When we talk about internal links in website content, we are talking about Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
The question:
“Are internal links important for SEO?”
The answer is, yes! Very important!
Therefore, beginner bloggers who want to know more about internal links and want to know how to optimize them, please read this article until the end!
What is Internal Link?
An internal link is a hypertext (text containing clickable links) that points to a web page within the same domain.
The code example of the internal link implementation:
<a href=”https://seoincrease.xyz/” title=”Anchor Text”>This phrase is an internal link</a>
How Important are Internal Links for SEO?
When implemented correctly, internal links are useful to help Google find, index, and understand each page on your website.
The following are also some of the reasons why we should optimize internal links:
- Allows users to navigate through the website
- Helps provide link equity (ranking power) between web pages
- Provides a hierarchy of information on the website
The most important reason why we need to utilize internal links is because a link to another page is a form of recommendation to that page.
The existence of internal links means that we are recommending that other page, and it becomes one of the factors to increase the ranking of that page in search engines.
Difference between Internal Link and External Link
If internal links are embedded links that point to the same domain, while external links are embedded links that point to different domains, also known as outbound links from websites, or backlinks received by other websites.
How to Optimize Internal Links
Internal links can be a very useful step to get the expected SEO results.
Here are some tips for optimizing internal links for your website:
- Plan and Implement Site Architecture
- Internal links are part of site architecture, but internal links are not site architecture.
- Plan the site architecture carefully.
Understand what pages and what kind of content when compiling a simple site architecture, for example: homepage > category > subcategory > sub-subcategory > final content.
Although site architecture connects more categories with categories, it is still an internal link that helps users and Google to find and understand your website more deeply.
When users feel at ease, that’s where good user experience (UX) is created.
Coupled with Google understanding your website better, that’s where your website has the potential to get high rankings.
Use Keywords in Anchor Text Appropriately and Naturally
How to make Google and users know the content of a link?
The trick is to enter anchor text.
Friends are advised to use natural (not manipulative) anchor text that describes the content of the embedded internal link.
For example, you want to embed a link from a page that discusses “improving SEO”, then friends should be able to describe the page by entering the anchor text “learning seo for beginners” or “how to improve seo in the google search engine”.
Link to Important and Relevant Pages
Internal links can provide link authority to the intended web page, and make the page potentially get a good ranking.
Therefore, make sure the web pages you want to include as internal links are web pages that you think are important, relevant, and you hope the content will get a high ranking on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page).
For example, your website has a video editing service page and also an FAQ page, which page do you expect to rank high?
Don’t forget to make sure that the internal link from the destination page is a relevant and useful page for users, and not a page that has a different context or even contradictory.
Avoid Using the Same Anchor Text for Different Pages
Why not use the same anchor text for different pages?
Because it will be confusing for Google and humans, and they will assume the pages discuss the same topic.
For example, there are 2 pages:
- Low-calorie dark chocolate that contains low-calorie ready-to-eat dark chocolate products
- Dark chocolate bars containing dark chocolate products for baking.
It is best not to use the anchor text “dark chocolate” to refer to both pages, as the meaning of “dark chocolate” here is too general, while there are 2 pages that are both about dark chocolate with different uses.
