Google Quick Links: what they are and how they work

Even high rankings in Google search results do not always guarantee stable traffic and increased conversions. The way a website looks in the search results plays an important role. An extended snippet with a set of quick links helps to distinguish the result from competitors and shorten the user’s path to the necessary sections of the site. This directly affects the quality of traffic and the efficiency of organic conversions.

In this article, we’ll look at how you can shorten the user’s path to landing pages with the help of proper display in Google search, what technical and content steps on your website increase the chances of this effect, and how to diagnose and fix common mistakes.

What are quick links?

Quick links (sitelinks) are a set of internal links that Google sometimes shows below the main result in the SERP. They are intended to shorten the user’s path to the desired page of the site, so they usually display key sections or landing pages of the brand.

The display of such quick links is generated automatically, and the site owner cannot directly «enable» or manually set their composition, although there are practices that increase the likelihood of their appearance: improving the structure, content, and internal linking.

Why do you need quick links?

Quick links change the user’s path from query to conversion on a website and provide specific business benefits.

1. Increased visibility in the SERP. The extended result takes up more space in Google search and attracts attention. This gives you an advantage in branded queries and reduces the likelihood of going to a competitor, especially when a user is looking for a specific section of the site rather than general information.
2. Improving traffic quality. Quick links direct the user directly to relevant pages. This reduces the number of steps to the targeted action, reduces the bounce rate, and increases the frequency of targeted interactions – calls, contact forms, and orders.
3. Improving CTR and its quality. Additional transition options increase the total click-through rate in the snippet. As a result, not only the number of clicks increases, but also the share of clicks with high intent.
4. Economic effect. Improved organic visibility and higher CTR reduce the dependence on paid advertising for the same queries. This reduces the cost of lead acquisition and increases the profitability of the organic channel.
5. Increased brand trust and credibility. The result with organized quick links looks more «official» and informative. Users are more likely to trust such snippets, which positively affects the image and perception of the website as a reliable source.
6. Advantage on mobile devices and in local search. On mobile screens, well-chosen quick links reduce navigation time and make the search engine interface more functional. For local businesses, this often means more calls and requests for directions.

Measuring these metrics makes it possible to assess the real business impact of quick links and make informed decisions about priorities in working with website content and navigation.

To better understand the business effect, let’s look at 2 examples:

• An online sports equipment store has organized product categories and added internal links to popular brands and the New Arrivals and Discounts sections. In 3 weeks after the changes were made, fast links for these key categories appeared in Google, which led to an 18% increase in CTR and a decrease in bounce rate in these sections.
• The website of a legal services company optimized the scheme: main → services → subcategories (labor disputes, corporate law, tax advice). He added BreadcrumbList and WebPage navigation data. A month later, quick links to the main services appeared in Google search, which shortened the user’s path to the landing pages and increased the number of requests for advice by 12%.

Types of quick links

The format of links can vary depending on the type of query, the user’s device, and the logic of Google’s search results. In practice, three basic display options are used, each of which has a different impact on the perception of the result and navigation.

Column

This format involves displaying several quick links placed vertically below the main search result.

It most often appears in mobile search results or in branded and navigation queries when the user is focused on a quick transition to a specific section of the site. The vertical structure makes it easier to scan information on a limited screen. Such quick links usually display key categories, contacts, support, or popular sections. At the same time, the number of items may be limited, and the composition and order of the elements are determined by the Google search engine algorithms.

Single-line links

The horizontal format looks like a single row of short, quick links located next to or directly below the main snippet.

It is more commonly used in desktop search results and is well suited for websites with a clear and compact navigation architecture. This format does not overload the SERPs, preserves the visual purity of the result, and allows you to quickly navigate the key sections. The user immediately sees the main directions of the site without unnecessary scrolling. Typically, horizontal links display the most priority sections of the site that are in stable demand in Google search.

Advanced interactive formats

Extended formats include additional elements within quick links, such as submenus, fragments of the site structure, or interactive blocks that detail the content of sections. Such options are less common and are usually used for websites with a complex architecture or a large number of logically connected sections. They allow the user to get more context even at the stage of viewing search results. The format and set of elements may vary depending on the search engine’s policy. For example, the sitelinks search box feature was removed by Google in 2024, which affected the overall configuration of available extensions but did not cancel the basic logic of displaying quick links.

How to set up quick links

There is no direct button to «activate quick links», but there are systematic steps that increase the chances of Google selecting the right sections of the site to display.

Step 1 → Organize the site structure

The scheme should be logical and unambiguous for both humans and robots: main → categories → subcategories → pages. Make sure that key sections are accessible in no more than 2-3 clicks from the main page. Review the section titles – they should be short, clear, and consistent with the URL logic.

Recreate the path to each important page, starting from the home page, and count the steps. If there are more than three, reconsider the architecture. It is also worth reviewing the navigation elements (menu, footer, breakcaps) and making them consistent throughout the resource – this helps the algorithm understand which sections of the site are «shortcuts» for the user.

Step 2 → Set up internal linking

Internal links are a signal of importance. Make explicit links from the main page and categories to the landing pages you want to emphasize. Use short and informative descriptive anchor text, avoid repeated general phrases such as «more details». Place internal links in the relevant context, such as in product descriptions, category lists, and «similar products» blocks.

To check, generate an internal link map and find the pages with the highest and lowest link weights. This will show the real priority that the bot sees.

Step 3 → Set up an XML sitemap and indexing

Create or update the sitemap.xml and make sure that it contains only relevant sections of the site without duplicates and those with noindex status. Upload the map to Google Search Console and track the indexing status in the Coverage reports. Regularly fix crawl errors such as 404, 5xx, check robots.txt to ensure that important pages are not blocked.

After making changes to the structure or important content, submit an updated sitemap to GSC to speed up the crawl.

Step 4 → Unify metadata and titles

Title and H1 should correlate: title clearly describes the page in the context of search, H1 reflects its general topic for the user. Ensure the uniqueness of the title for each important section of the site and make them understandable for humans, not just for SEO. Meta description does not directly affect the formation of fast links, but a correct description increases the likelihood of a click and helps the algorithm match the page with the query.

Check if your site has the same title and H1, and correct them if necessary. For sections of the site that can potentially be included in quick links, use short, clear titles that are consistent with the navigation points.

Step 5 → Implement structured data where appropriate

Such data does not directly guarantee the appearance of quick links, but it improves the understanding of content by Google. Use BreadcrumbList to display hierarchy, WebSite and WebPage for basic semantics, and specific schemas (Product, FAQ, Organization) where it adds context. Make sure that the markup is valid by checking it in Rich Results Test or in the relevant GSC tools, as errors in JSON-LD can reduce the chances of correct presentation of pages in the SERPs.

A practical approach is to implement structured markup on key pages that are strategically important for display in quick links. After that, it is advisable to analyze the dynamics of changes in Google search results for 2-4 weeks and evaluate how the algorithms have started to interpret the sitemap.

These steps systematically improve the interpretability of your site for Google’s algorithms and thus increase the likelihood that the pages you want will appear in the fast links.

How to check fast links

Monitoring the display of fast links is important not only for assessing the current visibility of your site, but also for understanding how Google interprets its structure. Regular checking allows you to detect changes in the SERP in a timely manner, record the appearance or disappearance of individual pages in the links, and adjust further optimization actions.

So, there are three ways to check:

1. Manual search. Entering a branded query or key phrases into Google allows you to see if an extended snippet with additional links is formed. This method gives you a quick idea of the current picture in , but does not take into account search personalization, regional differences, and the dynamics of changes over time.
2. SEO monitoring tools. SERP analyzers such as SEMrush, SE Ranking, or Ahrefs record the elements of Google search results for specific queries and allow you to track when fast links appear or disappear. This is useful for systematic analysis, comparing different periods, and assessing the impact of changes on the website.
3. Google Search Console. There is no separate report for quick links in the console, but you should regularly check the indexing status of key pages, the correctness of the sitemap, and coverage reports. This helps to make sure that important pages are available for crawling and have no technical limitations.

Together, these approaches form an objective view of how the site is represented in search and allow you to respond in a timely manner to changes in the display of fast links.

Why fast links may not be displayed

The absence of fast links in the SERP or in advertisements does not always mean a technical error. In most cases, it is the result of Google’s algorithmic features or ad campaign settings. It’s important to distinguish between organic links and ad extensions in Google Ads – these are different mechanics with separate rules for their formation.

When it comes to paid advertising, quick links are added manually as extensions in the campaign settings. Without their creation and activation, the ad will be displayed in a standard format, even if the site has a well-formed structure.

In the case of organic search results, the following reasons for the lack of links are possible

• the query is narrow or informational: quick links most often appear for branded or navigation queries when the algorithm confidently recognizes the intention to go to a specific website or its section;
• insufficient website structure or indexing problems: if pages are poorly linked, have duplicates or are partially closed from indexing, it is difficult for Google to determine which of them are prioritized for quick access;
• absence or incorrect settings of advertising extensions: in Google Ads, links are not automatically pulled from organic results – they require separate creation, moderation, and linking to campaigns or ad groups.

Fast links as a strategic tool

Fast links are not just an element of Google’s search results, but an indicator of the maturity of the site structure and the effectiveness of internal navigation. Systematic work on the architecture, linking, and semantics of the site allows you to get a direct business effect: increased CTR, high-quality traffic, and advertising budget savings. Monitoring and analyzing the display of links helps to make informed decisions about website development and content priorities.

Iryna Voitovych

Copywriter

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