What Are Internal Links and When Should They Be Used
In connection with the fact that SEO specialists have again begun to actively use internal links, an urgent need has arisen to elaborate on the place this category occupies in search engine optimization.
Basic Knowledge on Internal Links
Definition
Internal hyperlinks are links that lead from one page of a website to another page within the same web resource. Transitions can occur both within the framework of a single subdomain and between different subdomains.
Structure
The main structural elements of internal links are: form, content, attribute.
- In terms of form, it is understood: the URL address of another page of the site or a fragment from the text in the current tab. A combined variant is also permissible when the URL and the fragment are used together;
- Content refers to the information presented on the web page in a specific format (text, img tag attribute). The filling can be: short and concise, empty, or content-rich;
- Link attributes are essential for clarifying to the search engine what the link on the site refers to. Using the “noreferrer” attribute in the field of search engine optimization is generally better avoided as it unquestionably impacts the ranking of the web resource.
Classification of Links
It’s important to mention several words about the existing types of internal links. Understanding that hyperlinks differ among themselves can help fine-tune work with them. The following types are distinguished:
Navigation Links
Used for the website’s navigation, for example, the main menu. They are considered universal and are somewhat templated since they are practically created for all pages according to a single plan.
Subsidiary Links
Integrated into the drop-down menu of the site, showing the visitor’s location on the site. They can be called template links, as they frequently appear on many pages.
Anchor Links
Depicting targeted anchors, making it more convenient for users to work with the data. Such links can be seen either in the sidebar or at the beginning of the publication.
Contextual Links
Considered a diversity of subsidiary links, they are formed situationally in the sidebar or go directly after the text. They demonstrate the most relevant materials related to the specified search theme.
Non-Contextual Links
Considered a diversity of subsidiary links that are formed situationally in the adjacent selector (category of goods/services) or go directly after the text.
Internal Links
They primarily relate to hyperlinks, internal scaffolding. The main thing is for these links to correlate with each other in terminology or thematic context.
Visitors to Internet Resources
Internal links are created with a focus on the number of visitors to the site. The main goal pursued by SEO specialists focused on UX is to create a convenient and straightforward way for the target audience to interact directly with the site.
Web resource developers, who often apply different methods of testing, frequently encounter a decline in traffic. Users do not always understand how the indexing works, and understanding the transition from page to page can be either smooth or overly complex. Users can also find confusing terms used, and ultimately, these complications and other factors may lead to a decline in site conversion.
Every marker, an indicator of a transition, needs to be composed and formatted based on principles of content relevance (use text or ATL tag), consideration (show that the information is accompanied by a transition), alternatives (links that have been visited should differ from those not visited).
Importance of Links in SEO Promotion
Hyperlinks exert an influence on such SEO promotion segments as:
- Scanning: search engines identify the URL address through links, mark it, and associate it with already marked addresses for scanning;
- Indexing: through links, it is possible to genuinely improve the relevance of a page. The main point to remember is that this factor also affects the quality of the published content.
- Ranking: internal links not only participate in distributing weight with incoming links but also provide weight themselves, as in the case of out/in links.
Moreover, internal links influence the priority factor for scanning a webpage by the search engine, attributing the page under a lengthy URL from the side of the search system (it happens that Google alters the URL of a page if it identifies similar, analogous content).
Everything You Need to Know About Optimizing Internal Links
The method of optimizing internal links is highly variable, which is why there is no single practically applicable solution.
The characteristics associated with links:
- Visibility;
- Combined number of links on the page, both internal and outgoing;
- Co-linking of pages that lead to another page;
- Validity of pages with links;
- Diversity of internal links;
- Location and character of link formatting;
- Canonicalization;
- Place in the overall hierarchy of referenced pages on the same site.
Effective Recommendations for Optimization
- Remove unnecessary blocks of links – on certain pages, links to “popular products”, “recent entries” do not prove useful;
- If possible, remove non-contextual links or make them semi-contextual – assess the likelihood of more specificity for the content-embedded page “popular products”, “recent entries”, etc.;
- Consider that non-static links rarely cause positioning variations – renaming a link is said to be part of the ranking process;
- Refrain from absolutely automated links and automatic hyperlinking to target keywords;
- Avoid empty forms – use content-rich messages for the references;
- Keep anchors on different pages identical;
- Do not make links latent – it is crucial for the user to clearly and transparently recognize the fact of transition between internet pages;
- Do not oversaturate with links – the fewer they are on the page, the more weight they carry;
- Do not lay out links excessively, make transitions to valuable and important pages;
- Track page performance – set limits;
- Do not use pages that cannot be scanned or indexed – a waste of the current budget;
- Refrain from the nofollow attribute – apply it exclusively for internal links;
- Limit the co-linking of links not previously considered – cannot be said that a minimum of six links needs to be entered for links to function; no more, no less;
- Always redirect to the longer URL even in duplication of web pages – this necessitates the realization of intended objectives, possibly through the special attribute “canonical”.
- Never forget to address canonicalization issues on pages – otherwise, the search engine will have difficulty determining whether the URL needs to be indexed;
- From the new to the old – the transition from new content to old is often practiced. However, it should not be forgotten that editing previously published content is critical.
Final Notes
The use of internal hyperlinks is an essential requirement in SEO promotion, but if you want to enhance the performance of your own site, abandoning this method is certainly not worth it.
Typically, general information about this topic can be found across various internet platforms. We have tried to capture the maximum comprehensive overview, emphasizing important factors and highlighting genuinely useful elements.
