Initial commit — SEO Guidelines & SmartCrawl reference

SmartCrawl plugin reference (11 docs): - Overview, configuration, titles & meta, schema, sitemaps, social/OG, redirects, breadcrumbs, content analysis, hooks/filters, known issues SEO strategy playbook (6 docs): - Keyword research, per-page-type selection, on-page optimization, local SEO, technical SEO, content strategy Reusable templates (3): - Site audit checklist, keyword research worksheet, page optimization checklist Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-04-17 13:32:17 -05:00
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+# Breadcrumbs
+
+SmartCrawl provides breadcrumb navigation with built-in Schema.org `BreadcrumbList` markup. Breadcrumbs improve both UX (users can navigate up the site hierarchy) and SEO (Google displays breadcrumb trails in search results).
+
+## Enabling Breadcrumbs
+
+1. Go to **SmartCrawl > Advanced Tools > Breadcrumbs**
+2. Toggle the module ON
+3. Configure separator and display options
+4. Add the breadcrumb output to your theme
+
+## Adding Breadcrumbs to Your Theme
+
+### Method 1: Shortcode
+
+```
+[smartcrawl_breadcrumbs]
+```
+
+Place this in any post, page, widget, or theme template.
+
+### Method 2: Shortcode with Custom Wrapper
+
+```
+[smartcrawl_breadcrumbs before="<nav aria-label='Breadcrumb'>" after="</nav>"]
+```
+
+The `before` and `after` parameters wrap the breadcrumb trail with custom HTML.
+
+### Method 3: PHP (Theme Template)
+
+```php
+<?php
+if ( function_exists( 'smartcrawl_breadcrumbs' ) ) {
+    smartcrawl_breadcrumbs();
+}
+?>
+```
+
+Place this in your theme's `header.php`, `single.php`, `page.php`, or a custom template part.
+
+## Configuration
+
+### Separator
+
+Choose from presets or enter custom HTML:
+
+| Preset | Output |
+|--------|--------|
+| `>` | Home > Category > Page |
+| `/` | Home / Category / Page |
+| `»` | Home » Category » Page |
+| Custom | Any HTML character or element |
+
+**Recommendation:** Use `>` or `»` — they visually indicate hierarchy.
+
+### Display Options
+
+| Option | Description |
+|--------|-------------|
+| Show on homepage | Whether breadcrumbs appear on the homepage (usually no — it would just show "Home") |
+| Home link text | Default "Home" — can be customized (e.g., site name) |
+| Post breadcrumb type | Show category hierarchy or just parent page |
+
+## Schema Output
+
+SmartCrawl automatically outputs `BreadcrumbList` schema markup alongside the visible breadcrumbs:
+
+```json
+{
+  "@context": "https://schema.org",
+  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
+  "itemListElement": [
+    {
+      "@type": "ListItem",
+      "position": 1,
+      "name": "Home",
+      "item": "https://example.com/"
+    },
+    {
+      "@type": "ListItem",
+      "position": 2,
+      "name": "Services",
+      "item": "https://example.com/services/"
+    },
+    {
+      "@type": "ListItem",
+      "position": 3,
+      "name": "Basic Rider Course"
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+This produces breadcrumb navigation in Google search results:
+
+```
+example.com > Services > Basic Rider Course
+```
+
+## Styling
+
+SmartCrawl outputs breadcrumbs with CSS classes you can target:
+
+```css
+/* Breadcrumb container */
+.smartcrawl-breadcrumbs {
+    font-size: 14px;
+    padding: 10px 0;
+    color: #666;
+}
+
+/* Individual breadcrumb links */
+.smartcrawl-breadcrumbs a {
+    color: #0066cc;
+    text-decoration: none;
+}
+
+.smartcrawl-breadcrumbs a:hover {
+    text-decoration: underline;
+}
+
+/* Separator */
+.smartcrawl-breadcrumbs .separator {
+    margin: 0 8px;
+    color: #999;
+}
+
+/* Current page (last item, no link) */
+.smartcrawl-breadcrumbs .current {
+    color: #333;
+    font-weight: 500;
+}
+```
+
+## White Label Support
+
+SmartCrawl Pro supports white labeling the breadcrumb module — you can remove WPMU DEV branding from the output.
+
+## Best Practices
+
+1. **Place breadcrumbs near the top of the page** — above the main content, below the header
+2. **Don't show on homepage** — it adds no value (just "Home")
+3. **Keep the trail short** — Home > Category > Page is ideal. Avoid deep nesting.
+4. **Validate the schema** at [Google Rich Results Test](https://search.google.com/test/rich-results)
+5. **Ensure the hierarchy makes sense** — breadcrumbs should reflect the actual site structure