When it comes to optimizing your website, internal linking is often overlooked. But it’s a crucial aspect of SEO and can make a big difference in how well your site performs in search engine results. In this article, we’ll go over some tips and tricks for mastering the art of internal linking optimisation.

What is exactly is internal linking optimisation?

Simply put, it’s the process of linking one page of your website to another page within the same site. This helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your site, making it easier for them to crawl and index your pages. Plus, it helps visitors navigate your site, which can improve their overall experience.

Strategies for optimizing your internal linking

Use descriptive anchor text

Anchor text is the text that is clickable when you create a link. It’s important to use descriptive anchor text, as it gives an idea of what the linked page is about. This not only helps visitors understand where the link will take them, but it also helps search engines understand the context of the link.

Here are some tips for using descriptive anchor text:

• Use keywords: Include keywords that are relevant to the linked page in the anchor text. This helps search engines understand the context of the link and can improve your search engine ranking.
• Be specific: Instead of using generic text like “click here,” be specific about the content of the linked page. For example, “Learn more about our services” is more descriptive than “click here.”
• Use action words: Use action words like “download,” “register,” or “buy” to indicate the purpose of the linked page.
• Use context: Use the context of the page you’re linking from to inform the anchor text. For example, if you’re linking from a blog post about SEO, the anchor text should reflect that.

Here’s an example:

• • Improper : “Check out our blog for more information”
  • Proper : “Learn more about SEO best practices on our blog”

Link to relevant pages

Link to relevant pages refers to the practice of linking to other pages within your website that are related to the content on the current page. This helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your site and can improve the overall user experience.

Here are a few examples of how to link to relevant pages:

• When writing a blog post, include links to other related blog posts on your site
• In an e-commerce site, link to similar products or related categories
• In a news website, link to other articles that cover similar topics
• In a service-based website, link to relevant case studies or testimonials

Use hierarchical linking

Hierarchical linking is a strategy where you link to pages on your site in a way that reflects the structure of your site. It helps search engines understand the hierarchy of your site and makes it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for. Here are some examples of how to use hierarchical linking:

• Use your homepage to link to your top-level pages. These are the most important pages on your site and they should be easy to find from the homepage.
• Use your top-level pages to link to sub-pages. These are pages that are more specific and provide more detailed information.
• Use sub-pages to link to deeper pages. These are pages that are even more specific and provide even more detailed information.

For example:

• • Homepage > Services > SEO Services
  • Homepage > Blog > SEO > How to Optimize Your Website for SEO

Use breadcrumb navigation for better internal linking optimisation

Breadcrumb navigation is a type of navigation that helps visitors understand their current location within a website, as well as providing an easy way to navigate back to higher level pages. It’s typically represented by a series of links that appear at the top of the page and separated by a delimiter such as “>” or “/”.

Here are the benefits of using breadcrumb navigation:

• Helps visitors understand their current location on the site.
• Provides an easy way to navigate back to higher level pages.
• Improves usability and user experience by making it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for.
• Helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your site.
• Improves accessibility for users with assistive technologies.

Here are some best practices for implementing breadcrumb navigation:

• • Use a clear and consistent delimiter to separate the links.
  • Use a clear and consistent labeling system for the links, such as “Home > Category > Subcategory > Product”
  • Make sure the links are clickable and take users to the corresponding pages.
  • Use a clear and distinct styling to make it stand out from the rest of the content.
  • Place it in a consistent location on the page, such as the top or above the main content.

Use footer links

Use footer links refers to the practice of adding hyperlinks to important pages of a website in the footer area, which is typically at the bottom of each webpage. This can help visitors navigate the site and improve the overall user experience. It also helps search engines understand the structure of a website and can aid in SEO efforts.

Here are some benefits of using footer links:

• Helps visitors find important pages: Footer links provide a consistent way for visitors to access important pages such as the contact page, about page, and privacy policy, regardless of which page they are currently on.
• Improves overall user experience: By making it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for, footer links can improve the overall experience of using a website.
• Helps search engines understand the structure of a website: Footer links provide a way for search engines to easily crawl and understand the structure of a website, which can aid in SEO efforts.
• Increases visibility of important pages: By placing links to important pages in a consistent location, footer links can increase the visibility of these pages and drive more traffic to them.
• Enhances brand consistency: Footer links can help maintain a consistent brand identity by providing a consistent way to access important pages across the website.

Here are some best practices when it comes to footer links:

• • Keep it simple: Keep the number of links in the footer to a minimum, only include the most important pages.
  • Use descriptive anchor text: Use descriptive text that gives an idea of what the linked page is about.
  • Keep it consistent: Use the same format and layout for footer links across the entire website.
  • Make it accessible: Make sure footer links are accessible to all users, including those using assistive technologies.

Conclusion