It's safe to say that in digital marketing, SEO is that one thing that determines a business online visibility. Yes, there are others of course, but SEO has gain popularity and it's an ever evolving method that helps lots of businesses gain more customers. While many elements contribute to a website's SEO, internal linking stands out as an essential yet often overlooked component. Let's delve into how internal linking can be a potent tool to boost page authority, and why you should prioritise its correct application.
What is Internal Linking?
At its core, internal linking refers to hyperlinks that connect different pages within the same domain. These links are critical in providing a pathway for users to navigate and discover more content on a website. However, beyond this obvious use, internal linking carries significant SEO weight.
Why is Internal Linking Important?
Enhanced User Experience: The primary purpose of a website is to serve its users, and internal links facilitate that. They guide visitors, helping them delve deeper into topics, find related content, or navigate the website with ease. In essence, a good internal linking strategy improves the user journey and keeps them engaged for longer.
Improved Site Structure: Internal links create a hierarchical structure, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index pages. The clarity in this structure helps in better content categorisation and showcases the important pages to search engines.
Distributing Page Authority: Not all pages on your website will have the same level of authority. Some might garner more external backlinks, and thus, higher authority. Internal links allow you to spread this authority across your site, giving newer or less-visible pages a boost.
Boosting Page Authority through Internal Linking
Page authority is a metric, developed by Moz, which predicts how well a specific page will rank on search engine result pages (SERP). While external links from reputable websites are a primary factor in increasing page authority, internal links play a crucial role too. Here’s how:
Anchor Text Optimisation: The clickable text in a hyperlink, known as anchor text, gives search engines contextual information about the linked page's content. By using descriptive and relevant anchor text for internal links, you can improve the relevancy of the connected pages. This subtle optimisation enhances the authority of the linked page, signalling to search engines that it's valuable and relevant.
Promotion of Deep Content: Often, deeper pages (like blog posts) may not get as many external backlinks as homepages. However, they are crucial for showcasing expertise and providing value. By internally linking to these deep pages from higher authority pages, you can channel some of that authority and improve their ranking potential.
Decreasing Bounce Rate: A well-implemented internal linking strategy can engage visitors longer by encouraging them to explore more content. The longer they stay and the more pages they visit, the lower your bounce rate. A reduced bounce rate is often associated with higher site quality, which can indirectly boost the authority of individual pages.
Facilitating Content Clusters: With the rise of topic clusters in SEO, internal linking becomes even more valuable. By creating content clusters around a central pillar content and linking related articles (satellite content) to this pillar, you emphasise the core theme of your content. This structured approach can significantly boost the authority of all pages within that cluster.
Best Practices for Internal Linking
To harness the power of internal linking effectively, consider the following best practices:
Use Natural Anchor Text: Over-optimising anchor text can look spammy. Make sure that the anchor text flows naturally within the content.
Prioritise Relevance: Link pages that are contextually related. Forcing irrelevant links can confuse both users and search engines.
Avoid Overlinking: While internal linking is beneficial, stuffing a page with too many links can be counterproductive. Focus on providing value and maintain a balanced link-to-text ratio.
Regularly Audit Internal Links: Broken links or those leading to outdated content can hamper user experience. Regularly checking and updating your internal links ensures they remain effective.
In the complex world of SEO, internal linking might seem like a simple tactic. However, its implications on user experience and page authority are something to look out for. By treating internal linking as a strategic plan and continually optimising, businesses can create a cohesive website that serves users and search engines alike. Remember, every link matters – especially the ones within your own domain.
