Google Adds Comment Numbers To Sitelinks

by Zoe Piper on March 27, 2009

We’ve noticed Google tweaking the way sitelinks work more and more over the past few weeks. The latest update seems to be that they’re adding the number of comments to some sitelinks:
comments in sitelinks

This example is interesting because the first link really does have 367 comments which is quite a coincidence if Google were tracking something else. The other numbers however don’t match up with the number of comments on the page.

Zoe Piper works for Branded3 as an SEO & PPC guru. Zoe's PPC column appears every week on Blogstorm.

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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

Peter Cooper 27 Mar 2009 at 12:57 pm

I suspect this is a mistake. If Google were going to do this, they’d make the number follow directly on from the link, rather than use the usual second column of site links. Also, notice that the right hand links go to totally different pages to those on the left. I think this is a crawling error.

Lee Colbran 27 Mar 2009 at 12:58 pm

I haven’t seen this myself yet – I like the direction of it though giving potential visitors an insight into where the really juicy blog posts are on any individual site.

I wonder how reactive the comment numbers are to fresh comments being applied to a specific post? Is this why there is a difference in real-time to the numbers listed in the SERPS?

Merrill 27 Mar 2009 at 1:01 pm

It probably matches the number of comments at the time of the last crawl. Google has also started to show the number of posts for forums threads showing in the serps.

Ken the tech 27 Mar 2009 at 3:39 pm

The number the comments appearing for every post listed on sitelinks is depending by last visit the Google spider visits your blog.

simon 27 Mar 2009 at 5:15 pm

i dont know why google include the number of comments in the indexed page, does it look weird and do you think this bring benefit to the searcher?

Ricardo @ NurtureYourWealth 29 Mar 2009 at 2:17 am

I wonder how this will affect people and how they see their searches. Be interesting to see a study noting the effects this has on people psychologically when choosing search results.

David King 29 Mar 2009 at 8:20 pm

Interesting post… thanks for the info!
It’s good to know what google is up to! they can make you more money if you do! :)
Have a great day! Go state! :)

{ 5 tweetbacks }

8 rajauk (Mo Raja) 02/09/2010 at 4:10 pm

Google going nuts! http://tinyurl.com/c3dlhc comments will be posted but not necessarily cached

9 mparent77772 (Marc Parent) 02/09/2010 at 4:10 pm

Google Adds Comment Numbers To Sitelinks

http://tinyurl.com/c3dlhc

10 dannyguk (dannyguk) 02/09/2010 at 4:10 pm

Google Adds Comment Numbers To Sitelinks http://is.gd/pesY

11 patrickaltoft (Patrick Altoft) 02/09/2010 at 4:10 pm

Google Adds Comment Numbers To Sitelinks: We?ve noticed Google tweaking the way sitelinks work more and mo.. http://tinyurl.com/c3dlhc

12 patrickaltoft (Patrick Altoft) 02/09/2010 at 4:10 pm

Google adds comment numbers to sitelinks http://tinyurl.com/c3dlhc

{ 4 trackbacks }

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