Internal links are hyperlinks that connect a webpage to another page on the same website. They’re essential such that they can help improve a website’s SEO and user experience. All you need is a regular audit from a reputable SEO company to make sure your internal links can be crawled or can take advantage of the SEO value of other hyperlinks.
Here, we’ll show you the real value of internal links and briefly explain their importance in your marketing initiatives.
User experience
A good interlinking structure offers a functional navigation bar and a drop down menu which has links to relevant topics. They’re designed to satisfy user intent and encourage SEO-rich website interaction. The goal is to make the visitor stay on your site for a long time with the hope that he or she will complete a sale.
Link authority
Internal links can increase backlink authority from one page to another. They’re useful for new web content or articles which virtually don’t receive right away any sort of authority or recognition. With the help of deep links coming from your homepage or cornerstone page, you can have your new web content ranked higher or indexed faster.
Here are some of the best practices when it comes to using the internal linking structure:
- Follow a pyramid formation. Let your homepage rest at the top — directly beneath cornerstone pages or category pages that link to product pages or relevant blogs.
- Place a relevant link in your content that would serve as a source material to your readers. Be wary of irrelevant links as they result in bounces and likewise disrupt user experience.
- Consider bolding content links so they’ll visually stand out from the rest.
- Make sure your webpage doesn’t contain broken links. If possible, place your links on a sidebar to relevant webpages or at the end of articles. This has been found effective in keeping users to interact with your site.
- Optimize your anchor texts by making sure they reflect the topic or the title of the landing site that’s being linked to. Also, ensure keyword variations in the anchor text structure to prevent the latter from being tagged as spam.
- Make your call-to-action button big, bold, and optimized for various devices. It should also be available on each webpage so it can be easily clicked on by users.
We can help you
Get the most out of internal links by refining them to help increase the effectiveness of your marketing strategies. With years of experience in SEO, Drive Traffic Media can help you succeed in your digital marketing endeavor. Contact us today at (949) 800-6990 and we’ll discuss ways to strengthen your online presence.