Internal Linking Best Practices with Content Strategy

Why are Internal Links important?

Internal linking connects one page on a website to a different page on the same website. They enhance the user experience by aiding in website navigation, prolonging time users spend on the site by linking related topics. This leads to a better experience and thereby increases the likelihood of conversion. Links also establish a crawling path for Google’s bots to effectively index the content and distribute authority and ranking power throughout the site.

Applications of Internal Linking on a Website

Internal links can be separated into two basic buckets: those that are part of the overall site architecture and those contained within copy to enrich the user experience.

Site Structure Internal Links

The first bucket of links, the site structure, are organized to help Google crawl and understand the organization and prioritization of a site. 

They link vertically from a higher-level page to a lower level page and so on down the line forming the shape of a pyramid and are organized in a hierarchy according to importance and specificity of information. 



There are tools like Moz’s Link Explorer that help to get a picture of what your current structure looks like. This can be beneficial by helping to identify hierarchy that may have evolved but no longer makes sense.

In-Copy Internal Links

Our focus for the remainder of this post is the second bucket of internal links: Links included within on-page copy to connect users to other relevant pages on the site. These typically link laterally or to deeper pages and take the shape of a web. They are organized topically to provide easy access to additional resources within the site.


 

Leveraging Internal Linking in Content

Before diving in and linking every word and image on a page, keep in mind a few tips:

• Think about what value it brings to the user experience. Am I including this link because I want to spice up the page, or do I really think this is important for the user to know? 

An internal link is essentially telling a user and Google, “this information is important enough for you to stop what you’re doing and read this other page.” So, choose wisely and have a plan.

• Right along with value is relevance:
  •  Are these topics truly related? If they aren’t, then it’s best not to link them. A non sequitur can derail a session and lead to a bad user experience.
• A good rule of thumb is 3-5 GOOD internal links per body of content. 
  • While best practices dictate 100 links per page, this number also takes into account links in the navigation. So, 3-5 links in the content is plenty.
• Use natural language as anchor text for the link. 
  • Rather than linking an image or calling out the link by saying, “for more information, click here: LINK” simply highlight a word or phrase that makes mention of the linked topic, and insert the hyperlink.
• Utilize internal links to direct the user and Google deeper into the site as opposed to pushing them back to top level pages. 
  • There is little to no value in including an internal link to the Home Page in content. Link to related pages that go into further detail regarding a topic.
• Each page’s primary message should be unique and clear. Utilize internal links to limit repeating the same content on multiple pages. This clarifies to Google which page to serve in the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for related queries.
• Use internal links to answer the “what next” question when navigating through a website. A page that has no internal links in the content is essentially a dead end for a bot and oftentimes for a user. Effective use of internal links guides the user’s next steps on the site.

Internal Linking Bolsters Content Strategy

Internal linking is used in site structure as well as content strategy.

Content strategy is the methodical process of writing and placing informative and well-curated copy on a website. This enhances a deliberate and well-thought out site structure and adds to the user experience by leading users through the site. 

Evidence of effective site structure and content strategy is a user always knowing where they should go next on the site. Internal linking helps to keep users engaged on the site and shows them where the next logical click should be.

Google Values the User

Google assigns more value to strategies that benefit the user. If we keep the user in mind while implementing an internal linking structure, then we are positioning ourselves for success.

Internal Linking strategy can be fun and eye-opening. Strap on your “user hat” and think, “what do I need to know next?” and get to linking! Your user engagement metrics will thank you!