Internal Linking: 6 Best Practices for SEO
So you want to improve your site’s SEO but aren’t sure where to start. Internal linking is one of the best ways to optimize your site for search engines like Google because it helps them crawl and index your website faster and more accurately. Internal linking also helps boost your site’s health, helps users navigate your site and discover new content, and more. If you’re looking for a quick, actionable way to improve your site’s SEO, read along to learn about internal linking throughout your website.
What Are Internal Links and Why Are They Important for Seo?
Internal links point to other pages within your domain rather than to pages hosted on other websites. These links guide users to other pages or content on your site that’s relevant to what they’re already looking into.
Additionally, internal links help Google find, index, and understand all of the pages on your site. If you use them strategically and accurately, internal links can transfer page authority to important pages. All of this combines to help increase your search rankings and, ultimately, site traffic.
6 Best Practices for Creating Internal Links
When updating your site with internal links, keep these best practices in mind to make them as effective as possible.
1. Use accurate, keyword-rich anchor text.
Anchor text refers to the words you select and attach the hyperlink to. Make sure to include a keyword in your anchor text, especially the keyword you’re tracking for the target page, but make it as natural as possible. Google and users alike want to know what the page being linked is about, and clear keywords communicate that effectively.
Avoid using phrases like “click here” as anchor text as this isn’t informative and comes across as spammy to search engines. Try to mix up your key phrases when placing internal links across your site instead of using the same one.
Here’s an example:
There are many talented female science fiction and fantasy authors that you should consider reading.
The next time you want to link to that page within your site, you could change up the anchor text to read “sci-fi and fantasy books written by women” or “female science fiction and fantasy authors to read right now.”
2. Link FROM your highest-performing pages.
When you want to direct more traffic to new or specific pages on your website, link from your highest-performing pages with the most traffic. This technique works especially well with new pages that you want to get traction on, like a new blog post or service page. Not only will this increase traffic to your target page, but it will also transfer some of the root page’s authority to the target page.
What’s authority? Page and domain authority are quantifiable scores on a 100-point scale that tells search engines how trustworthy and qualified your website is. Page authority can be difficult to influence and is largely based on the number of incoming links to your website.
The homepage is usually the most authoritative page on your website, so link strategically to important pages from your homepage to pass that authority along. Adding links to important pages in the footer is an easy way to do this without cluttering up your homepage.
3. Link TO high-priority pages.
Whenever you post new content or update a page with new information, make sure you go back to existing pages and link to that new page. This transfers authority and points traffic to that new content.
Does this mean you need to review your site every time you post new content? Well, yes. But this isn’t as time-consuming as you think (unless you have hundreds of pages on your site). The good news is that there are tools that make it easier to identify internal linking opportunities. SEOquake and Yoast SEO are two powerful tools that help with this.
4. Don’t use the same anchor text to link to different pages.
This is confusing to users and search engines alike. When linking to a page on your site, you want to use precise anchor text every time (see point #1). Even if you have pages on your site that are similar in content, try to use nuanced anchor text when linking to those pages.
Here’s an example:
You can browse samples of my contracted work or check out content I’ve written for myself.
5. Put internal links at the top of your content.
Ideally before any external links. Higher link placement reduces bounce rate and gives users something to do on your page early on. Search engines tend to give priority to the first link within any given content, so you always want that first link to be to another page on your website if you can help it. This commonly looks like placing an internal link within the introduction or first body paragraph of a blog post.
Sometimes, it won’t make sense to have an internal link as your first link within your content, especially if you need to cite statistics or give context to your post. As long as it’s the exception, not the rule, that’s completely acceptable.
6. Don’t get too link happy.
Though there’s not a hard-and-fast rule, 5-10 internal links for every 2,000 words on a page is a safe ratio to stick to. But remember, always consider what’s going to be most helpful for the user. A handful of really relevant, naturally placed internal links will always be more effective than twenty random links placed back-to-back. Google recommends that you stay under 100 links per page so your site can be indexed properly.
Final Thoughts on Internal Links
Improving your internal links throughout your website is a great way to boost SEO and increase traffic to your website. By following these best practices, you should be able to help users better navigate your site and even see some increases in traffic.
Need help with internal linking? Reach out to me! I’d love to help you optimize your website so you can better serve your customers.
