XML Sitemaps and SiteLinks in Google Search Results
Some people believe Google SiteLinks are directly related to XML Sitemaps. They are not, but both are related to Google Search Console.
Few people know the actual algorithm Google uses. However, we can guess based on experience and observation.
How a domain gets SiteLinks shown:
- Domain has to rank number #1 for the search query.
- The domain has to have a high authority for the search query.
- It helps if the domain name is similar to the search query.
How shown page URLs are selected:
- Pages linked by many internal pages.
- Pages with many backlinks from other websites.
- Google Toolbar navigation information.
- Google click tracking in search results.
How shown page titles are generated:
- Last directory or page name in URL.
- HTML <title> in page.
- Anchor text in backlinks.