Best Internal Linking Practices
Internal links are an important part of any website’s search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. They help search engines understand the structure and content of your website, provide users with additional navigation options, and can even increase page rankings on search engines.
When used correctly, internal links can be extremely helpful in improving a website’s SEO performance. But the all-important question is how you use internal links cleverly rather than making your website more confusing (and frustrating for users!). Don’t worry, we’ve listed some tips.
Benefits of Internal Links
Before the advice, however, let’s talk a bit about why internal linking is so important. For one, it helps search engines better understand the content on your website; this, in turn, helps search engine bots crawl your website more efficiently. That improved crawling performance means search engines can index pages on your site more quickly and accurately.
Internal links also help visitors navigate your website more easily because they provide a roadmap, directing visitors to other important pages on your website. This results in improved dwell time and a better user experience overall, which can improve the chances of your content being found online.
As an SEO agency will tell you, these benefits are tangible and worth exploring this year – if you don’t have time yourself, work with King Kong.
Internal Linking – Best Practices
When it comes to best internal linking practices, there are some key rules to follow.
1. Use descriptive anchor text: Internal links should include keywords that accurately describe the content of the page being linked to. This will help search engines understand what the page is about, and can even have a positive impact on rankings.
2. Link to relevant pages: Links should go to pages that are relevant to the topic of the page you’re linking from as this helps visitors find related content and keep them on your site longer.
3. Use a logical structure: When possible, use a hierarchical structure to organize your internal links so it’s easy to find related content. For example, this includes organizing your links by categories, sections, or topics so visitors can easily find what they’re looking for.
4. Make sure every link has a purpose: Every link should have a specific purpose in mind and help visitors find what they’re looking for. If you don’t think a link is necessary or it doesn’t add any value to your page, it’s best to leave it out. Often, businesses go over the top with their internal linking and it can make the page difficult to read.
5. Get help if you need it: If you’re not sure how to structure your links or determine what pages should be linked, there are plenty of tools available that can help. Using a tool like Ahrefs or Moz can help you find the best internal linking practices. Failing that, hire an SEO agency and you won’t need to worry about a thing.
6. Monitor your links: It’s also important to keep track of your internal links and make sure they are all working correctly. You should take note of any broken or outdated links, as this can affect your website’s rankings in search engine results pages. If you find any broken links, update or delete them as soon as possible.
7. Invest in link analysis tools: Link analysis tools can help you identify which pages are linked to the most, and how effective your internal linking strategy is overall. Some of the more popular tools include Majestic SEO, Moz’s Open Site Explorer, and Ahrefs. These tools will also provide you with valuable insights into the link structure of your website, as well as other websites competing for the same keywords.