Before any content can rank higher on a search engine result page, it needs links. For those who are not aware of this important secret of SEO, it is absolutely true that Google can easily find your content and website when it is linked to from somewhere on the web.
That is why internal linking is important if you are trying to boost your SEO ranking. Internal links are like guiding users that give Google an idea of the structure of your website. It also shows search engines that your website has what users are searching for.
When you purposely put internal links in different places within your website, it makes it easy for search engines to find and index your content on your website. This process, in turn, increases the SEO ranking of your website.
Continue reading as Unify Wizards delves into the world of internal linking and how it can help your SEO ranking. At the end of this blog, you will be able to use internal linking in the best way possible to increase your website visibility.
What Are Internal Links?
When we mention the word "internal links", it refers to hyperlinks that are able to connect two or more pages together on the same website. In much simpler words, it provides a medium where users can go to another page on the same website to view similar or other content.
In a digital era, where the architecture of a website significantly influences its visibility and user engagement, internet linking has become the cornerstone of search engine optimization strategies. When it comes to improving your website ranking, using the right and effective internal linking is now the key to boosting your SEO.
Why Are Internal Links Important for SEO?
Many people still ask if internal linking is important in SEO ranking. To answer this question, we need to understand and be pretty clear about how Google treats these links so that you know if you need them or not.
Google crawls through a website by following internal and external links using the Google bot. This bot goes to the homepage of a website and starts following the first link that it comes across to understand the relationships between different web pages within the website.
With this, Google indexes, and understands all of the pages on the website. When used strategically, internal links are key for any website owner who wants higher rankings in Google.
Here are some other reasons why internal links are important in your website authority:
- Connect web pages within the same domain.
- Enhance website navigation.
- Distribute website page authority.
- Make the website rank higher in search engine results pages.
- Facilitates website navigation.
- Boosts page authority and Improves site indexing.
Internal links guide website visitors and enable them to discover more content which improves their overall user experience. When you distribute link juice in internal linking, increases the ranking potential, ensuring that more of your pages show up in search results.
Different Types of Internal Links
Navigational Links
Navigational links are a type of link that helps website users have access to different parts of a website. It is one of the most important internal links as they are permanently on your main menu of the website. Navigational links are also the website’s main navigational structure and are often on the top menu, sidebar or main content topics.
Examples of navigational links include the following:
- Footer links (Appear at the bottom of every website)
- Sidebar links ( Use to direct users to related content)
Contextual Links
Contextual links are usually placed inside the body of a website's content to direct someone reading the content to another page on the website. Instead of directing the reader to a larger navigational page, these links direct them to other related content. For example; An "About Us" page content that has hyperlinks to a blog post. This link also helps Google understand how the website pages relate to each other.
The Key Benefits of Internal Link Building on Your Web Page
When you add internal links to your website pages, it helps enhance your SEO strategy. Let us look at how this works:
Improves User Experience
From the blog so far, we can all agree that relevant internal links make your website a better place for users to scroll across and learn. This is especially accurate for the people visiting your website for the first time with no idea of the type of content that you post.
When you make it easy for them to navigate through your website pages and find what they are looking for quickly, it keeps them excited, spending more time on your website and a positive user journey.
Boost Visitor Engagement
When you have internal links on your website, it makes it less likely for users to leave your website and move on to another one. This is because you keep them engaged and provide all the information that they are looking for.
They do not have to go to the website menu to search for other information as the links take them there in seconds. This also means longer page sessions, increasing the time they spend on time on pages and a higher conversion rate. However, you have to make sure your CTAs and conversion actions are properly optimized.
Also, when visitors stay on your website for a long time from Google search, Google automatically knows they find the information they are looking for and the content on your website is valuable.
Educate Readers and Build Authority
By linking to other relevant blog posts on your website, you help anyone who visits your website get more information about your products, services, and industry. They get to have access to in-depth, high-quality blog posts that resonate with their searches. This also shows users your brand’s expertise and authority in the industry.
SEO Link Structure
Internal links are essential for helping search engines understand the structure of your website. Linking content that is related helps crawlers understand page relationships and content hierarchy. This simple yet effective strategy results in better indexing and improves your website visibility in search results.
Internal links also allow search engines to map out your website’s layout and identify topics that are connected to one another. With this, you can rest assured that your overall SEO performance and user experience will increase. Furthermore, it helps new pages that have low ranking gain visibility and spread link equity across your website. This also enhances the SEO effectiveness of your entire content portfolio.
Key Takeaways
- Having well-structured internal linking makes your website rank better on search engines.
- Creating an SEO link structure boosts organic traffic and user experience.
- Google makes use of internal links to discover your website pages and understand its architecture.
- Placing internal links naturally on your website shows Google the importance and relevance of your website content.
- Creating a strong internal linking structure establishes a hierarchy on your website.
Unify Wizard is a leading digital marketing company with expertise in internal link building, growing digital presence and everything that pertains to growing your brand. We are your best shot when it comes to achieving greater visibility and reaching new heights in your bossiness.