Do you want to boost your blog in search engines? Here are 8 Good Tips for Internal Linking to help you get started.
1. Use descriptive anchor text for links
The anchor text is the clickable part of a link. It's important to use descriptive anchor text when you're linking to other pages on your website.
In other words, you should use keywords in your anchor text that describe the content you're linking to. This helps both search engines and users understand what the linked-to page is about.
For example, if you're linking to a page about SEO, you could use the anchor text “learn more about SEO” instead of something generic like “click here.”
Using descriptive anchor text is a simple yet effective way to optimize your internal links and improve your site's SEO.
2. Use a good number of internal links in your content
Make sure you're using enough internal links in your content. You don't want to go overboard, but you do want to use enough that you're providing a good user experience and helping search engines understand the structure and context of your website.
A good rule of thumb is to include at least one internal link in every paragraph of your content. But you can use more or less depending on the length and depth of your content.
3. Link to older posts
Not all of the internal links in your new blog post should point to cornerstone content. You should also link to other, older blog posts. This will show that your current blog post is part of a larger whole, and it will also help to boost the SEO value of that older content.
If you want to link to an older post, make sure that the older post is still relevant and that it is not outdated. If it is, consider updating it with new information or rewriting it. And if you can't find any older posts to link to, consider writing a new one!
4. Use the right links in the right places
The link text, or anchor text, that you choose is important for SEO. It should accurately describe the page you're linking to and be relevant to the topic you're discussing in the main content.
For example, if you're writing a blog about the benefits of social media marketing, you might link to your social media services page with the anchor text “social media services” or “what are social media services?”.
You should also avoid using the same anchor text for multiple links on the same page, as this can confuse search engines and make it difficult for them to understand the context of your links.
5. Use the right link colors
The colors you choose for your internal links can have a big impact on your site's user experience.
If you use the same colors for your links as you do for your text, people may not be able to easily find them on the page.
On the other hand, if you use colors that are too bold or bright, your links may be distracting and take away from the rest of your content.
In general, it's a good idea to use a color that's different from your body text, but that still fits in with your site's color scheme.
For example, on the WordStream website, we use a dark blue color for our internal links. This color stands out from our black body text, but it's not so bold that it's distracting.
6. Use links in your sidebar
The sidebar is another place on your site where you can use internal links.
You can use links in your sidebar to direct your visitors to other pages on your site that they might be interested in, or to promote your own products or services.
Just be sure to keep your sidebar links relevant and don't overdo it. If you have too many links in your sidebar, it can make your site look cluttered and unprofessional.
7. Watch your commenters
If you have a blog, you will get comments. Some of them will be good, some of them will be bad, and some of them will be really, really long. But some of them will also be useful. Useful commenters will add their own thoughts to what you have written and will also include a link to their own related blog. This is a great way to find new blogs and new authors to link to.
I have found some great writers this way. I have also found some great blogs. And I have also found some really terrible blogs. But the great thing is that you don't know what you are going to get until you click on the link.
8. Use an SEO site structure
Your site's structure is the way you organize and connect your webpages. A good site structure is crucial to good SEO and it helps Google understand the context of your pages.
A well-organized site structure will have a clear hierarchy of pages, with your homepage at the top of the pyramid and more specific pages at the bottom. You should use your site structure to help you decide which pages to link to.
For example, if you have a blog post about your products, you should link to your product pages in that post. This will help Google understand that your blog post is related to your product pages and it will help those product pages rank higher in search results.
Conclusion
Internal linking is a great way to boost your SEO and keep your readers engaged on your website. It's a simple strategy that can make a big difference.
It's important to not only have a solid internal linking strategy but also to have a strong content marketing strategy. If you need help with either, we're here to help.
At Readcity, we specialize in content marketing and SEO. If you're ready to take your content marketing to the next level, check out our content builder tool.
With the content builder tool, you can create high-quality, SEO-optimized content in half the time. Check it out today!
