When it comes to SEO success via link building, we often overlook the importance of internal links. But let me tell you, these little links play a crucial role in boosting your website's SEO performance and improving user experience.
So, what exactly are internal links?
Well, internal links are hyperlinks (in blue) that connect different pages within the same website.
They serve as signposts, guiding search engines to find your best pages and understand the structure of your site.
But that's not all!
Internal linking also makes it easier for users to navigate your site and provides them with additional resources to explore, keeping them engaged for longer.
A successful internal linking strategy can give a major boost to your website's SEO.
In this guide, we'll dive deep into the importance of internal links for website optimization and how to use them effectively.
Why Internal Linking is Important for SEO?
Before we dive into why internal links matter, let's understand how search engines actually work.
You see, search engines rely on bots to crawl and index websites. And one of the key things these bots look for is the link structure of a website.
Every website consists of both internal & external links.
Internal links are different from external links or backlinks, which connect your pages to other [read: external] websites.
Backlinks serve as a vote of confidence from other websites and help establish your website's authority and credibility.
On the other hand, internal links help users navigate your site easily and also indicate to search engine bots which of your pages are most important.
By strategically using internal links, you're actually helping those bots & users find new content on your site and understand the hierarchy and relevance of your content.
This can significantly boost the chances of the pages youβre linking to showing up higher in SERPs.
John Mueller, Senior Search Analyst at Google, emphasized the importance of internal linking in SEO, saying, ββInternal linking is super critical for SEO.ββ
Additionally, internal links also play a role in distributing link equity - the value or authority that gets passed from one page to another through internal hyperlinks.
So, by linking to other pages within your site, you're essentially sharing this value and giving your website an overall authority boost.
5 Reasons Internal Linking is Good for On-Page SEO
There are many other benefits to using internal links effectively. Let's go through them one by one:
Enhances User Experience with Better Site Navigation
When it comes to optimizing your website, internal linking is more than just an SEO strategy; it's a powerful tool to enhance the overall user experience.
No user relies on a single source of information. People tend to explore multiple web pages to get the information they need. A solid internal linking structure facilitates site navigation through the website content.
It adds value by guiding users to related information reinforcing their understanding. This, in turn, reduces bounce rates & keeps readers engaged - fostering trust and authority.
While it may not directly drive conversions, it is crucial in leading visitors to take your desired actions.
All these metrics signal Google to rank your website higher in SERPs.
Improves Crawlability & Helps Google Index Your Site
Internal links are like a trail of breadcrumbs for search engine bots.
The more breadcrumbs (internal links) you have, the easier it is for these bots to crawl your website's content. Your content gets noticed and listed on Google faster, too!
But there's more!
When you link to important pages on your site, it's like putting a spotlight on them for search engines.
This can make search engines visit those pages more often, so they become even more visible in search results.
Distributes Link Value to Internal Pages
PageRank is a critical factor in SEO. It refers to the overall authority or importance of a webpage.
External links bring trust and equity to your website, and internal linking passes on this link value or link juice from high authority pages throughout the site. It helps drive organic traffic to the otherwise less visible pages on your site.
The greater the number of internal links on a page, the higher its PageRank, the more likely it is to rank well in the SERPs.
However, keep in mind that the internal link should be both relevant and contextual.
Internal Link Text Optimization is Good for SEO
An internal link is a basic HTML string that connects different pages within a website. It looks like this:
The anchor text of the link, or the words you click on to go to another page, provides information about the destination page.
Internal links anchor text should be optimized for keyword searches and relevance.
This way, it helps search engines understand your website better and can lead to higher rankings for the pages youβre linking to.
In addition, it tells users what theyβd be expecting on the page the link is leading them to. This can help to improve user experience on your website.
Help With Site Architecture
A solid internal linking structure can also help you link related pages together, particularly through the homepage; it improves the overall architecture of your website.
Internal link building makes it easier for users and search engine bots to find relevant content on your site.
It also helps spread link juice (or ranking power) around your website, from more authoritative pages to those that need a boostβfurther improving the chances of indexing & ranking for the least visible pages.
Types of Internal Links:
Now that we understand the significance of internal linking in SEO let's look at the different types you can use on your website:
Navigation Links:
As the name suggests, these are links found in the main navigation menu of your website. They provide a quick way for users to access important pages on your site.
Contextual Links:
These are internal hyperlinks within the body of a webpage that lead to other pages on your site. They are usually used in blog posts or articles and are great for directing users to relevant content.
Footer Links:
These are links found at the bottom of a webpage and typically include links to important pages like About Us, Contact, or Terms and Conditions. They also serve as a way for users to easily navigate to other parts of your site.
Related Posts/Products Links:
If you have a blog or an e-commerce website, you can use internal links to recommend related content or products to your readers or customers. This not only keeps them on your site for longer but also helps in cross-promotion and increasing sales.
Best SEO Practices for Internal Linking:
Okay, it's time to take a deep dive into the nitty-gritty of internal linking. What are the best practices for internal linking in SEO? And what mistakes to avoid?
Let's get started!
Create Internal Links Using Descriptive Anchor Texts
Anchor text refers to the clickable (blue) words or phrases used in a hyperlink. Optimizing your anchor text is crucial for effective link building.
When deciding on anchor text, make sure to use relevant and descriptive keywords that accurately describe the content of the target page you're linking to.
Descriptive anchor texts also provide search engines with valuable information about the context of the linked page.
This can help you rank higher in organic search results and ultimately drive more traffic to your website.
When optimizing internal links anchor text:
βΎοΈAvoid using generic anchor texts like ββClick here or Read moreββ as they don't provide any value to users or search engines.
βΎοΈDo not create exact match anchor text with targeted internal links. This is deemed manipulative with link building & might get you penalized by search engines.
βΎοΈUse a variety of long-tail keywords in your anchor texts. These are semantically related to the content and often have less competition.
Now, you might be thinking about where to add the internal links, right?
Well, instead of just throwing them at the end of the article.
βΎοΈLook for opportunities to link contextually, i.e., when the anchor text naturally fits into the sentence or paragraph you're writing.
βΎοΈAlso, keep it concise. This helps keep your link profile natural-looking and search engine friendly.
βΎοΈMake sure to mix up internal links anchor text for different pages on your site - you don't want the same anchor text pointing to different pages. This confuses Google & creates keyword competition or cannibalization.
Add Internal Links From Your Homepage
The homepage has the most backlinks on a website. Meaning it has the highest link authority to pass throughout the website.
A great way to achieve this is by creating a hierarchical internal linking structure. Start with your main pages, i.e., homepage or about page, and then link to relevant sub-categories with deep internal links.
It helps Google crawl and index all the pages it may not know exist. You might want to link it to your new pages or blog posts.
Again, this also makes it easier for users to visit those pages - thus giving an overall boost to your website SEO.
Update Old Articles With New Internal Links
Combining internal linking with content updates can supercharge your SEO efforts. By revisiting and refreshing old articles, you can improve their ranking and create valuable internal link connections.
Here's how you can do it effortlessly:
1. Find an old article published over a year ago.
2. Update old articles with new content at the beginning and throughout.
3. Replace outdated information, facts, and figures.
4. Compile a list of pages published since then.
5. Insert internal links to new pages in your old article - in a contextual and value-added manner.
And vice versa. This is because older (and consistently updated) content pages have better chances of ranking in Google as theyβve established authority and backlinking potential over time.
Remember, always link relevantly, and never force connections.
Add Relevant Links Thoughtfully
Your internal links should be relevant to the content of both the linking and linked pages. Think of it as building a topical authority via topic clusters.
By doing so, you signal to Google that youβve comprehensive expertise and resources around the specific topic, which positions you as an expert in the niche.
Consider this internal link example:
If youβre writing a blog post about "Best SEO Practices," it would be more appropriate to link to a related article on "SEO Tips" rather than an unrelated page like "Social Media Marketing."
This ensures that the links add value to your content and provide a seamless user experience.
Link to important pages
Another thing that will give a boost to your website SEO is strategically linking to high-authority pages with lots of backlinks. This helps pass its authority and link juice to the newer, important pages.
To do so, identify your top-performing [read: ranking] pages and insert links to the related pages you aim to boost in rankings.
Itβs wise to optimize the internal links anchor text: keep it concise and natural.
You can also internally link to the squeeze page or sales page - as long as it makes sense. This will organically drive traffic to the high-converting pages.
The more the conversions, the more the revenue.
In any case, avoid link over-stuffing!
Put Links High Up On Your Page
Ideally, any page on your website should be reachable within three clicks.
Placing internal links at the top helps both users and search engine crawlers to easily find valuable content. This reduces bounce rates and boosts Dwell Time, thereby signaling to Google that your page is a great result for relevant keywords. So, it pushes it up on SERPs rankings.
Link hierarchy matters, too!
The anchor text of your first link holds significant weight, especially in navigation. Users tend to scan from top to bottom, making top-placed links or pages more accessible.
Avoid overloading top placements as it dilutes link equity. For less vital links, consider placing them in the footer or sidebar sections of your site.
This way, you strike the right balance between user experience and SEO optimization.
Only Add Dofollow Links
To efficiently distribute PageRank within your site through internal links, use standard dofollow links.
While this may seem obvious, it's worth noting because some mistakenly apply nofollow attributes to internal links. This can happen due to plugins or bugs that affect internal links.
Nofollow tags have no impact on the ranking of the targeted site and won't be crawled or indexed by Google.
Only with the dofollow attribute can you effectively pass along PageRank and elevate the rankings of linked pages.
Internal Links Per Page
The number of internal links per post varies greatly depending on the length and depth of your content.
However, as a general rule, if you're writing a shorter article, around 2-3 internal links might suffice.
For longer, more in-depth articles, it's beneficial to incorporate 4-5 or even more internal links, as long as they are relevant and add value to your content.
As per Moz, search engine crawlers have a maximum threshold of 150 links per page; beyond this limit, they stop crawling.
This includes all links: external, internal, header, footer, and menu.
Remember, the ultimate goal is to enhance your user's experience and guide them to related content they might find useful, not to overwhelm them with excessive linking.
Internal Linking Mistakes to Avoid
Even with the best intentions and techniques applied, it's easy to stumble upon common pitfalls while working on your internal linking structure.
Let's review a few of the most common mistakes to avoid.
Avoid Excessive Internal Linking & Keyword Stuffing
While internal linking is beneficial for SEO, overdoing internal linking can hurt it. Too many internal links, especially ones that are irrelevant or repetitive, can be seen as spam by search engines.
Steer clear of keyword stuffing your internal links anchor text. While this tactic was once favored by SEO professionals hoping to boost rankings, Google search algorithms now penalize this approach.
Crawl Depth: No More Than Three Clicks
Having too many pages that require more than three clicks to reach is another common mistake.
If there are pages on your site that are buried so deep in the structure of your website, they may not be discovered by search engines at all.
Make sure your navigation structure isn't too complex. Also, conduct an internal linking analysis to find how far away each page is from the home page.
Try to keep it within three clicks, or you could risk having those pages ignored by search engines entirely.
Avoid Nofollow Attributes in Internal Links
One of the most common SEO mistakes is to add a "nofollow" attribute to your internal links. This can cause the search engine crawlers to ignore important pages of your website, resulting in fewer visits from organic search traffic.
Whenever possible, remove any nofollow attributes and ensure that all of your internal links are helping you rank higher by passing link juice through them.
Broken or Redirected Links
Broken links lead to pages that no longer exist. It can harm your user experience and negatively impact your SEO efforts.
Similarly, redirecting users to irrelevant or unrelated pages can be frustrating for readers.
To prevent this, regularly audit your site for broken links and fix them as soon as possible.
Also, make sure to update any redirected links with relevant and updated content to maintain a seamless user experience.
Orphaned Pages
Orphaned pages are those that have no internal hyperlinks pointing to them. These pages are essentially isolated from the rest of your website, making it difficult for search engines to discover and crawl them.
Ideally, new pages shouldnβt go live until theyβve at least one internal link. For that, consider adding a sitemap to your website. This will help search engine crawlers discover your orphaned pages and index them properly.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, internal links should not be an afterthought if you aim to drive more traffic to your site and enhance user experiences. A well-crafted internal linking strategy communicates the relevance and value of your articles to both Google and your users, increasing your chances of higher rankings.
FAQs
How many internal links should I include per page?
Well, there's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. For shorter article, around 2-3 internal links might suffice. For longer articles, up to 2000 words, you can add 4-5 or even more internal links.
The threshold limit is 150 links per page (both external & internal of all kinds). Beyond that, Google wonβt crawl or index your site.
Are internal links backlinks?
No, internal links are not backlinks. Internal links connect pages within your website, while backlinks are hyperlinks from external websites that direct traffic to your site. Both play vital roles in SEO but serve different functions. Backlinks boost authority, while internal links improve site navigation and page importance within your website.
Can internal linking boost the ranking of specific pages on my website?
Definitely!
By strategically linking to important pages from other high-authority pages within your site, you signal to search engines that these pages are valuable - leading to higher visibility in search results.
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