One important aspect of search engine optimization (SEO) that sometimes goes unnoticed is internal linking. Many content creators focus heavily on backlinks, assuming they are the primary drivers of SEO success.
It is true that backlinks to your website have a huge impact on your Search Engine Result Page (SERP) rankings. In fact, a study by Backlinko found that backlinks had the highest correlation to SERP rankings. In search results, pages with more backlinks typically rank higher and perform better.
However, backlinks are not the only factor considered when ranking a particular page. The way search engines crawl and index a website is greatly influenced by its internal linkages. They also have a big influence on navigation and user experience, which are significant for keeping visitors and promoting interaction.
This article explores what internal links are, their benefits for SEO, best practices, and more.
What Are Internal Links?
Internal links are hyperlinks that lead from one page on a website to another inside the same domain. Internal links direct users via a single website, as opposed to external links, which go to pages on other websites.
These connections aid search engines in deciphering your website’s architecture and creating a content hierarchy. They make the site easier to navigate by directing people to relevant material. Internal links can appear in various forms, such as navigational menus, footer links, contextual links within content, and sidebar links.
As stated by Forbes, internal links are a significant part of on-page SEO. Pages may have both internal and external links, and both of them count towards a web page’s total number of links. This number can influence how robots crawl your website and the page’s ranking on SERPs.
For instance, pages that don’t have any internal links linked to them are called orphan pages. This means that regardless of how valuable the content of your orphan page is, it will not be completely discovered by search engine crawlers. Put simply, they do not benefit from an internal link-building structure and can be challenging to index.
According to Diffuse Digital Marketing, orphan pages lack the authority and relevancy signals that inbound links provide. These signals are essential for search engine algorithms and web crawlers.
As a result, these pages have a lower chance of showing up in search results, which lowers their exposure and possible visitors. Orphan pages can also be a sign of a poorly organized website. This has a detrimental effect on the website’s overall SEO health.
Benefits of Internal Linking for SEO
First, it helps search engines like Google discover new content. When a new page is published, internal links from other relevant pages can lead search engine crawlers to it more quickly.
Additionally, internal linking spreads page authority throughout your website. High-authority pages can pass on some of their SEO value to the pages they link to, helping those pages rank better in search results.
Another noteworthy advantage is the enhanced user experience. Internal links can help maintain user interest by bringing them to related content, lowering bounce rates, and extending their time on your website. Search engines receive favorable signals from this user activity, which might raise your ranks.
Additionally, internal links can help improve the relevancy of your content. By linking related articles, you provide context and additional information, which can help both users and search engines understand the depth of your content.Moreover, internal linking offers you flexibility in terms of guiding Google and visitors to important information. John Mueller from Google says that you can decide what is important to you and direct Google to that page. You can decide whether to add a link to the page that earns you the most money or where you are the strongest competitor.
Best Practices for Internal Linking
In order to get the most out of internal linking, you must adhere to recommended practices. First, make sure your internal links are useful and relevant to the user. Links should naturally fit within the context of the content and guide users to related topics that enhance their understanding.
A hyperlink’s anchor text, which might be clicked, needs to be informative and pertinent. Use precise keywords that accurately describe the linked website rather than general statements like “click here.”
Another best practice is to create a logical site structure. Use internal links to connect relevant pages inside the categories and subcategories you’ve created for your content. This facilitates more effective site navigation for both users and search engines.
Regularly updating old content with new internal links can also be beneficial. This practice ensures that even older pages remain connected to the newer content, keeping the overall site structure robust.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Despite its importance, internal linking can be mishandled. One common mistake is overloading a page with too many links. Although there are benefits to internal linking, too much linking might confuse visitors and search engines. Strive for a balance in which the amount of relevant and helpful links does not overtake the text.
Search Engine Land notes that the SEO best practices suggest less than 100 links per page. However, it can still be more when you look at it from the reader’s perspective. Therefore, it is advised to stick to less than 25 links per page, including both internal and external.
Using generic or inappropriate anchor text is another error. For the purpose of giving visitors and search engines alike context, anchor text should accurately represent the content of the linked page. Links pointing to “orphaned pages,” or pages lacking any meaningful content, should be avoided.
These pages can dilute the effectiveness of your internal linking strategy. There are 8 different types of anchor text:
- Branded
- Brand+keyword
- Exact match
- Partial match
- Naked link
- Generic
- Related
- Images
Furthermore, broken links have a detrimental effect on user experience and search engine optimization (SEO) when internal links are not updated. You can make sure your internal connections stay functioning and helpful by monitoring and updating them on a regular basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does internal linking boost SEO?
Search engines find it simpler to index and rank pages when internal links are used since they help them comprehend the hierarchy and structure. Internal linking increases the time visitors spend on each page, decreases bounce rates, and keeps them on the site longer.
How many internal links are ideal for SEO?
There is no secret number of internal links that will ensure higher SERP ranks. As a general guideline, an article of 1500 words should have around three links inside the text. This is to make sure that you’re connecting to relevant pages and that you’re not spamming your visitors with too many links.
How to fix broken internal links?
301 redirects are among the best solutions to repair broken internal links and maintain SEO benefits. In essence, a 301 redirect notifies search engines and browsers that a page has been permanently relocated to a new address. Importantly, the diverted page still receives PageRank from this kind of redirect.
An essential component of SEO that improves user experience and search engine rankings is internal linking. Users and search engines alike can profit from a well-structured website that you develop by using best practices and comprehending what internal links are.
Keeping up with emerging developments in technology will enable you to adjust and keep your competitive advantage. In addition to being a technical SEO strategy, internal linking is essential to building a unified, user-friendly website.