What is internal linking?
Internal linking is a network of links used within a single site. Internal links allow users to more easily find the content they need. They are also useful to Google’s robots, as they make it easier for them to index the site and reach individual subpages. Internal linking is also intended to help search engines understand the structure of the site, the connections between subpages and the value of individual pages.
What should good internal linking look like?
Internal linking is beneficial to a site if planned properly. Every internal link should be a dofollow link. It is also crucial to thematically match the anchors to the subpages to which the anchor text directs. Linking should look natural and fit the context. Balance and moderation in linking is also important.
Internal linking can consist of:
- Using a main menu with categories to navigate the site structure,
- the use of middle-text links, placed in texts on the site, leading to thematically related texts,
- the use of sidebars, or side elements containing internal links,
- Using tags to find content with similar themes,
- the use of so-called breadcrumbs, i.e., a navigation path that illustrates to the user the path he or she has taken between the home page and the subpage he or she is currently on,
- Supplementing the footer (at the bottom of the page) with a link to contact or information pages.
What impact does internal linking have on SEO?
Internal linking has a great impact on SEO, as it makes the site friendlier for both the user and Google’s robots. Internal linking has the following benefits:
- makes it easier to find content,
- makes it easier to navigate the site,
- Speeds up the indexation of the site,
- reduces the rejection rate,
- increases conversion,
- helps search engine algorithms more accurately analyze the links between subpages,
- Improves the usability of the site for users,
- protects against keyword cannibalization,
- Improves your site’s visibility in search results.
What is worth remembering when using internal linking?
In order for internal linking to be beneficial, its strategy must be well developed. Therefore, it is worth avoiding common mistakes and remembering the key principles of good linking. Here they are:
- The fewer links on a page, the greater their value – too many links look like spam and lower the potential passed to subsequent pages.
- The higher the link on the page, the higher its power – if the link is high up, there is a greater chance that Google’s robots will index it first, which does not mean that you should give up on links in the body of the page or in the footer.
- Links that a user clicks on less often have less value – so care should be taken to ensure that the anchor encourages clicks while not looking like spam.
- Links should not repeat too often – the search engine only considers the first occurrence of a link as part of indexing anyway.
