10 blue links

What is “10 Blue Links” in SEO?

The phrase “10 blue links” referred to the standard format of displaying organic search results, typically ten blue, underlined links presented in order of relevance to the user’s query. Back then, Google prioritized offering users a clean, text-based interface focused on delivering relevant website links.

While the “10 blue links” concept isn’t a strict rule anymore, it serves as a historical reference point and even a shorthand term in the SEO world. They were the foundation of SEO, and ranking highly among these coveted links was the ultimate goal for any website owner.

Do the 10 Blue Links Matter?

Despite their decreasing popularity, understanding the “10 blue links” is still crucial for SEO professionals for many reasons:

• They represent the foundation upon which modern SEO was built. Hence, you need to understand their importance to grasp the evolution of search engine algorithms and how SEO strategies have adapted over time.
• They work as a conceptual foundation for us. Even with all the other features, the core idea of ranking high still revolves around those blue links. They remind us to focus on keyword research, on-page optimization, and backlink building that was established in the “10 blue links” era.
• They are a performance benchmark. While not the only metric, ranking well within the blue links is a valuable indicator of SEO success for many businesses. It shows that your website is competitive and reaches the right organic search audience.

So, while the “10 blue links” might not be the literal picture anymore, they serve as a powerful reminder of what truly matters in SEO.

How the 10 Blue Links work

Search engines like Google have special software called “crawlers” that constantly scour the web to discover and store information about new and existing websites. When you enter a search query or a keyword, the search engine then tries to understand what you are exactly looking for, analyzing the keywords and understanding the search intent behind them.

The search engine then crawls through different websites using complex algorithms and analyzes factors like content relevance, website authority, and user experience. The website that best matches your query and these criteria is shown on the top results page. Finally, the search engine displays the top 10 websites on the SERP, each represented by a blue link.

Evolution of SERPs

Now, these simple blue links in SERPs are a thing of the past. Search engines, particularly Google, have changed how they represent search results over the years. You can find many features to enhance your search experience and provide more detailed information. These features include:

• Featured Snippets: Often referred to as “answer boxes,” snippets are concise answers extracted directly from relevant websites. This potentially eliminates the need to click through.
• Knowledge Panel: These information panels offer quick summaries about entities like people, places, or things sourced from Google’s knowledge base.
• Image and Video Results: Search engines now frequently include relevant images and video carousels to serve diverse user preferences and provide alternative content consumption options.
• Local Packs: For location-based searches, local packs display nearby businesses along with their contact details and start ratings.
• People Also Ask: This section is where you can see additional questions people frequently asked related to your search query. It offers a deep understanding of the topic.

The addition of these features has impacted the visibility of traditional blue links. While the number of traditional links hasn’t drastically decreased, they often occupy less space on the SERP due to the presence of other elements.

Optimizing for Blue Links

Ranking high in organic search results is still crucial for SEO success. But, you need to optimize your website to stand out and grab a higher spot in search results pages. Here are some key strategies:

• Know your audience and their intent. It helps you understand what people are searching for and why. Craft content according to the search intent to address their needs and interests directly.
• Craft high-quality, informative, and engaging content that provides valuable information, showcases your expertise, and keeps your audience hooked.
• Use the SERP features like featured snippets and knowledge panels. This will help increase your website visibility so search engines can find additional context about your content.

The SEO market constantly changes, so stay updated on the latest trends and algorithm changes. This way, you can improve your strategies to remain competitive.

How to Create Clickable Blue Links

Creating clickable blue links for your own website is essential for user experience and navigation. Here’s a breakdown of two common scenarios where you might need to create clickable links:

Creating Clickable Links within Your Website:

• • Using HTML:

For website owners, creating clickable links involves using the </a> tag in HTML. Within this tag, you specify two key attributes:

• • • hrefs: This attribute defines the destination URL where the user will be directed upon clicking the link.
    • text: This is the visible text displayed on your website that users will click on.

Example: <a href=”Mainpage.htm”> Home </a>

• • Content Management System (CMS):

Most modern CMS platforms offer user-friendly interfaces to create clickable links without needing to write code. Look for options like “Insert Link: or “Hyperlink” within the editing tools of your specific CMS.

Creating Clickable Links within Text:

• Simply highlight the text you want to turn into a link.
• Right-click and choose “Insert Link.”Depending on the platform, you’ll see options to choose the destination URL and potentially customize the link text.

You can link to various resources, including external websites, internal pages on your own website, files, and even email addresses. Simply adjust the href attribute accordingly.

Closing Thoughts

The “10 blue link”, although a past matter of fact, has evolved to a new aspect. It still has significance in the SEO world. Using the concept and foundation of 10 blue links, SEO professionals can ensure that their website is visible and relevant when it comes to evolving search engine functionality and user behavior. This is necessary to rank higher on the SERPs to improve website traffic and click-through rates.