Website owners often ignore internal linking on the website content, even though internal linking is a very important factor in search engine optimization (SEO). With proper use of internal linking, it can greatly benefit your website’s ranking in search results and also improve user experience. In this article, we’ll share some internal linking tips that can help optimize website SEO You.

Read Also: Definition, Types, Benefits, and How SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Works

What is Internal Linking?

Internal linking is the practice of linking pages on your website using hyperlinks. In the context of SEO, internal linking means linking pages on your website to other relevant pages on the same domain.

Users usually click on certain text called anchor text to move from one page to another on the website via internal links. The purpose of internal linking is to facilitate user navigation, help search engines understand the structure and content of your website, and strengthen links between linked pages.

Internal linking has several benefits in terms of SEO. First, internal linking helps search engines index your website pages better. When search engines visit your website pages, they will follow internal links to find other linked pages. With good internal linking, search engines can reach pages that may not be directly linked to the main page.

Apart from that, internal linking also helps increase the relevance and authority of the pages on the website. When you link related pages with relevant anchor text, search engines will understand the relationship between those pages. This helps search engines understand the topics you cover and gives a signal that those pages have important value.

In addition to SEO benefits, internal linking also provides a better user experience. With relevant and well-organized links, users can easily explore relevant and related content on your website.

You can include internal linking by selecting relevant keywords as anchor text and linking to related pages. By utilizing internal linking and choosing relevant keywords as anchor text, you can strengthen the relationship between interrelated pages on your website and help search engines understand the topics being discussed.

The following are some tips that can help you make effective use of internal linking:

1. Create an Organized Navigation Structure

Make sure your website has a clear and organized navigation structure. Use main menus, submenus, and in-content links to make it easier for users and search engines to browse your website pages.

Setting up internal links on your website to create an organized navigation structure will make it easier for users and search engines to follow and understand your website. The goal is to make navigation intuitive and efficient so that users can easily find the pages they are looking for.

First, use the main menu to arrange the main categories or topics on your website. Usually, the placement of the main menu at the top or side of the website contains links to main pages such as the homepage, services, products, blogs, and contacts.

Next, use the submenu to arrange the subcategories. For example, if you have a “Services” category in your main menu, you can use a submenu to display its subcategories such as “Graphic Design,” “Web Development,” or “Digital Marketing.” These submenus help narrow the focus and guide users to more specific pages.

In addition to menus and submenus, pay attention to links in content. When writing articles or other pages, use internal linking to link relevant keywords or phrases to related pages on your website. For example, if you are writing an article on “How to Care for Ornamental Plants,” you can link those keywords to the “Tips for Caring for Ornamental Plants” page on your website. This provides additional context for the user and helps search engines understand the relationship between the pages.

In creating an organized navigation structure, be sure to structure internal links in a logical and coherent way. Focus on clarity and ease of navigation for users. Also, update and check internal links periodically to make sure none of them are broken or not working.

With an organized navigation structure, users and search engines can easily explore the pages of your website. This helps improve the user experience, increases content discovery opportunities, and strengthens the authority of important pages on your website.

2. Use Relevant Anchor Text

When using internal links, it’s important to pay attention to the anchor text you use. Make sure that you use anchor text that is relevant to the linked page and also make sure that the anchor is clickable for users. To understand the context of the link, use relevant keywords or a clear description so search engines can understand it.

It is important to note that here we explain more about the use of relevant anchor text:

• Relevance: Make sure that the anchor text you use is relevant to the page it is linked to. You should choose keywords or phrases that are directly related to the content of the page you want to go to. For example, if you want to link to a page that talks about “SEO Tips”, the relevant anchor text could be “SEO Tips” or “Effective SEO strategies”. Relevance in anchor text helps search engines understand the context and topic of the intended page.
• Clear description: Use clear descriptions as anchor text. The description must accurately describe the content of the linked page. For example, if you are linking to a page that says “10 Healthy Food Recipes,” use the anchor text “Healthy food recipes that are delicious and nutritious.” A clear description will help users understand what they will encounter after clicking on the link.
• Avoid ambiguous anchor text: It’s best to avoid using ambiguous anchor text such as “click here” or “read more” because such anchor text does not provide clear information about the page being pointed to and does not help search engines understand the context of the link.
• Avoid overuse: While it’s important to use relevant anchor text, avoid overusing or overusing keywords. Too much use of keywords in anchor text can be seen as an unnatural practice by search engines, which can negatively impact SEO rankings.
• Consistency: Try to be consistent in using anchor text throughout your website. If you’ve used an anchor text to link to a particular page, try to keep using the same anchor text when linking elsewhere. This helps build consistency and provides a clear signal of what page to aim for.

By using relevant anchor text, you help users and search engines understand the context of your internal links. This helps improve the user experience, increases the clarity of the content offered, and strengthens relevancy signals to search engines.

3. Link to Important Pages

Prioritize important pages such as main pages, category pages, or pages with popular content. Link these pages with more internal linking than any other page. This helps increase the authority of those pages in the eyes of search engines.

In the following, we explain further about how to link these pages with more internal linking:

• Identify Important Pages: First, identify the pages on your website that are considered important. This includes the main page (home page), category pages, featured product or service pages, pages with popular content, or pages that have a special purpose such as contact pages or about us pages. These pages are usually of high strategic value in the context of your business.
• Create Multiple Internal Links: Once you’ve identified the important pages, link them with more internal linking than the other pages. You can use relevant anchor text to link these important pages with other relevant pages on your website. For example, within the content of a blog article, link relevant keywords to the related main page or category page.
• Use a Link Hierarchy: In setting up internal linking, use a logical hierarchy. For example, main page links to category pages, and category pages link to specific product or service pages. This helps strengthen relationships between linked pages and gives search engines a clear signal of the importance of those pages.
• Use Internal Links in Navigation Menu: One effective way to link important pages is to use internal links in the navigation menu. Place direct links to main pages, category pages, or popular pages in your website’s main menu or submenu. This provides high visibility and ensures easy access to important pages.
• Internal Linking Update and Optimization: Update and optimize internal linking regularly. Review existing internal linking and ensure important pages remain well-connected and relevant to other pages. If there are changes in the website structure, make sure the internal links are updated accordingly.

By prioritizing internal linking on important pages, you help increase the authority and SEO ranking of these pages in the eyes of search engines. It also helps users and search engines understand the hierarchy and important structure of your website.

4. Use Contextual Links in Content

Take advantage of internal linking in your content by linking relevant keywords or phrases to related pages. Make sure the link provides additional context or in-depth information about the topic being discussed. This helps search engines understand the relationship between the pages on your website.

Here is a further explanation of how to use contextual links in content:

• Identify Relevant Keywords or Phrases: When writing content, identify keywords or phrases that are relevant to the topic you are discussing. For example, if you’re writing about “digital marketing strategy,” the relevant keywords or phrases could be “digital marketing,” “online marketing strategies,” or “SEO optimization.” Choose keywords or phrases that are directly related to your topic.
• Link to Related Pages: After identifying relevant keywords or phrases, link those words to related pages on your website. For example, if your keyword is “digital marketing,” you could link to a page that contains more information about digital marketing, such as “Digital Marketing Guide” or “Digital Marketing Success Tips.” This gives users the opportunity to explore related pages which might add to their understanding of the topic being discussed.
• Provide Additional Context: It’s important to make sure that the contextual links you create provide additional context or in-depth information about the topic being discussed. Don’t just link keywords without providing additional explanation. For example, you could use sentences like “To learn more about digital marketing, check out our guide to effective strategies” or “Find digital marketing tips and tricks on this page.” This helps users understand the usefulness and relevance of the linked page.
• Avoid Over-Optimization: While it is important to use contextual links, avoid over-optimization or overuse of keywords. Too much use of keywords in contextual links can be seen as an unnatural practice by search engines and can have a negative impact on SEO rankings. Use keywords wisely and naturally.
• Review and Update Internal Linking Regularly: Perform regular reviews of the contextual links you create and update them as needed. Pay attention if there are changes in the structure or content of your website that require link adjustments. Make sure contextual links stay relevant and work properly.

By using contextual links in your content, you enrich the information provided to users and help search engines understand the relationship between the pages on your website. This can improve user experience, strengthen page authority, and help overall SEO ranking.

5. Use Related Links in the Sidebar or Footer

Apart from in-content links, you can also insert related links in the sidebar or footer of your website. This provides easy access to important related pages or category pages. Make sure the links are relevant and useful to users.

Here is a further explanation of how to use related links in the sidebar or footer:

• Sidebar: Sidebar is an area that is located next to the main content on a website page. Use the sidebar to display related links that are relevant to the page the user is currently viewing. For example, if a user is reading an article on “Online Marketing Tips,” in your sidebar, you could display links to related pages such as “SEO Guide” or “Social Media Strategies.”
• Footer: The footer is an area located at the bottom of the website page. Use the footer to display related links that can provide easy access to important pages such as the main page, category page, service page, or privacy policy page. These links help users quickly navigate to the pages they need.
• Relevance and Importance: Make sure any related links that you include in your sidebar or footer are relevant to the page the user is viewing and are of interest to them. These links should provide added value and assist users in finding relevant information or exploring other parts of your website.
• Organization and Organization: Organize related links in an organized and easy-to-read way. Use clear headers or titles to group related links in appropriate categories. For example, you can use a “Related Articles” or “Popular Categories” header in your sidebar or footer to group links according to a specific topic or category.
• Updates and Adjustments: Periodically review related links in the sidebar or footer and update as needed. Make sure the link remains relevant to changes in the website structure or existing content. Avoid including links that are no longer relevant or no longer useful to users.

By using related links in your sidebar or footer, you provide easy and fast access to important and related pages on your website. This enhances the user experience, facilitates navigation, and strengthens the linkages between the pages on the website.

6. Check and Update Broken Internal Links

Check periodically to make sure none of the internal links are damaged or malfunctioning. Broken links can hinder user experience and affect SEO rankings. Repair or update broken links to maintain the quality of your internal linking. Here are the steps to carry out a broken internal link check and repair:

• Use the Link Check Tool: There are many online tools that can help you perform a broken internal link check. Some popular tools include Xenu’s Link Sleuth, Screaming Frog SEO Spider, and Google Search Console. These tools will perform a scan (crawl) of your website and provide a report on internal links that are broken or not working.
• Broken Link Identification: After performing a check using the appropriate tool, identify internal links that are broken or lead to pages not found. Watch for links that generate 404 errors or irrelevant pages. Note or bookmark these links for correction.
• Fix or Update Links: After identifying broken internal links, the next step is to repair or update those links. There are several actions you can take:
  • If the link leads to a page not found (404 error), fix the link by redirecting it to the relevant page or remove the link if the page no longer exists.
  • If the link leads to an irrelevant page, update the link by redirecting it to a page that is more appropriate to the context or user experience.
  • Make sure all internal links are active and working properly. To ensure that the page you are referring to can be accessed smoothly, check the URL of the link.
• Periodic Review: In addition to conducting initial checks, it is important to periodically perform internal linking reviews and repairs. Pay attention to any changes in the website structure or URL changes that may affect internal linking. Keep internal links relevant, and functional, and don’t lead to broken pages.
• Monitor and Update Links: After performing repairs or updates, it is important to monitor internal linking regularly. Make sure none of the links become broken again or don’t work. If there are changes in the website structure or content, update internal links as needed.

By regularly checking and repairing broken internal links, you maintain the quality of your internal linking, improve user experience, and support better SEO rankings. This will help search engines better index and understand the pages on your website, as well as ensure smooth navigation for users.

7. Consider a Siloing Structure

You might consider using an internal linking strategy called “siloing” to group articles by related topics. Siloing is an effective internal linking strategy for increasing SEO optimization on a website. In siloing, you organize pages with the same topic into related “silos” or groups, thereby strengthening the relationships between the pages and increasing the authority of the core page in each silo. The following is a further explanation of the siloing strategy:

1. Identify Main Topics: First, identify the main topics or keywords that are relevant to your website. For example, if you have a website about food, the main topic could be “Recipes.”
2. The division into Silos: After identifying the main topic, divide the relevant pages into groups or silos related to that topic. For example, within a “Cooking Recipes” silo, you could have silo groups for “Asian Food Recipes,” “Italian Food Recipes,” and “Vegetarian Food Recipes.”
3. Internal Linking Structure: Within each silo, create a strong internal linking structure. Link the core or main page of each silo to the related pages within the silo. For example, in a silo “Asian Food Recipes,” link a main page such as “Fried Rice Recipe” to related pages such as “Kung Pao Chicken Recipe” or “Fried Noodle Recipe.”
4. Avoid Cross-Linking between Silos: It is important to avoid cross-linking between different silos. Focus on internal linking on pages within the same silo. This helps strengthen the authority of the core pages within each silo and increases the relevance between the pages within the silos.
5. Increase Authority of Core Pages: By grouping similar pages into silos and strengthening the internal linking within those silos, you can increase the authority of the main or core pages within each silo. This has a positive impact on SEO rankings and the interrelationships between pages in silos.
6. Consider Deeper Silos Splitting: If necessary, you can divide your silos into deeper sub-silos. For example, within the silo “Asian Food Recipes,” you could create sub-silos for “Chinese Food Recipes,” “Japanese Food Recipes,” and so on. In this case, ensure internal links are related between the pages within the sub-silos.

Siloing is an internal linking strategy that helps organize and strengthen the links between the pages on your website. By siloing properly, you can increase the relevance, relevance, and authority of the core pages within each silo. This has the potential to improve SEO rankings and the user experience of browsing your website.

Source:
Niagahoster.go.id – Internal Links: Complete Guide for Your SEO Optimization [Latest]

Makinrajin.com – SEO Silos: Definition, Benefits, Tips and How to Make It

Midtrans – 5 Internal Linking Tips for Optimizing Your Website SEO

Yoas.com – Internal linking for SEO: Why and how?