{"id":16344,"date":"2024-06-11T12:39:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T12:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/?p=16344"},"modified":"2025-03-26T10:13:23","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T10:13:23","slug":"the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/","title":{"rendered":"The importance of having a breadcrumb trail on your website"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1420.64px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p><strong>It&#8217;s one of the recommendations that comes up most often in the agency&#8217;s SEO analyses: the proper management and display of a breadcrumb trail.<br \/>\nWe&#8217;ve decided to put the causes and effects of its absence in a dedicated article. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Breadcrumbs are a navigational feature for your website, and they can have a significant impact on SEO and user experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Many websites still don&#8217;t implement breadcrumbs, which is a huge mistake.<br \/>\nNot only do breadcrumbs influence <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.atalan.fr\/fil-dariane-et-accessibilite-web\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">your site&#8217;s<\/a> SEO and <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.atalan.fr\/fil-dariane-et-accessibilite-web\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">accessibility<\/a>, they&#8217;re also relatively easy to implement. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s what you need to know about breadcrumbs, their impact on SEO and common mistakes to avoid.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Au sommaire de cet article :<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#What_are_breadcrumbs_in_SEO\" >What are breadcrumbs in SEO?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#The_4_common_types_of_Ariane_wire\" >The 4 common types of Ariane wire<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#1_Hierarchy-based_breadcrumbs_also_called_location-based_breadcrumbs\" >1. Hierarchy-based breadcrumbs (also called location-based breadcrumbs)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#2_Attribute-based_breadcrumbs\" >2. Attribute-based breadcrumbs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#3_Advanced_breadcrumbs_or_previews\" >3. Advanced breadcrumbs or previews<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#4_History-based_breadcrumbs\" >4. History-based breadcrumbs<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#The_3_advantages_of_Ariadnes_wires\" >The 3 advantages of Ariadne&#8217;s wires<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#1_Breadcrumbs_improve_user_experience_UX\" >1. Breadcrumbs improve user experience (UX)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#2_Keep_users_on_site_longer\" >2. Keep users on site longer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#3_Breadcrumbs_improve_internal_links\" >3. Breadcrumbs improve internal links<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#Rich_snippets_in_SERPs\" >Rich snippets in SERPs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#4_common_mistakes_when_using_breadcrumbs_for_SEO\" >4 common mistakes when using breadcrumbs for SEO<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#1_Dont_get_too_big_or_too_small\" >1. Don&#8217;t get too big or too small<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#2_Dont_just_repeat_your_navigation_bar\" >2. Don&#8217;t just repeat your navigation bar<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#3_Dont_abandon_your_navigation_bar_in_favor_of_breadcrumbs\" >3. Don&#8217;t abandon your navigation bar in favor of breadcrumbs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#4_Use_the_right_type_of_breadcrumb\" >4. Use the right type of breadcrumb<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#How_to_implement_breadcrumbs_in_WordPress\" >How to implement breadcrumbs in WordPress<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/blog\/2024\/06\/11\/the-importance-of-having-a-breadcrumb-trail-on-your-website\/#The_importance_of_breadcrumbs_in_UX_ergonomics_accessibility_and_SEO\" >The importance of breadcrumbs in UX, ergonomics, accessibility and SEO<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_breadcrumbs_in_SEO\"><\/span>What are breadcrumbs in SEO?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Breadcrumbs are automated internal links that allow users to track their location on a website and see how far they are from the home page.<br \/>\nYou&#8217;ll usually find them at the top of a website or just below the navigation bar.<br \/>\nLike internal links, they help keep users on a website and find the information they&#8217;re looking for.<br \/>\nIf they feel disoriented, they can use breadcrumb links to go up a level and continue browsing the site rather than clicking the browser&#8217;s back button.<br \/>\nHere&#8217;s an example of a breadcrumb trail on the eBay site: it shows exactly which categories I clicked on to get to the page I&#8217;m viewing.<br \/>\nBreadcrumbs make it easy to return to a previous page if necessary.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_4_common_types_of_Ariane_wire\"><\/span>The 4 common types of Ariane wire<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Not all breadcrumb trails are created equal!<br \/>\nThere are four main types of breadcrumb, each with its own purpose.<br \/>\nBefore adding breadcrumbs to your site, you need to decide which one is best suited to the user experience.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Hierarchy-based_breadcrumbs_also_called_location-based_breadcrumbs\"><\/span>1. Hierarchy-based breadcrumbs (also called location-based breadcrumbs)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The most common type of breadcrumb trail that tells users where they are in the site structure and how to get back to the home page.<br \/>\nExample: Home &gt; California &gt; San Francisco<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Attribute-based_breadcrumbs\"><\/span>2. Attribute-based breadcrumbs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>These breadcrumb trails are commonly used on e-commerce sites to show which attributes the user has selected.<br \/>\nExample: Home &gt; Shoes &gt; Hiking &gt; Women<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Advanced_breadcrumbs_or_previews\"><\/span>3. Advanced breadcrumbs or previews<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This type of breadcrumb trail not only shows the user&#8217;s current path through the site hierarchy, but also offers a glimpse of possible next steps.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_History-based_breadcrumbs\"><\/span>4. History-based breadcrumbs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This type of breadcrumb trail is rarely used and shows users which other pages of the site they have visited, similar to a browser history.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_3_advantages_of_Ariadnes_wires\"><\/span>The 3 advantages of Ariadne&#8217;s wires<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You may be wondering what breadcrumb trails can really do for you.<br \/>\nHere&#8217;s why they&#8217;re worth implementing:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Breadcrumbs_improve_user_experience_UX\"><\/span>1. Breadcrumbs improve user experience (UX)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Breadcrumbs make navigation easier for users and encourage them to explore other sections.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Keep_users_on_site_longer\"><\/span>2. Keep users on site longer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Although bounce rate is not a ranking factor, preventing users from leaving your site can nevertheless help SEO by encouraging users to click and browse further, an engagement signal that Google uses for ranking.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Breadcrumbs_improve_internal_links\"><\/span>3. Breadcrumbs improve internal links<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Breadcrumbs are not just a navigation tool; they also play a crucial role in improving a website&#8217;s internal link structure.<br \/>\nGoogle uses breadcrumbs to determine the relationship between different pages that are deeper in the site&#8217;s structure.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rich_snippets_in_SERPs\"><\/span>Rich snippets in SERPs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Breadcrumbs not only facilitate site navigation, but also enable Google to display enriched snippets in search results.<br \/>\nHowever, this only happens if you tag your breadcrumbs with structured data so that Google can retrieve and display them in the search engine results pages (SERPs).<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_common_mistakes_when_using_breadcrumbs_for_SEO\"><\/span>4 common mistakes when using breadcrumbs for SEO<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Implementing breadcrumbs is a simple way of improving a site&#8217;s SEO and providing a better UX.<br \/>\nHowever, some mistakes can cause more harm than good.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Dont_get_too_big_or_too_small\"><\/span>1. Don&#8217;t get too big or too small<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Ariadne&#8217;s wires should be easy to see but discreet.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Dont_just_repeat_your_navigation_bar\"><\/span>2. Don&#8217;t just repeat your navigation bar<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If breadcrumb trails simply duplicate what&#8217;s already in your navigation bar, they may not add value.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Dont_abandon_your_navigation_bar_in_favor_of_breadcrumbs\"><\/span>3. Don&#8217;t abandon your navigation bar in favor of breadcrumbs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>They should complement, not replace, other navigation functions.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Use_the_right_type_of_breadcrumb\"><\/span>4. Use the right type of breadcrumb<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Location-based breadcrumbs are the most common, but not necessarily the best choice for your site.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_implement_breadcrumbs_in_WordPress\"><\/span>How to implement breadcrumbs in WordPress<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Breadcrumbs are an incredibly useful navigational element for users and search engines alike, and they&#8217;re easy to add to your site.<br \/>\nBreadcrumbs are a simple addition that can help your site stand out on the search results page.<br \/>\nAlthough they don&#8217;t guarantee a significant increase in SERP rankings, they are useful for both users and search engines.<br \/>\nAs a bonus, they&#8217;re easy to implement with a plugin like Yoast.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_importance_of_breadcrumbs_in_UX_ergonomics_accessibility_and_SEO\"><\/span><strong>The importance of breadcrumbs in UX, ergonomics, accessibility and SEO<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The presence of a breadcrumb trail on a website is crucial in terms of UX (user experience), ergonomics and SEO.<br \/>\nIn terms of user experience, a breadcrumb trail makes it easier for visitors to find their way around the site&#8217;s structure, reducing the risk of disorientation and improving overall navigation.<br \/>\nErgonomically speaking, it&#8217;s a discreet yet functional visual element that improves access to information without cluttering the interface.<br \/>\nFrom an SEO point of view, breadcrumbs play a key role in improving internal link structure, helping search engines to better understand the hierarchy of pages on the site.<br \/>\nWhat&#8217;s more, when properly tagged with structured data, breadcrumbs can also contribute to the display of rich snippets in search results, increasing the site&#8217;s visibility and potentially its click-through rate.<br \/>\nIn short, the integration of a breadcrumb trail is an essential practice for any site wishing to optimize both user experience and SEO performance.<br \/>\nFrom the point of view of accessibility, breadcrumbs are a navigation tool enabling users to find their way around a website.<br \/>\nIt displays the user&#8217;s current position in the site structure in relation to the home page.<br \/>\nAccording to WCAG 2.0 (W3C accessibility standards), the integration of a breadcrumb trail meets a level AAA accessibility requirement (the highest).<br \/>\nThe breadcrumb trail must represent the site&#8217;s organization and help users understand their position in the site&#8217;s hierarchy.<br \/>\nIt must include :<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A link to the home page.<\/li>\n<li>All links to intermediate pages between the home page and the current page.<\/li>\n<li>The title of the current page, which must not be clickable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Breadcrumbs are a navigational feature for your website, and they can have a significant impact on SEO and user experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16346,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86,154,93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-project-management","category-seo-en","category-tribune-en"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16344"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16344\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16513,"href":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16344\/revisions\/16513"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poleetic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}