Internal linking is one of the most important aspects of on page optimization. It helps Google and other search engines better understand your website structure and the topics that you are trying to rank for. When done correctly, internal linking can also pass link equity (or “link juice”) from high authority pages to your desired target pages, which can result in improved rankings.
Why should you create internal links on your website for SEO?
There are several reasons why you should create internal links on your website for SEO:
1. Internal links help spread the link equity (or "link juice") around your website. This can help improve your website's overall rankings in search engines.
2. Internal links help visitors navigate your website more easily. This can keep visitors on your website longer, which can improve your website's overall rankings in search engines.
3. Internal links help you target specific keywords and phrases on your website. This can help improve your website's rankings in search engines for those keywords and phrases.
4. Internal links provide a way for you to "deep link" to specific pages on your website. This can help improve your website's search engine rankings for those pages.
How to create internal links on your website?
There are several ways you can create internal links on your website:
1. Add links to your website's main menu. The most effective way is to use the main menu bar at the top of your website as a way to connect all of your pages together.
2. Add links to your website's sidebar. This is a good way to provide links to specific pages on your website.
3. Add links within the text of your website's articles and pages. This is a good way to target specific keywords and phrases.
4. Use anchor text to create links to specific pages on your website. Anchor text is the text you use to create a link. For example, if you want to link to the home page of your website, you would use the anchor text "Home."
6. Use footer links to create links to specific pages on your website. But you must follow the correct strategy around this or it can have zero impact!
7. Finding related pages on your website: One of the best ways to find related pages on your website is by using the site: operator in Google. For example, if you wanted to find all the pages on my website that are about SEO, you could type in site:www.example.com SEO. This will return all the pages on my website that are indexed by Google that include the term "SEO."
8. Anchor text: When creating internal links, be sure to use anchor text that accurately describes the page you're linking to. This will help Google better understand the content of your pages.
9. Utilize breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs are a great way to help users and crawlers navigate your website. They also help to indicate to Google which pages are the most important on your website.
10. Use HTML5: HTML5 provides a number of features that make it easy to create internal links, including the ability to create custom anchors and specify target attributes.
11. Use subdomains: If you have a lot of content on a particular topic, it can be helpful to break it up into multiple subdomains. This makes it easier for Google to index your content and helps to target specific keywords more accurately.
12. Use canonical URLs: If you have multiple pages that are essentially the same, you can use canonical URLs to tell Google which page is the original and which are duplicates.
13. Use 301 redirects: If you decide to move a page on your website, be sure to use a 301 redirect to point the old page to the new page. This will help to keep any link juice (PageRank) that the old page had transferred to the new page.
By following these simple techniques, you can improve your website's internal linking structure and help your pages rank higher in Google search results.
Some best practices to follow:
👉 Link to-from Relevant Pages on Your Website
👉 Link to Important Pages
👉 Don't use the same anchor text for two different pages
👉 The higher the link the better
👉 Use Follow Links
👉 Use the homepage to link strategically
Internal linking isn't difficult. All you need is a logical, hierarchical site architecture and for your internal links to follow it. That's the basics—you may then strategically link from your most important pages to those that require some SEO assistance.
Talk to an SEO Expert
We work with businesses like yours. Book a slot now to talk to an SEO expert.
