Internal links or inbound links are hyperlinks on a web page that link to another web page in the same domain.
Internal links have a few functions that improve UX (User Experience) and crawlability.
Internal links help users navigate a website. This typically leads to a higher level of engagement and dwell time, as the links can act as a CTA (Call To Action).
Internal links also allow you to outline your information hierarchy and distribute link value to important pages. It also helps build page authority.
Internal links help crawlers discover different pages on your website. This is especially important if you haven’t registered a certain page in your site map.
Internal links ultimately help crawlers find and index your page more quickly, which means higher visibility and increases the likelihood of higher ranking in SERPs.
There are a few different ways that you can optimise your internal link strategy. Below are a few key approaches.
This is a sure-fire way to expand your network of internal links. Creating more fresh and interesting content on your website, means you’ll have more pages to link to.
Forget 'content siloing' or complex layers of pages, this way is simple and more effective.
You need to make sure you contextualise your internal links. Make sure they are related to the content.
After all, you should be catering primarily to the user not the algorithm.
If you include links to relevant pages, the end user is more likely to engage with content elsewhere on your site, which also means a higher dwell time.
It might be tempting to go overboard with internal links, but remember, it’s about quality over quantity. One or two internal links will be more effective than ten. Avoid appearing as spammy.
Using anchor text that is natural and easy to understand is an effective linking strategy. But, remember not to over-optimise, otherwise this will land you in trouble with the Penguin update.
You need to prioritise links that delve deeper into your website’s content rather than providing a link to the homepage, as users should be able to navigate there via breadcrumbs.
In the modern SEO landscape, it is preferable to use dofollow links rather than nofollow links. Linking needs to be natural and have an easy flow throughout your website.
There are tools out there to help you optimise your internal link strategy. Some of these tools include:
It can be a tricky web of different techniques to get internal linking just right across your site. It may be beneficial to get another set of eyes (or more!) on your strategy.
So give us a call! We’ll get you matched with a team that knows exactly what’s up and they’ll help you get the most out of your internal linking.
