A breadcrumb navigation, often referred to simply as “breadcrumbs” or “breadcrumb trail” is a user interface element that enhances website usability and SEO by providing a clear pathway for users to navigate back through the hierarchy of a site. Typically a breadcrumb navigayion is displayed horizontally at the top of web pages and show the user’s current location within the site’s structure in relation to its homepage. An example of a breadcrumb navigation might appear as: Home > Category > Subcategory > Current Page.
Having a breadcrumb navigation helps search engines understand the relationship between different pages on a website, which can improve indexing and ranking. By clearly defining page hierarchies and paths, breadcrumbs facilitate better crawling by search engine bots. When implemented correctly with schema markup (specifically Schema.org’s BreadcrumbList), they can enhance rich snippets in search results, making listings more attractive and informative for users.
In addition to the above, breadcrumb navigations also contribute positively to user experience (UX) by allowing visitors to easily retrace their steps or explore related content without needing to use the back button or navigate through multiple menus. This can lead to longer session durations and reduced bounce rates.
