The Blue Link Algorithm in SEO: What You Need to Know

What is the Blue Link Algorithm in SEO?

The Blue Link Algorithm is the ‘original’ algorithm used by search engines like Google and Bing to rank and present the ten clickable blue hyperlinks historically presented in the search results.  The Blue Link Algorithm systematically builds the Search Engine Result Pages (SERP). They are “Blue Links” because they appear in blue text. 

The Blue Links are the “Initial SERP”

Because the Blue Links are the foundation of the SERP, they are called the “Initial SERP”.  

The Blue Links are the benchmark for assessing all other SERP Features or Rich Elements: Video Boxes, Image Boxes, Knowledge Panels, Featured Snippets, Site Links, Podcast Boxes and other Rich Elements.

Businesses can use the Blue Link Algorithm to maximise their Brand SERP

Businesses can dominate the search results by creating Rich Site Links and Rich Elements that provide the best user experience for users searching for their brand.  The Blue Links will cover more areas on the search results page and satisfy search intent. And get more clicks. 

Using the Blue Link Algorithm strategically means brands can force the competition from the famed first page of the search results.

At Kalicube, we help businesses create a balanced SERP for their brand that gives users multiple ways to research and engage with the company or person. A balanced SERP includes optimised Blue Links, Rich Elements and Knowledge Panels. We ensure that our clients control what results are displayed, allowing them to optimise their audience’s user experience on Google’s SERP. In this scenario, the Brand SERP becomes a “mini website on Google“.

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In this article, you will learn what the Blue Link Algorithm is, how you can use it to improve your visibility on Google SERPs and why Brand SERPs must be part of your digital marketing strategy.

The Whole Page Algorithm Determines Blue Links

Modern search engines such as Google and Bing use algorithms that evaluate and answer queries based on search intent. 

To fully understand the Blue Link Algorithm, you need to know how the Whole Page Algorithm works.

The Whole Page Algorithm selects those pages that best meet the searcher’s intent: to provide the searcher with the most efficient solution to their problem (or the best answer to their question).

The Whole Page Algorithm decides the number of Blue Links or Rich Elements that appear in the search results. The Whole Page Algorithm assesses additional factors such as the user’s location, device, and search history.

Why? The Whole Page Algorithm knows that the “Blue Links” form the basis of the SERP, and the other elements merely replace or extend the original Blue Link result.

What is the Role of the Blue Link Algorithm in SEO?

The Blue Link Algorithm is primarily responsible for providing the Blue Links relevant to the user’s search query. 

The Blue Link Algorithm considers various factors, including the relevance, authority and credibility of the information in the text of the website page, as well as the user’s search query and intent. The Blue Link Algorithm delivers the user with the most relevant and valuable information quickly and efficiently.

The number of Blue Links on the search results page depends on the search intent in the query, the availability of multimedia content such as videos and images and the appropriateness of the available Rich Elements (SERP Features). 

The Whole Page Algorithm assesses the Blue Links, the multimedia and Rich Elements to ensure the SERP satisfies the user’s search intent. 

How does a Rich Element replace a Blue Link?

How does the Blue Link Algorithm fit into Brand SERP Optimisation and Knowledge Panel Management?

When you look at a Brand SERP, the Blue Links appear on the left side of a desktop search result as a part of the “suggestions” the search engine presents for its users’ queries. 

The Blue Links are the foundation of every SERP on modern search engines. Rich Elements are becoming more common because searchers enjoy interacting with them. Search engines know this because they see the results the users engage with.

Even though you can not directly control the Blue Link Algorithm, influencing it as part of your process to optimise your Brand SERP is critical. 

You can do this by providing helpful and trustworthy information to your audience, applying SEO techniques and tactics, and packaging all of this in a way that Google understands. As a result, your brand solution will effectively answer the specific search query of your target customers and prospects.

Even better, as you work to optimise your Brand SERP, you will better understand Google’s approach to search intent for your Entity class, your Entity Equivalent, industry, and geographic region.

Always remember your potential customers are Google’s customers. To reach your audience, you must help Google deliver the best possible results to its customers. And that’s where Brand SERP Optimisation and Knowledge Panel Management help Google satisfy its customers.

At Kalicube, we’ve created a range of resources to help businesses and people like you control the information Google understands about your brand so it presents your brand the way you want it to be perceived.

And you can do it yourself. Get a step-by-step DIY course on Triggering and Managing Knowledge Panels. If that seems too tedious or you do not have time, we also offer a “Done with you service“.

You can train Google, and we at Kalicube have the process. Jason Barnard, The Brand SERP Guy, is the pioneer of Brand SERP Optimisation and has been successfully empowering business leaders to optimise their brand presence in search results and grow their business for xx years.

Book a free call with Jason Barnard to discuss how Brand SERP Optimisation can help you attract more customers.