What is Internal Linking?

Internal Linking And SEO

For those of you who have bumped into this website, you may be wondering: What are internal links in SEO?

You need internal and external links if you want your website content to be found in search results. However, external links are essential for Google to better identify your posts and pages. Internal links, albeit not as prominently promoted as external connections, still significantly influence a website's success. Your website's hierarchy, the prominence of individual pages, and Google's understanding of the site's structure can all be improved by using these tags.

What exactly is internal linking?

As a rule of thumb, internal links point to other pages on the same website. For two main reasons, this on-page internal connection is made. First, a link to a page cannot be found if no other pages point to it, which is why search engines depend on links to get around a website. As a second point, these links are used by users to navigate the site and find the content they want.

There are a wide variety of internal links to choose from. These are some examples:

  • Homepage
  • The menu links
  • Backlinks in the footer
  • Links in the footer
  • Feedback
  • Links based on context

Why are internal links important for SEO?

In order to find and rank the most relevant information, Google employs a variety of strategies. Links are an essential part of every website. The more high-quality external links a website has, the more likely it will rank well in Google's search results.

Internal linkages are also relevant in this sense. You can direct Google – and your site visitors – to the essential pages on your website by strategically using internal linking. The nicest part of this is that, as the site owner, you have complete control over the internal links you employ.

Links to other websites

When thinking about internal links, the first thing that comes to mind is navigational links. All of your website's navigation links can be found here.

In the menu at the top of a website, these navigational links often point to the essential portions of the site. It is also possible to use the footer to include additional navigational links. The reasoning behind this is that the footer might serve as a last-ditch effort for a user who has exhausted all other options on a page.

These internal links serve as a visual cue of the essential web pages for search engines.

Links based on context

What's the point of internal link building if it doesn't include contextual links? But first, let's take a look at what this form of link looks like.

One of the most common types of contextual links is one that is embedded in the content of a website page. Consider the following example:

As part of our managed search engine optimization initiatives, Creative Labs helps our clients better grasp an internal link and how to best utilize it. 

You can notice in the highlighted text that we've placed this internal link under "controlled SEO efforts." In addition, there at the bottom of this page directs anyone interested in learning more about these SEO initiatives to the relevant page. In the eyes of Google, this provides link equity to the page that manages the search engine optimization campaigns. What a deal!

Make sure you don't go crazy with your relevant links. For example, aim for a maximum of five high-quality internal links in a 1,000-word blog post. For navigational links and other links, this will ensure maximum effect.

Anchor text's significance

When constructing contextual links, the anchor text is a keyword or keywords used. For example, the anchor text was "managed SEO efforts in the preceding case." There are various elements to keep in mind when selecting this text.

To begin with, you must choose the correct anchor text. There are several choices, including:

  • Using an "exact match" is employed in the case mentioned above. This is the case when the anchor text matches the page's title.
  • As the name implies, this is a version of the linked-to page term. For example, say that you're referring to a "content writing services" page. "Content writing services pricing" could be a partial replacement.
  • The URL itself is the anchor in a "naked" link. An example is click intelligence.co.uk.
  • "Creative Labs" goes to our "About Us" page.
  • A frequent term or phrase is used in generic anchor text. "Read more" or "Click here" could be examples of this.
  • If you want to use "content writing services" as an example of a natural anchor text, you could write "we provide content writing services."

If you would like your internal links to be SEO-friendly, avoid using generic anchor text. For example, a "Click here" may entice visitors to the page, but it isn't ideal for attracting Google's notice.

Creating appropriate anchor text is the first step in creating a successful link. Ideally, the link should be relevant to the page's content it is placed on. The anchor text should not be extraordinarily keyword-heavy or long.

An example of an anchor text link

Internal link failures and the resulting damage

Internal links that don't work are a big problem. A link that doesn't go you anywhere is referred to as a "broken link." Unfortunately, your site's link equity will suffer more and more as you gather broken links.

The great news is that a wide variety of tools are available to help you perform an internal link audit. This way, you'll be able to identify and fix any problems before they have a significant impact on your SEO efforts.

If you have a WordPress website, a plugin makes the process simple. Once you have the Broken Link Checker installed, all you have to do is keep an eye out for broken links on your site and remove them.

Conclusion

Labeling units are the lifeblood of any creative lab. They provide a place for brainstorming, testing out new ideas and countless other aspects that go into producing successful finished products! 

Creative Labs have their own set up within our building which allows them to stay focused on coming up with fresh concepts while also being able work efficiently as groupies. We love every project thrown at us so if this sounds like something you could use help with feel free stop by or give us a call anytime.

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