7 Internal Linking Tips for Newer Websites: A Beginner's Guide
When it comes to building a website, internal linking is like the road map to your digital city.
Just like how a well-planned road map helps drivers navigate a city and reach their destination efficiently, a well-planned internal linking strategy helps search engines and users navigate your website and find the information they need quickly.
At TalktheTalk, we'll dive into the ins and outs of internal linking and give you the tools you need to boost your SEO. From understanding the anatomy of a link to planning your internal linking strategy, we've got you covered.
So sit back, relax, and let's get started on mastering the art of internal linking!
What are internal links?
Internal links are simply links that take you from one page on a website to another page on the same website.
Think of it as a roadmap for your website – it helps your visitors navigate through your site and find related content easily while giving search engines a clear idea of how your pages are related, all to help your site gain a boost in search engine rankings.
And the best part is, they're all on the same website, so you don't have to leave the site you're currently on. So, in short, internal links are like a treasure map for your website, leading users to the best content and improving your website's SEO. They’re different from external links, which link to pages on other websites.
Why are internal links important?
There’s a reason we implement internal links wherever possible when writing high-quality blog posts for our clients. There are a number of reasons why internal linking is a crucial element in your content strategy.
Helps visitors navigate and find related content
Helps search engines understand the relationship between pages
Improves search engine rankings by increasing the number of indexed pages
Allows search engines to crawl the website more efficiently
Can improve user engagement by encouraging visitors to spend more time on the website.
Different types of internal links you should know
When it comes to internal linking, there are a few different types of links you can use to help users and search engines navigate your website more easily.
First, there are navigation links. These are the links you see in the main navigation menu of a website. They’re like the signposts on a road trip, pointing you in the direction of the most important pages on the website. They help visitors and search engines understand the structure of the website and make it easier to find what they're looking for.
Next, there are content/contextual links. These are the links you find within the body of a webpage. They are like the side-roads on a road trip, taking you to related content and helping you discover other parts of the website. They help search engines understand the relevance of different pages on the website and make it easier for visitors to find related content.
Another type of internal link is the footer link. These links you find at the bottom of the website, they’re like the "You Are Here" signs on a map, they guide you to the important pages such as "About Us" page, "Contact Us" page, and "Privacy Policy" page.
Breadcrumb links are similar to the GPS on a road trip, they show you the hierarchy of the pages on a website and allow you to understand where you are and how to get to higher-level pages.
Image links are like secret shortcuts, they are embedded within images on a webpage and can take you to other pages on the website or open a larger version of the image.
Sitewide links, such as a header or footer navigation, are like the main highways of the website, they are present on every page of a website and help users and search engines easily access important pages.
It's important to use a balance of all these types of internal links in a logical and consistent way to make it easy for both users and search engines to understand the structure and relevance of the pages on the website.
Linking to important pages from the homepage
The homepage is often the first point of contact for users and search engines on your website. By linking to the most important pages from your homepage, you can ensure that they are easily accessible and can be found quickly.
For example, you can add links to your "About Us" page, "Contact Us" page, and "Services" page in the main navigation menu of your homepage. This will help users and search engines understand the hierarchy of your website and find the information they need quickly.
Pro tip: Use a sitemap plugin to automatically generate a sitemap and submit it to search engines. This will help search engines understand the structure of your website and crawl your pages more efficiently.
2. Use descriptive anchor text
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. It's important to use descriptive and relevant anchor text when linking to other pages on your website because it gives context to both users and search engines about the page they are going to visit.
For example, instead of using "click here" as the link text, use a more descriptive phrase like "learn more about our products" or "view our services." This will give users an idea of what they can expect to find on the linked page and help search engines understand the content of the page.
Pro tip: Use keyword-rich anchor text when linking to other pages on your website. This will help search engines understand the relevance of the linked page to the content on the linking page.
3. Breadcrumb navigation: Make your site structure clear
Breadcrumb navigation is a type of navigation that shows the hierarchy of the pages on your website. It allows users to easily understand where they are on your website and how to navigate to higher-level pages.
For example: Home > Services > SEO blog writing services is one that’s clear on our site. Take a quick pause to peek at the top right of the screen. Hover your mouse over our Services tab. See? Breadcrumb navigation not only improves the user experience, but it also helps search engines understand the structure of your website.
Pro tip: Use a breadcrumb plugin or code snippet to easily implement breadcrumb navigation on your website.
4. Use internal linking to promote new pages on your website
Internal linking is a great way to promote new content or pages on your website. By linking to new pages or content from other pages on your website, you can increase visibility, pass on link juice (the authority pages have on Google), and help search engines understand the relevance of the new content.
For example, if you publish a new blog post, make sure to link to it from your homepage and other relevant pages on your website. This will help users find the new content easily and help search engines understand the relevance of the new content to your website.
Pro tip: Use Google Analytics to track the performance of new pages and use internal linking to promote the pages that are performing well.
5. Use your blog as a hub of internal link-building opportunities
Blogging is a great way to create fresh content that can be linked to from other pages on your website, which will help keep your website fresh and up-to-date.
For example, you can link to related blog posts from within your blog post, or you can link to your blog post from other pages on your website that are related to the topic of your blog post.
Pro tip: Create a list of keywords related to your blog post and use them as anchor texts when linking to the post from other pages on your website. This will help search engines understand the relevance of your blog post to the rest of your website.
6. Use internal linking to help users and search engines discover other parts of your website
Internal linking can help users discover other parts of your website and help search engines understand the relevance of different pages on your website.
For example, if you have a page about a specific product, make sure to link to related pages such as customer reviews or frequently asked questions. This will help users find more information about the product and help search engines understand the relevance of the related pages to the product page.
Pro tip: Use internal linking to create a logical flow for users to follow through your website. This will help users find relevant information easily and help search engines understand the relevance of different pages on your website.
7. Be consistent with your internal linking structure
Consistency is key when it comes to internal linking. By using consistent link text variations, URL structures, and making sure to add redirects when you make changes to your website's structure, you can ensure that your internal linking is organized and easy for both users and search engines to understand.
For example, if you use the same URL structure for all your product pages and consistently use "View Product" as the link text, it will be easy for users to understand the structure of your website and for search engines to understand the relevance of the pages.
Pro tip: Use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz to audit your internal linking structure, find broken links, and optimize your internal links.
Internal linking is a mandatory best practice at TalktheTalk
By following this guide, you can improve the user experience, increase visibility and help search engines understand the relevance of different pages on your website.
Keep in mind that internal linking is an ongoing process, and it's important to regularly review and update your website's internal linking structure as you add new content and make changes to your website.
At TalktheTalk, every blog post we write for our clients has a few internal links to make the most out of every marketing asset. Get in touch with us if you’d like blog posts written for you with all the best practices in mind.
Happy Optimizing!
