How do you optimize the SEO and accessibility of breadcrumbs and faceted filters?

1 Step 1: Use schema markup for breadcrumbs

Schema markup is a way of adding structured data to your web pages, which helps search engines understand and display them better. For breadcrumbs, you can use the BreadcrumbList schema type, which defines each level of the hierarchy as an item with a name and a URL. This way, you can make your breadcrumbs more visible and clickable in the search results, and also provide context for users and screen readers.

2 Step 2: Use aria-label for faceted filters

Aria-label is an attribute that adds a descriptive label to an element that is not otherwise accessible by text. For faceted filters, you can use aria-label to indicate the purpose and function of each filter, such as "Filter by price" or "Filter by color". This way, you can make your faceted filters more accessible and understandable for users who rely on assistive technologies, such as screen readers or keyboard navigation.

3 Step 3: Use canonical tags for faceted filters

Canonical tags are a way of telling search engines which version of a page is the preferred one, in case there are multiple versions with similar or duplicate content. For faceted filters, you can use canonical tags to avoid creating multiple URLs for each combination of filters, which can cause confusion and dilute your ranking signals. Instead, you can specify one canonical URL for each category or subcategory page, and use the filters as parameters that do not affect the URL structure.

4 Step 4: Use breadcrumbs as anchor text

Anchor text is the visible text that links to another page. For breadcrumbs, you can use them as anchor text to create internal links that boost your site's relevance and authority. For example, if your breadcrumbs are "Home > Products > Shoes > Sneakers", you can link each word to the corresponding page, using the keywords that match your content and user intent. This way, you can make your breadcrumbs more useful and engaging for users and search engines.

5 Step 5: Use descriptive labels for breadcrumbs and faceted filters

Labels are the text that identifies and explains the elements on a web page. For breadcrumbs and faceted filters, you can use descriptive labels that match the user's expectations and the site's information architecture. For example, if your site sells clothing, you can use labels such as "Men", "Women", "Tops", "Bottoms", "Size", "Color", etc. This way, you can make your breadcrumbs and faceted filters more clear and consistent for users and search engines.

6 Step 6: Test and optimize your breadcrumbs and faceted filters

Testing and optimizing are essential steps to ensure your breadcrumbs and faceted filters are working as intended. To do this, you can use user testing to observe how real users use your breadcrumbs and faceted filters, as well as web analytics tools to measure and analyze their impact on your site's traffic. Additionally, SEO tools can help monitor and improve how your breadcrumbs and faceted filters appear and perform in the search results.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?