More and more Google is focusing on improving users on the website and useful information to users. Internal links play an important role in supplementing information and navigating users, so if you want your website to be appreciated by both Google and users, you should have an effective Internal Linking Strategy.
Table of Contents
What Are Internal Links?
An internal link refers to a hyperlink that connects one page of a website to another page within the same website. Both users and search engines rely on links to locate content on a website. Users use links to navigate through the website and access desired content. Similarly, search engines rely on links to explore the website, and if there are no internal links to a particular page, it will be hard for search engines to find and index that page.
You can use internal links in many places in your post as long as they are useful to users. We do use internal links for anchor text, related further reading, and images. However, using internal links also requires rules for SEO that we should follow, which we will learn about in the section Internal Linking Structure.
Internal Link Example.
Based on the results ThimPress has achieved in using internal linking strategy, we will give examples of internal linking uses that you can apply. For the purpose of user-friendly navigation and search engines.
Use anchor text for lnternal link.
An effective strategy that contributes to a deeper comprehension of your material for both consumers and search engines is to create descriptive anchor text, the clickable words contained within a hyperlink. The depth to which Google understands your website, including its content, page names, anchor text, and more, has a direct impact on the usefulness of search results sent to consumers and prospective customers.
Code example.
<a href="https://thimpress.com/replace-featured-course-image-by-a-featured-video" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">featured video</a>Image example.
In the example in the image above. “featured video” acts as an anchor text. The link pointed to is a link explaining the featured video and how it can be used in the LearnPress classroom.
Use image for internal link.
According to an article from Search Engine Journal – a website that researches how search engines work, said. “Google does their best to understand the content of an image. While a stock photo isn’t going to carry much weight, an original infographic might.”
So we should use images for internal links on a case-by-case basis, or take a look at an example from ThimPress.
Code example.
<a href="https://thimpress.com/improve-your-courses-seo-with-yoast-seo/" target="_blank" rel=" noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://thimpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/internal-link-building-plugin-yoast-seo.jpg" alt="Internal Link Building Plugin: Yoast SEO"></a>Image example.
In the example above. When it comes to Yoast SEO as a plugin for internal linking, I point to a link to a Yoast SEO tutorial for LearnPress users, which is related to the fact that ThimPress customers are usually teachers so we thought this internal link would be helpful.
Other examples.
Another way to use internal linking is to insert articles related to the post the user is reading. Although Google doesn’t appreciate this way of using internal linking, we will still consider using it in cases where there is no anchor text and image available but still beneficial to the user.
Image example.
In the example above. Ahrefs inserted an article on how to reuse existing content on a post related to improving SEO. Obviously, using existing content to produce more related content or create videos based on that content will improve the content and improve the SEO of that website.
Why is Internal Linking Strategy important for SEO?
The benefits that internal linking strategy in general and internal linking in particular can bring to your website include the following benefits.
- Internal links help navigate users to related content.
- Internal links help add the necessary content to the article.
- Internal links help search engines find links faster.
- Internal links help increase the power of links.
- Internal links help structure the website.
Let’s analyze each benefit of internal links with ThimPress, of course we will also have examples to help you better understand the benefits that internal links bring to your website.
Internal links help navigate users to related content.
The first benefit to mention when it comes to internal linking is to direct users to related content. Having too much content on one page can be frustrating for readers. It has long been a time to avoid using wall of text in some cases when it didn’t work.
Using internal links will direct users to related content but does not really need to be included in the article the user is reading. It’s like giving the user a choice, which increases the user’s experience in case the user wants to read about it or not.
For example. In the article on “How to improve SEO for your website” there will be an anchor text “SEO” that explains basic content like “What is SEO?”. In case you already know about SEO and just want to learn more ways to improve it, you will skip this anchor text. However, someone who doesn’t know about SEO basic will find this anchor text useful and may want to learn more about it.
Internal links help add the necessary content to the article.
The content that Google appreciates is the content that provides detailed and useful information for users. Using internal links will add necessary information to the article and guide users to explore your website longer, from which Google will evaluate your information more useful than websites without internal links.
For example. In the article about “Internal Link Building Techniques for Website” I used related articles to clarify and help users discover more content like.
- The Best 10 Internal Link Building Plugins for SEO.
- The Best 10 Internal Link Building Tools for SEO.
Internal links help search engines find links faster.
Internal links will make it easier for search engines like Google and Bing to find your article. Usually you will have to be a website with a high domain authority for search engines to prioritize crawling your website first.
However, if you already have a crawled page and that page has a link to the post you just posted, then through crawling the previous page, the links in the page will be discovered and indexed by the search engine.
To better understand How Search Engines Work, you should read our’s article. In addition, in the article, there are some best ways to help you optimize your website to be more search engine-friendly.
Internal links help increase the power of links.
Google refers to “Link Juice” as a definition of link power. An article with many relevant internal links will be appreciated by Google in terms of content and make that article more valuable than other articles.
At the same time, the links in that article will enjoy a part of the value of that article, this applies not only to internal links but also to external links and backlinks.
Internal links help structure the website.
Using an internal linking strategy also helps to structure the website in a certain pattern.
The main pages and aggregate the content of other pages are often called Pillar Pages, and they play an important role in the hierarchy of other pages.
You can look at the example below for details on how Pillar Pages works.
How to build Internal Linking Strategy.
To build an effective internal linking strategy. We recommend preparing content creation methods such as content mapping or keyword mapping. This ensures that the website’s articles will revolve around certain content and keywords, so the relevance of the articles will be guaranteed.
To go into detail how to build internal links for seo, ThimPress will analyze with you the useful and right ways to do internal links.
Identify the main content on your website.
The first step in building an internal linking strategy is to identify the main content on your website. This includes the top-level pages that provide an overview of your products or services. These pages are usually linked to from your homepage, and they serve as the primary entry point for your visitors.
For example. if you run an e-commerce website, your main content might be your product categories, such as “Men’s Clothing,” “Women’s Clothing,” “Electronics,” etc. Identifying this content is important because it will form the basis of your internal linking structure.
Evaluate the priority of the content on your website.
Once you have identified your main content, the next step is to evaluate its priority. You should determine which pages are the most important and which pages are less important. The priority of your content will affect how you link between pages.
For example. your homepage is likely the most important page on your website and should be linked to from every other page on your site. On the other hand, a blog post about a minor topic may not require as many internal links.
Implement content mapping or keyword mapping.
Content mapping involves grouping related content together and linking them internally. Keyword mapping involves identifying the keywords that users are searching for and targeting those keywords with relevant content.
By implementing content or keyword mapping, you can ensure that your internal linking strategy is organized and targeted. This also helps search engines understand the relationships between your pages.
Identify the destination page you want to point to.
When linking internally, it’s important to have a clear destination in mind. You should identify the page you want to link to and ensure that the link is relevant to both the context and the destination page.
For example. If you are writing a blog post about best education themes for WordPress, you might want to link to your “Education Theme” category page as the destination.
Use keywords as the anchor text.
When creating internal links, it’s important to use relevant keywords as the anchor text. This helps search engines understand what the destination page is about and can improve the ranking for those keywords. In additional, using keywords as anchor text will be more effective because the content of the article is often built around the keyword.
For example. Instead of using “click here” as the anchor text, you could use “education WordPress themes” as the anchor text when linking to your “Education WordPress Theme” category page.
Add links that are relevant to the context.
Internal links should be relevant to the context of the content. This means that you should only link to pages that are related to the topic at hand.
One important thing to remember is not to include links that are not related to the anchor text. That behavior is said to deceive users and can be severely penalized by Google and affect your domain authority.
For example. If you are writing a blog post about SEO, you might want to link to your “SEO Tool” category page or a blog post about SEO tips.
Use strong links to support the new page.
As we discussed in the section on the benefits of internal links. Strong links are links that carry more authority and influence than regular links. By using strong links, you can help increase your new page’s visibility and ranking.
For example. you can use an article titled “Best 10 Education WordPress Themes,” which is highly rated by Google on the SERP, to link to an article about your education theme review to boost your review post.
Add related content in the related post section.
Adding related content in the related post section at the end of your blog post can also help improve your internal link structure. This provides additional links to related content on your website, which can help improve the visibility and ranking of those pages.
Use link performance measurement tool.
Measuring the performance of your internal links is crucial to ensure that your strategy is effective. By using a link performance measurement tool like Ahrefs, SEMrush, MOZ and more, you can track how many clicks each internal link receives and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Regularly check for broken links.
Finally, it’s important to regularly check for broken links on your website. Broken links can negatively impact your SEO efforts and frustrate your visitors. By identifying and fixing broken links, you can ensure that your internal link structure remains effective.
You can also use the tools mentioned above to find broken links. If you are just starting to build your website, a piece of advice from ThimPress is to do good On-page SEO and avoid changing URLs. We can redirect the link but Google does not recommend it.
Key takeaways.
- Internal links are hyperlinks that connect one page of a website to another page within the same website. They help users navigate and search engines index content.
- Internal links can be used for anchor text, related further reading, and images, but should follow SEO rules.
- Anchor text in internal links should be descriptive and provide a deeper understanding of the content.
- Images can be used as internal links on a case-by-case basis, and original and relevant images have more value.
- Internal links help navigate users to related content, add necessary content to articles, help search engines find links faster, increase the power of links, and structure the website.
- Building an effective internal linking strategy involves identifying main content, evaluating content priority, implementing content or keyword mapping, using relevant anchor text and contextually relevant links, using strong links, adding related content sections, measuring link performance, and regularly checking for broken links.
Frequently asked questions about internal links.
ThimPress will answer some of the most common questions about internal linking strategy based on the most common questions asked on Google.
How many internal links per page for SEO?
The number of internal links you should include on a page depends on a few factors. There is no hard and fast rule, but generally, it’s best to keep the number of internal links to a manageable level and avoid overloading your pages with too many links.
A good rule of thumb is to aim for at least three internal links per page. This helps search engines better understand the relationship between your pages and can improve the overall user experience by guiding visitors to related content that they may find useful.
However, keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to internal links. Make sure that each link is relevant and adds value to the content on your page. Avoid adding unnecessary links, as these can actually hurt your SEO efforts by diluting the importance of the links that truly matter.
How to check internal links of a website?
To check the internal links of a website, you can use a variety of tools such as Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush.
Google Search Console provides a free and easy-to-use way to see all of the internal links on your site. Simply log in to your account, select your website, and navigate to the “Internal Links” report under the “Links” tab. Here you will find a list of all the internal links on your site, including the URLs of the pages they point to.
Ahrefs and SEMrush are paid tools that provide more advanced features for analyzing internal links. These tools provide information about the strength and quality of your internal links, including metrics such as domain authority and page authority. They can also help you identify broken or orphaned pages on your site, which can negatively impact your SEO efforts.
Difference between internal link and external link?
Internal links are links that point to other pages on your own website. These links help users navigate your site and can also help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your content.
External links, on the other hand, are links that point to pages on other websites. These links can be valuable for SEO if they come from high-quality sites in your industry. By linking to authoritative external sources, you can demonstrate to search engines that your content is relevant and trustworthy.
It’s important to note that while external links can be useful, they should not overshadow your internal link strategy. Your primary focus should be on building a strong internal link structure that guides visitors through your site and helps search engines understand the importance of each page.
Start building your own Internal Linking Strategy.
In conclusion, understanding the importance of an effective Internal Linking Strategy is essential for enhancing user experience and improving your website’s visibility. By strategically incorporating internal links throughout your content, you can guide readers to related information, add depth to your articles, facilitate search engine discovery, strengthen the authority of your links, and create a well-structured website that is easy to navigate.
Happy link building.
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