Internal links are hyperlinks that direct users to other pages on the same website. They provide excellent value to your site by making it more visible to search engines, helping users to navigate easier and increasing your ranking on Google. Internal linking is one of the many techniques that digital marketers use to improve your SEO and optimise your website.
So why are internal links important for SEO and how does link-building work?
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Understanding Internal Linking
What are internal links?
In a nutshell, an internal link is a link from one page to another on the same website. All websites have internal links, but not all websites have strategic and well-executed internal linking structures as a part of their marketing strategy (this is a perfect example of an internal link!).
If utilised to its full potential, link building can boost your website’s overall performance in terms of search engines and improve the ranking across your site. Internal links can be compared to pawns in chess, they are often underrated, but if used correctly, you can turn them into powerful players in your SEO strategy.
How do internal links differ from external links?
Put simply, internal linking occurs when you have a link to another page on your website. An external link is a link from your website to another site (or vice versa). In other words, internal linking is when you link to your pages, while external links are directed to pages on other websites or domains.
The Importance of Internal Linking for SEO
Improved Website Navigation
Internal links can help improve website navigation by making it easier for users to find the information they are looking for. When you link to related pages within your website, you are creating a network of interconnected pages that users can easily navigate through. This can help keep visitors on your page thereby reducing bounce rates.
Establishing Information Hierarchy
Establishing information hierarchy means organising your content in a way that makes it easy for users to understand the relationships between different pages. And internal linking can assist with this. For example, you could link to your blog posts from your homepage, and then link to individual blog posts from each other. This would help users understand that the blog posts are related to each other, and that they can find more information on a particular topic by clicking on the links.
Distributing Page Authority
Page authority is a measure of how important a page is on a website. It is determined by a number of factors, including the number and quality of backlinks a page has. By making use of internal links, you’ll be able to distribute page authority throughout your website (known as PageRank) through linking to important pages from less important pages. This can help improve the ranking of all of your pages in search engines.
Encouraging Crawling and Indexing
Search engine bots use internal links to crawl and index your website. This means they follow the links on your website to find new pages to add to their index. If you have a well-structured website with many internal links, it will be easier for search engine bots to crawl and index your pages. As a result, your website’s ranking in search results will get higher.
Best Practices for Internal Linking
When internal linking is implemented effectively, Google will be able to find your website better, index your pages and display your site in relevant search results. And ultimately lead your target audience to your website. It’s important for your existing site to undergo an SEO audit to identify opportunities for the below internal linking best practices.
Anchor Text Optimisation
Anchor text is the clickable text that appears in a hyperlink. Using keyword-rich anchor text can help both search engines and potential customers navigate your site better. But it’s important to avoid over-optimisation and keyword stuffing.
Relevant and contextual links
Internal links pointing to another page in your site sends link authority to that page. These internal links are not as powerful as links from external websites but they still help. For this reason, smart SEO experts take note of how many internal links your site has and strategically link to important pages that are relevant and high-priority.
Avoiding Broken and Orphaned Links
It’s crucial to regularly check for broken internal links – links that no longer point to a valid page. These can be frustrating for users and can also hurt your website’s SEO. Fixing or removing links promptly will improve the user experience and prevent Google from penalising your website.
What is internal linking trying to achieve?
A good internal link structure strengthens the overall search-engine-optimised value of a website. Internal linking across your website achieves this by providing clear paths for Google’s search engine crawlers and a tight-knit network of web pages and posts. In theory, by creating clear navigational paths with internal linking, you should also increase the time that users spend engaging with your website.
Unlock the power of internal linking
Now that you know the importance of internal linking, it’s time to put a strategy into place!
As your dedicated SEO agency, we bring professional SEO services to the forefront, leveraging our expertise and knowledge to enhance your site’s Google ranking. Internal linking is just one of the many techniques in our arsenal designed to optimise your online presence.
Curious about how well your website is currently performing? Take the first step towards improvement by requesting your FREE SEO audit. Our comprehensive analysis will unveil insights into your site’s strengths and weaknesses, and we’ll provide tailored recommendations to boost its performance.
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