Even though the concept of internal linking is extremely simple, the process, as well as best practices, can be particularly complex. However, there are no two opinions on how vital it is for search engine visibility and organic traffic generation. Some internal linking ideas that both SEO newbie and professionals can readily use:
Internal Linking – Definition and Purpose
An internal link is a connection between two or multiple pages on the same website. There are three main reasons why internal linking is used; as a navigational aid, to define the website architecture and hierarchy, and to distribute the ranking power and authority across the website. The value of internal linking lies in it being able to provide distinct paths for web crawlers to follow, to tightly knit together the pages of the site, and to promote website stickiness.
Techniques of Implementing Internal Linking
1. Create Voluminous Content:
Having a large amount of information that can be distributed across different pages is a prerequisite for creating a large number of internal links. When you have a lot of content that can potentially be linked, you can implement a powerful internal linking strategy. As the SEO consultant explains, strategies for internal linking do not have to be necessarily complex; you just need to plan out lots of links pointing to lots of useful content.
2. Implement Deep Links:
There are far too many sites that have links just pointing to the homepage. It is a far better idea to point to different internal pages so that they can be strengthened for enhancing the overall site SEO. Most SEO or content marketing novices attempt to provide links to the content page from all their CTAs asking users to make further inquiries. It is better to avoid the practice of linking to a top-level page that is already linked by the main navigation menu of the website. The best links are those that occur naturally deep in the site structure.
3. Make the Links Natural:
It is advisable to keep in mind that the real purpose of internal link building is to assist users in locating information that is useful. A very useful side effect of internal linking is that it serves to improve the level of user engagement by delivering information that he is most likely to find relevant while on any particular page. If the link appears in a natural context, the user is more likely to follow that link to derive more value. In the process, the user stays longer on the site and becomes more immersed in the experience being delivered by the site. For example, if you offer legal help to the married couples, then you may write an article on this subject for your blog and link it to the “services” section of the website.
Conclusion
The way to build a stronger internal link profile is to build a large library of useful content and place links wherever it is relevant and natural in the browsing process. Keep the requirement of the user in mind and do not attempt to overly complicate it.
Gangadhar Kulkarni, owner of web development company is a Internet Marketing Professional having extensive experience in SEO & SMO. He is also founder of seogdk, a digital marketing blog where he shares information about SEO, SMO, SEM, blogging & web technologies by way of articles.
