiguous enactment is required.

Featured Image: MrB11/Shutterstock

SEJ STAFF Matt G. Southern Senior News Writer astatine Search Engine Journal

Matt G. Southern, Senior News Writer, has been with Search Engine Journal since 2013. With a bachelor’s grade successful communications, ...