Google Lists Best Practices For Read More Deep Links via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google updated its snippet documentation today with a new section on “Read more” deep links in Search results. The section outlines three best practices for increasing the likelihood that a page appears with these deep links.

What A Read More Deep Link Is

Google defines the feature as “a link within a snippet that leads users to a specific section on that page.”

The examples in the documentation show the link appearing inside the snippet area of a standard Search result.

The Three Best Practices

Google lists three best practices that can increase the likelihood of these links appearing.

First, content must be immediately visible to a human on page load. Content hidden behind expandable sections or tabbed interfaces can reduce that likelihood, per Google’s guidance.

Second, avoid using JavaScript to control the user’s scroll position on page load. One example Google gives is forcing the user’s scroll to the top of the page.

Third, if the page uses history API calls or window.location.hash modifications on page load, keep the hash fragment in the URL. Removing it breaks deep linking behavior.

More Context

Read more deep links are one type of anchor URL that appears in Search Console performance reports. John Mueller previously addressed those hashtag URLs, confirming that they come from Google and link to page sections.

Before today’s addition, the documentation was last revised in 2024. That change clarified page content, not the meta description, as the primary source of search snippets.

Why This Matters

For websites, the new guidance outlines what can increase the likelihood that a Read more deep link will appear.

Pages using accordion UI patterns, tabbed content, or forced-scroll JavaScript may reduce that likelihood. Teams working with single-page applications should ensure that hash fragments remain in URLs during page loads.

Looking Ahead

This is a documentation clarification, not a new SERP feature. Read more deep links have appeared in Search for some time. What’s new is the written guidance on how to increase that likelihood.

Developers working on JavaScript-heavy sites should test how their pages handle scroll position and hash fragments on initial load. Today’s update provides clearer signals on what can reduce the likelihood of a “Read more” link appearing.

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SEJ STAFF Matt G. Southern Senior News Writer at Search Engine Journal

Matt G. Southern, Senior News Writer, has been with Search Engine Journal since 2013. With a bachelor’s degree in communications, ...