Have you ever Googled your business name? Some companies have tidy links beneath their name like ‘Our Services’ or ‘Meet the Team’. Your site might have nothing. Or worse, something random like a booking page or an old draft.
You’re not imagining it. You’re not alone either.
Those extra links are called Google Site Links. You can’t set them directly. But there are smart ways to guide what appears.
What Are Google Site Links?
Google Site Links are additional links that appear under a website listing. They show when someone searches for your business name. They help visitors find key pages quickly. Pages like ‘Contact’, ‘About Us’, ‘Case Studies’ or ‘Projects’.
These links make your listing stand out. They show your site is trustworthy and well-structured. For a builder, plumber, or law firm, this makes a difference. It’s the difference between a new lead clicking your site or scrolling past to someone else.
Here’s the catch: you can’t just log into Google and set them. Google decides what to show. The decision is based on your site’s structure. It’s also based on how people interact with your pages.
Google uses algorithms to find the most useful pages on your site. Your structure might be confusing. Your naming might be unclear. Your important pages might not be linked properly. When this happens, Google might highlight the wrong content. Or nothing at all. In a competitive market, that can cost you.
Why Site Links Matter for Your Business
First impressions: They show a quick snapshot of your website’s structure.
Faster access: Visitors can skip straight to the info they care about.
Trust factor: Clear sitelinks build credibility.
Better search performance: Good sitelinks reflect solid SEO structure.
Your site might be missing them. Or worse, it might show irrelevant pages like your cart or booking confirmation. This can look messy or outdated. For service businesses, trust and clarity matter. This isn’t a small issue.
Site links can improve your conversion rate. Google might direct people straight to your most useful pages. Pages like your service offering or a ‘Get a Quote’ page. You’re more likely to convert that visit into a call or enquiry.
They also improve your real estate on the search results page. The more space your listing takes up, the better. Fewer opportunities exist for someone to click on a competitor.
Clients Always Ask Me This
I’ve worked with many small business owners. One thing comes up again and again: “Why is Google showing our T&Cs or booking calendar? Why not our homepage or services?”
Often, it’s about how the site was built early on. Sometimes placeholder pages are left in. Or the most important pages aren’t linked properly throughout the site.
I once helped a local trades business. They had duplicated a page. They forgot to update the title and slug. Google Site links picked up the version called “services-copy”. Not ideal when you’re trying to show up professionally in search.
Another common scenario: someone launches a new site. They forget to redirect old URLs. Google still ranks outdated or broken links. Sometimes, the right content exists. But it’s buried in the menu. It’s unlinked from anywhere else.
They didn’t do anything wrong. They just didn’t realise how those details affect what Google sees as important.
A Real Win: Clear Structure in Action
I’ve seen sitelinks come together beautifully too. For a client in the handmade wellness space, we made small but intentional changes. We renamed product categories clearly. We linked to them from key pages. We tightened up the sitemap.
Soon after, their Google Site Links showed exactly what we wanted. Their homepage, heat packs, greeting cards and contact page. Visitors could jump straight to the page that matched their intent.
It’s not magic. It’s a result of clear structure, thoughtful linking, and patience.
Your site should be mapped out with purpose. Every menu item matters. Every footer link matters. Every button should drive toward your core pages. This makes it easier for Google to follow the same path a real customer would take.
Understanding Google's Site Link Selection Process
TL;DR Google site links are chosen based on user behavior, site authority, and what people engage with, not just your menu structure, so the pages that show up might surprise you.
Google’s algorithm for selecting site links is sophisticated. Many business owners don’t realise this. The search engine doesn’t just look at your navigation menu. It doesn’t pick the first few items. Instead, it analyses multiple factors. It wants to find which pages would be most valuable to users searching for your business.
The algorithm considers user behaviour data. It looks at which pages visitors spend the most time on. It checks which pages have the lowest bounce rates. It sees which internal links are clicked most frequently. This means something important. Even if you have a perfectly structured menu, Google might still choose differently. It might display pages that users actually engage with. Not the ones you think are most important.
Google also evaluates relationships between your main site and its pages. Your business might be a law firm. Google understands that pages about ‘Personal Injury’ or ‘Family Law’ are more relevant than a generic ‘Blog’ section. This understanding helps explain something. Businesses in similar industries tend to have similar types of site links.
The search engine considers the search query context too. Someone searches for your exact business name. Google assumes they’re looking for specific information. Information about your services, contact details, or key offerings. This is different from generic searches like ‘lawyers near me’. For those searches, Google focuses more on local search results and reviews.
Your site’s overall authority matters. Established businesses with strong backlink profiles get site links more quickly. Google has more confidence in displaying additional links for sites it considers authoritative and reliable.
The algorithm looks at seasonal patterns and trending topics. You might be an accountancy firm. Your ‘Tax Services’ page might appear more prominently during tax season. Your ‘Business Advisory’ page might be highlighted at other times. This depends on search patterns and user behaviour.
Use Google Search As Your Mirror
Here’s one of the simplest checks I recommend: search your business name.
It’s the fastest way to see what’s showing up. Are the sitelinks there? Are they helpful? Are they even yours?
Something might be off. Don’t panic. Look at what might be causing it:
Is that outdated page still in your sitemap?
Are other pages on your site still linking to it?
Has Google had time to re-crawl the new structure?
This habit can flag issues early. It’s useful after a redesign or content shuffle.
You can also check Google Search Console. It gives an accurate picture of what pages are being indexed. It shows which are excluded, and why.
What Actually Influences Google Site Links
Google decides which site links to show based on key things:
Your site’s structure: A well-organised site with a clear menu gives Google confidence. Internal links matter too.
Internal linking: You consistently link to a service page from blogs, footers, or FAQs. Google sees it as important.
Page names and slugs: Your page might be called “new-page-1” or “copy-of-services”. That’s what might appear in search.
Meta titles and descriptions: These help Google understand what the page is about.
You might be using a builder like Squarespace, WordPress or Wix. You should double-check what’s visible in your sitemap. Check whether you’ve filled out SEO settings for each page. Not just the homepage.
You can’t force it. But you can influence it.
Common Mistakes That Hurt Your Sitelinks
Here are mistakes that weaken your message to Google:
- Leaving default page names like “Untitled” or “Page Copy”
- Indexing things like cart pages, test pages or old blog drafts
- Forgetting to clean up duplicate URLs
- Relying only on your top nav for internal links
- Not submitting a clean sitemap to Google
- Creating pages just to “have them” but never linking to them
Think of it like signage on a job site. Everything should be labelled properly. Then people and search engines know exactly where to go.
How to Monitor Changes Over Time
Google Site Links aren’t static. They can change as your website evolves. They change as content gains more visibility. They change as users interact with your site differently. Your sitelinks today may not be the same ones showing up next month.
Use Google Search Console to:
- Monitor which pages are being indexed most frequently
- See which pages have been excluded and why
- Submit your sitemap after any major updates
- Review how your search performance changes over time
A spike in impressions on the wrong page? A new section getting more clicks? These are useful signals. They show you where to focus your next update.
Why Google Might Still Ignore Your Updates
You can do everything right. You can update your meta titles. You can fix your slugs. You can clean your sitemap. You might still find that Google is showing outdated or irrelevant links.
Why does this happen?
Google caches pages. It may not re-crawl immediately.
Competing internal signals exist. A footer link to an old page might outweigh a new nav menu.
Low authority sites face delays. If your site is new or has few backlinks, Google may be slow to update.
In these cases, patience and consistency are key. Keep reinforcing the structure. Use good internal linking. Create helpful content. Follow SEO best practices.
You might be a builder, accountant, physio or lawyer. Your Google presence often makes the first impression. This happens before a phone call ever takes place.
Google Site Links might seem like a small detail. But they’re part of that first handshake. You can’t hand-pick what shows up. But you can create the right environment. You can help Google make better choices.
Structure your site clearly. Label things well. Keep it clean and consistent. Think about the path you’d want a client to take. Make sure Google can follow it too.
You might not be sure where to begin. You might be staring at a link to a blank page. You might be wondering how it got there. I can help you make sense of it.
Can I manually choose which site links appear for my business?
No, you can’t directly control which site links Google displays. Google’s algorithm decides based on your site structure, user behavior, and page importance. However, you can influence the selection by improving your site’s organization, internal linking, and page naming.
How long does it take for Google to show site links for my business?
There’s no set timeframe. New sites with low authority might wait months, while established businesses can see site links appear within weeks. It depends on your site’s credibility, how often Google crawls your pages, and how well-structured your content is.
Why is Google showing irrelevant pages like my booking calendar or terms and conditions?
This usually happens when your important pages aren’t properly linked or labeled. Google might see these pages as significant because they’re linked from every page (like in your footer) or have confusing page names. Fix this by improving your internal linking structure and page titles.
My site links disappeared after I redesigned my website. What happened?
Website redesigns often change URL structures and internal linking patterns. Google needs time to re-crawl and understand your new site structure. Make sure you’ve submitted an updated sitemap to Google Search Console and that your important pages are properly linked.
I've tried everything but my site links are still showing the wrong pages (or no pages at all). What should I do?
This is frustrating but common, especially for sites with complex histories or technical issues. Sometimes there are underlying problems like conflicting redirects, indexing issues, or structural problems that aren’t obvious. If you’ve cleaned up your site structure and waited a few months without seeing improvement, it’s worth getting a professional SEO audit. We can help to identify what Google is actually seeing versus what you think you’ve fixed.