Incorporating breadcrumbs on your website can significantly enhance the user experience and browsing through the site. Utilizing the Yoast SEO plugin makes it more effortless to incorporate this beneficial tool. This guide will walk you through the steps of adding breadcrumbs with Yoast, including my own insights and suggestions.
Why Breadcrumbs Matter
Breadcrumbs are a navigational aid displayed on a website, typically near the top of the page, that shows the user’s current location within the site’s hierarchy. They provide a clear path back to previous pages, making it easier for users to navigate and understand the structure of your website.
Not only do breadcrumbs benefit users, but they also help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your website. This can improve your site’s visibility in search results, ultimately driving more organic traffic.
Step 1: Install and Activate Yoast SEO Plugin
The first step in adding breadcrumbs with Yoast is to have the Yoast SEO plugin installed and activated on your WordPress website. If you haven’t already done so, head over to the WordPress plugin repository and search for “Yoast SEO”. Install and activate the plugin.
Step 2: Enable Breadcrumbs in Yoast SEO Settings
Once you have Yoast SEO installed and activated, navigate to the Yoast SEO settings page in your WordPress admin dashboard. You can find this by clicking on “SEO” in the left-hand sidebar and selecting “Search Appearance”.
Under the “Breadcrumbs” tab, you will find the option to enable breadcrumbs. Toggle the switch to enable this feature.
Step 3: Customize Breadcrumbs Settings
Yoast SEO provides several customization options for your breadcrumbs. You can choose the separator character, specify a prefix for the breadcrumbs, and even exclude certain pages from displaying breadcrumbs.
Take some time to customize these settings according to your website’s design and structure. Experiment with different options and see what works best for your site.
Step 4: Add Breadcrumbs to Your Theme
Now that breadcrumbs are enabled and customized in Yoast SEO, it’s time to add them to your theme. The process of adding breadcrumbs to your theme will vary depending on the theme you are using. Typically, you will need to edit your theme’s template files.
Consult your theme’s documentation or reach out to the theme developer for specific instructions on how to add breadcrumbs to your theme. Alternatively, you can hire a developer to assist you with this step if you’re not comfortable with coding.
Personal Tips and Commentary
When I first added breadcrumbs to my website using Yoast, I was pleasantly surprised by the improved user experience. Not only did it help users navigate my site more easily, but it also added a professional touch to the overall design.
One tip I found helpful is to keep the breadcrumb trail concise and relevant to the page’s content. Avoid including unnecessary categories or subcategories that may confuse users. Instead, focus on displaying the most relevant sections of your site’s hierarchy.
Remember to regularly review and update your breadcrumbs as your website’s structure evolves. This will ensure that users always have an accurate and up-to-date navigational aid.
Conclusion
Adding breadcrumbs with Yoast SEO is a simple yet effective way to improve the navigation and user experience on your website. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily enable and customize breadcrumbs to suit your website’s structure and design. Don’t underestimate the impact this small feature can have on your website’s usability and SEO. Give it a try, and you’ll likely see positive results!