Internal links are hypertext links that lead to different domains in the domain in which they exist. In general, internal links point to a different page within the same website. Internal links are useful for building site architecture and for distributing the capital of the links.
It is extremely important to use internal links in SEO practice, as Google uses internal links to discover new content on your website. Suppose you forgot to link to a new web page from another place on your site.
If the page is not on your Sitemap and there are no links to it, then Google will not know it exists. The reason is that their search engine can’t find it. It is therefore essential that you use internal links on your website to assist Google in this regard and, as a result, to benefit SEO.
How do you use internal links?
The process behind the use of internal links is simple to look back on, but it becomes more complex as you delve into the theoretical process behind it. There are a few key steps you need to take around when using internal connections.
You need to create a lot of content on your website. You can’t have strong internal links if you don’t have content to link to as well. Creating keyword-rich content with lots of anchor text will help the Google web crawler find all your internal web pages.
Use only links that are natural to the content reader. Adding too many links to a paragraph will seem confusing to the reader and will most likely lead to exiting the page rather than clicking on internal links.
It is better that the connections are clear and at a reasonable amount. Making sure you include only relevant links is also important, as additional connections that serve no purpose will waste user time and may result in the loss of leads.
Types of internal connections
Although you have the simple forms of internal links found in footers, headers, and navigation bars, there are other types of internal links. Attachment text, for example, is a form of internal linking in which links are made from pieces of text in the content of the page.
This is a very useful form of internal linking because it not only provides the Google web crawler with a discovery resource, but also allows users to easily view and open a relevant web page based on what they are reading.
Nofollow connections are another form of internal connection, in which the internal connection can be set to have a “nofollow” tag. This essentially tells the Google web crawler that this link leads to an unimportant page (such as a login page).
These nofollow links are used for internal links that are irrelevant to SEO. The “Noindex tag” can also be set to tell Google not to display the page and not to give the content a place in its index to appear in search results. There is also a “dofollow” tag, which does the opposite of the “nofollow” tag, telling google that it should go to this page.
Best practices
Here are some best practices to follow when making internal connections:
- Link to important pages, high-traffic to high-conversion pages, and high-ranking pages to near-high-ranking pages
- Don’t use too many internal connections
- Do not use the same link for 2 different pages
- Use keyword for heavy anchor
- Place internal links high on your page and wherever it helps the reader
- Manage your internal connections and make sure none of them are broken
What are the advantages of internal connection?
There are three main purposes behind the use of internal connections; Assists website navigation, defines the architectural structure and hierarchy of your website, and ensures that the site allocates authority and ranking authority.
You need links to rank your content. Google finds your content best if it’s connected from a place on the web. Internal links link your content to the structure of your website and show Google the organization of your site. Internal links can be used to establish a hierarchy on your site, giving the most important pages / publications a higher value of the link than other, less important pages.
When you have the right internal links, you can direct visitors and Google to the most important pages of your site. Therefore, using an internal linking strategy will stimulate your SEO!
Conclusion
A strong internal linking strategy when working with your website can greatly stimulate your SEO and lead to more results and potential customers. It will help users navigate your website, which can lead to more conversions, and provide Google with a wider range of access resources when ranking your website, which will lead to more search results.
Therefore, if you are hoping to further strengthen the SEO of your websites, you should consider using internal links to their full potential. Connect with SEO experts from Nifty Marketing Australia today and watch how SEO thrives.