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For your website to be ranked after indexing, it is important to work on the links more so internal ones. It is these links that tell search engines where to find you. They also give the search engine algorithms an idea of what your site structure is about. Check out billlentis.com/what-is-seo-meta-description.
In this article we shall explore what internal linking is in detail and how it can work for you. In the meantime, you can watch the following video to learn more about SEO internal linking:
Interlinking Explored
Internal links in a nutshell are simply hyperlinks that show pages that are on the same domain, according to MoZ .As has been highlighted above, these links help search engine algorithms find you on the web. Additionally, these links also help establish the value of the content contained in pages according to Yoast SEO.
Therefore, building these links can be immensely helpful in establishing page authority for important pages, according to Ahrefs. With that being the case, you must be meticulous in how you go about it so that you can get higher rankings on search engines.
How to Make Internal Links Work For You
In this section, we shall explore the best practices that will make the internal links work for you.Moderate Use of Keyword-rich Anchor Text
Backlinko says you can get away with using ‘exact match’ text in your anchor text. Google supports this assertion by pointing out that use of these word in internal links will not hurt you.Sure you can use them keyword rich anchor text but only in moderation otherwise you risk coming across as spammy as Yoast says. There is a thin line between appropriate use and keyword stuffing. Trudge it carefully.
Link Important Pages
Work on creating pages with relevant and useful information to visitors and link with it. This will in turn send page authority to that page enabling it to rank higher in search engines.Use Different Internal Link Anchor Text
This is important because it helps search engines make the distinction between two or more different pages. Use different descriptive anchor text to make pages stand out during indexing.Audit Internal Links Regularly
Keep an eye out on the internal links you have set up with SEO management tool like Google Search Console. This audit will help you tweak those areas that need solving.From the information gleamed from the console, you can set up links from the most popular pages on the site.
Put Your Links High Up The Page
Strive to links up on the top portion of your page. This make it convenient for them to click on quickly and they are more likely to spend a lot of time on your site.Dofollow Links
Use dofollow links in your internal links to send PageRank. In your SEO management platform, look at those links because some platforms send nofollow links. Make the necessary adjustments if the internal links turn out as nofollow links.Internal Links During Indexing
When you have loads of content to be indexed, search engines will index only a portion of your site. Internal links coming into play when you want to prioritize the pages you want indexed and ranked.This is because internal links make pages easily locatable. Hence, it is should give you something to think about as far as your site is concerned.
Linking From The Homepage
Use your homepage as kind of hub from which to originate internal links. It is this page that has the most authority in your page and as such, you should work to make it so by linking to other pages from there according to Neil Patel.Avoid Automation
There are a couple of reasons you should avoid automating links altogether as documented by Shaun Anderson.For starters, there is no leeway for strategic placing of links. They wantonly place links without even thinking about the quality and strategic places to place.
Another reason is that these links are susceptible to anchor text spamming. Automated link generators tend to go overboard with the text.
Finally, these generators do not account for users who are looking for related content on a site. They just are likely to link random and unrelated pages putting the whole convenient user-experience at risk.
Internal Links Are Your Site’s Architecture
It has been cursorily mentioned above that internal links give search engines an idea of what your site’s structure is like. Well, it is these links that make up the site as a whole and hence require a substantial amount of care while constructing them.Not only do they link one page to another, but they also link categories. Hence, the constant reiteration about care during their constitution and construction.
Keep The Links Within A reasonable Number
It is very easy to get carried away with developing internal links. However, overdoing these links might wind up being a waste of time because they do nothing to add value to the site.Strive as much as possible to provide links that will be of value to visitors who come to your site.
Keep An Eye Out For Mobile Versions Of Your Site
As much as Google says it is okay to have disparate structures for desktop and mobile versions of your site, most experts say keep those pages similar. It is easier to be ranked higher that way because you come across as consistent.Never leave that process to chance whatsoever. Check the versions from time to time with a view of making them as similar as possible.
Check the first links and duplicate internal links. Search engines will only count the first links if there is a duplicate. It is usually not a big deal to have two but it is neater just to have one.