If you own and run your own website, SEO is likely to be on top of your mind. After all, if no one can find your website on the web, it won't be very successful!
But why do some websites rank higher than others in search engine results pages (SERPs)? What is their formula?
As website owners, we are constantly trying to find ways to make our sites more visible and increase traffic. While external link building is essential for website ranking overall, internal links are equally important for SEO success.
So why does internal linking matter, and how should you go about using it?
Let’s take a closer look.
What are Internal Links?
First things first—what are internal links? An internal link, or inbound link, is simply a hyperlink from one page to another within the same domain.
For example, if you have a blog post about ways to optimize your blog on your website and you link to an article about effective SEO strategies that you wrote previously - that’s an internal link. Just as I demonstrated, those are actual contextual links.
Internal linking is also when you link web pages for your site's navigation. Think of it like a bridge between pages within the same domain—it helps visitors move and find related content quickly and easily.
Why Are They Important?
Internal links are a vital aspect of SEO and website optimization, enabling search engine crawlers to quickly navigate the site while forming relationships between internal pages and posts. Better yet, properly placed internal links can significantly propel your website's organic search rankings!
Plus, visitors will find what they need in no time, making their experience on your page more seamless.
Still not sold? Check out these six compelling reasons to switch your opinion!
#1. Improve Crawlability
When you interlink your website's pages, it makes it simpler for search engine crawlers to track down new content. Googlebot (Google's web crawling robot) can quickly uncover new pages on your site when it frequently visits to check if something has changed or been added recently.
This will give Google a better idea of how content is connected throughout your web page and ensure that all relevant information gets indexed efficiently!
And we know that the more indexed pages you have, the better! There is an excellent chance of your site showing up in SERPs when someone searches relevant content or keyword, or phrase associated with your business or industry.
Road to higher organic rankings in SERPs it is!
#2. Increase Page Authority & Rankings
Internal linking also means you are essentially passing authority from one page to another within that domain name — this helps increase trust signals, leading to improved rankings over time (without spamming too many outbound external links, of course!).
But remember, it's crucial not just to link internally between webpages but also to make sure those webpages are adequately optimized with quality content so they will stand out amongst competitors who aren't doing this correctly or not at all!
#3. Boost Referral Traffic
Strategically-positioned internal links will drive site traffic from one page to the next.
This will make it effortless for visitors to discover what they're searching for without having to navigate away from your website or constantly use their browser's back button (which Google does not like!).
Furthermore, having users be able to access extra content through these links will inevitably cause your website's rankings on SERPs to rise and draw in a more significant amount of organic impressions and clicks!
#4. Improved Relevance
Search engines utilize internal links as indicators to accurately define the relevance and ranking of a web page in SERPs based on its topic or subject matter.
Having multiple properly placed internal links pointing to important pages within the same website is likely a sign of its relevance, which gives it an edge over other pages that don't.
This can boost your page's search engine rankings and improve its visibility online!
#5. Create Hierarchy & Structure
Establishing hierarchies and structure through internal linking simplifies navigation for users and search engine optimization.
How? When done correctly, internal links used as website navigation offers users a straightforward pathway to explore the components of your brand or business. This helps them feel comfortable navigating the various sections of content or products/services offered by you.
Not only does this make it easier to understand the web layout or site structure, but this goes a long way toward helping you rank better in organic searches!
#6. Enhance User Experience
By providing clear and relevant internal navigation links on each page, you will be encouraging your website visitors to explore more of its content. This improved user experience can help to build trust in your brand or product.
Plus, since it is easier for your visitors to explore your website and find what they’re looking for quickly and easily, this keeps them staying on your site longer, giving them more opportunities to become customers or clients!
#7. Increase Engagement Time
As mentioned, internal linking keeps users engaged with your website or content longer by encouraging them to explore other relevant topics or products within your site as opposed to leaving after viewing just a single page on average (aka bounce rate).
The ultimate result? Visitors stay on your site longer and click additional web pages and content, which will lead to higher pageviews - a double win!
How Can I Make the Most Out of Internal Links?
At this point, you are no doubt certain that internal links have immense value. But how can you optimize them correctly?
The key here is quality over quantity – don’t just start randomly linking words together!
You should think carefully about which words should be linked together and why. Your internal links should help Google understand what each page is all about by guiding them through related topics that link back to other relevant pages on your website.
But how can you do it effectively? Here are five tips to keep in mind.
#1. Make Sure Your Links are Relevant
The ideal internal links are those that have a meaningful connection to the page they link from and the page they link to!
By utilizing this approach, you can more easily guarantee that visitors remain on your website longer while they discover related content and topics.
#2. Stick with Anchor Text
Utilizing anchor text (refers to the clickable words within a hyperlink) effectively can help improve visibility and attract more website visitors.
When creating anchor texts, make sure you include relevant keywords that give potential readers an idea of what information they will find when they click through to your page.
This way, you'll have a better chance at improving search engine rankings while providing users with helpful links!
#3. Keep it Natural
Don’t stuff too many irrelevant or unrelated links into a single piece of content!
Too many unrelated or forced-in links will feel unnatural and drive users away from the website. Make sure to keep them natural for maximum benefit!
#4. Use Clean URLs
Clear, concise URLs make navigation a breeze for both users and search engines, providing them with the necessary knowledge of where each link will take them before clicking.
#5. Regularly Update Your Links
Last but not least, don't forget to frequently ensure that all your internal links are functional!
If you come across broken internal links or outdated information, take swift action by either replacing the content or removing it completely.
Wrapping It Up
Internal linking strategy is an often overlooked component of SEO strategy but offers numerous benefits like increased visibility and improved user experience, which both lead directly to higher levels of traffic & sales conversions!
From improving crawlability to increasing engagement time and boosting referral traffic, there are numerous benefits associated with using internal linking tactics on big and small websites!
When carefully executed, it can offer immense advantages in optimizing your website to rank higher on search engine platforms like Google and other search engine results pages (SERPs). Without a doubt, internal linking for SEO is essential for any successful business plan. But remember– quality over quantity always wins!
If you need further assistance with optimizing your website's internal and external links, consider reaching out to Bizladder today!
Our team can assist with link architecture, anchor text, keyword optimization, and more - helping every step of the way. We want to make it easier for you to get the most out of your online presence!
Let's get started now on taking your business further into an enhanced digital space!