Are you still under the impression that search engine optimisation is all about building links to your website?
Think again!
While external links (also known as backlinks) still play a crucial role in SEO, they’re not the only factor that needs attention.
In fact, internal linking can be just as important for SEO, if not more so, than external link building. There's a good chance that your using them on your website, but just don't know it.
If you want to know how to get the most out of the content of your pages for SEO, you'll need to understand how internal linking works, why it matters, how to add them and the best placement of them.
In this article, I’ll tell you how you can create an effective internal linking strategy to help improve your search engine rankings.
Internal hyperlinks links one page of your website to another page within the same domain. This helps search engines understand the hierarchy and relationships between your pages, which can help improve your overall SEO.
This differs from external links, that are hyperlinks pointing to a page on a completely different website.
Try to think about your own website. Up at the top of the page, you probably have a menu that links to other pages on your site, like your About, Shop, and Contact pages. Commonly referred to as the ‘main navigation’. This setup of internal links is crucial for SEO because it helps build your site's structure and boosts the value of your links.
Let’s take a deeper look.
Internal linking offers several benefits for SEO, and here are just a few:
Internal links help users easily find what they're looking for on your site. By connecting related pages, you guide visitors through your content and keep them interested.
When search engines explore your site, they use internal links to discover new pages and content. A solid internal linking structure helps search engines index your pages more efficiently.
Internal links can spread page authority, or "link juice," across your site. This means high-authority pages can boost the rankings of pages with lower authority.
By guiding users and offering them relevant content, you improve their experience on your site. This can lead to more engagement, lower bounce rates, and higher conversion rates.
Ultimately and most importantly…
By enhancing your site's structure and making it easier for search engines to understand, internal linking can contribute to better rankings in Google search results.
That's how you create some good old-fashioned link juice!
Alright, let's get down to it. The nitty-gritty.
Here’s what you came here for.
How do you actually go about internal linking? What's the best way to get the most value from your links? And how many internal links should you include on each page for optimal SEO?
Let's break it down.
Before you start linking pages, it's crucial to organise your website's pages into a hierarchy. Think of it like sorting your pages into categories and subcategories based on how important and relevant they are. This way, you create a clear and logical linking structure that search engines can easily follow and understand.
When you're linking pages, make sure to use anchor text that clearly describes what the linked page is about. This means using keywords and phrases that accurately reflect the content of the page you're linking to. It helps users know what they're clicking on and gives search engines a better idea of the context and relevance of the linked pages. Just remember, don't always use the exact keyword or phrase you're targeting on the next page, and avoid making it look spammy!
It's important to link pages that are related in terms of content and topic. By doing this, you create a logical and helpful linking structure that guides users smoothly through your website. This not only enhances user experience but also helps search engines understand the relationship between your pages.
While internal linking is key, it's also important not to go overboard. Avoid linking to every single page on your site, as this can make things confusing and cluttered for users. Instead, focus on linking to the most important and relevant pages. We usually aim to keep it to no more than three links per section.
As your website grows and changes, it's essential to regularly update your internal links. This means checking them for accuracy and relevance and making updates as needed. By doing this, you ensure that your internal linking structure stays effective and useful for both users and search engines. You might need an SEO tool to help you keep track of this.
To see the power of internal linking in action, let’s take a look at a few examples.
First, let’s look at the website for Moz, a leading SEO tool provider.
If we navigate to their blog, we can see that they use internal linking to guide users through their content.
For example, not only do they provide links to related content, as well as links to other categories and tags at the bottom of each blog post, they also put links within the article itself to older posts or guides.
Another example is TION Global Ltd, a website we worked on a couple of years ago.
You’ll see as you navigate through their website that not only do their blog posts interact with each other, but their main service landing pages do too. To give TION’s audience the best experience possible, we wanted to direct their users to the best information out there, whether it was a guide, experience, or relevant products.
These examples demonstrate how internal linking can be used to improve website navigation, increase crawlability, distribute page authority and improve user experience.
Obviously, following best practices is pretty important. So, that means it's just as important to steer clear of some common pitfalls when it comes to internal linking too.
Here's a few mistakes to watch out for:
Backlinks are still needed for SEO. It's still a good thing to do. But when done right, it can cost a lot of money and to be honest, not all websites need to do it. The key is to know when and why. Blindly building links without addressing fundamental issues, is like pouring water into a leaky bucket.
So before you look to build links, audit your website and ask yourself why you might need to build external links.
One of those audits should be your internal linking structure. Honestly, don't underestimate the power of internal linking.
Well-structured internal linking not only guides users smoothly through your website, but also provides search engines with clear, relevant information.
This can significantly boost your overall SEO and enhance the user experience without the need to spend money on backlinks.
To make the most of internal linking, remember these key tips:
By sticking to these best practices and steering clear of common mistakes, you can develop a robust internal linking strategy that truly delivers results for your site.
If you're eager to dive deeper into the world of internal linking, there are plenty of resources available online.
For instance, check out this insightful article from Search Engine Journal where John Mueller talks about the importance of internal links.
Additionally, Moz offers a comprehensive guide filled with best practices and real-world examples of effective internal linking.
These resources can provide you with more detailed strategies and tips to refine your approach.
