Internal links are hyperlinks that point from one page to another page on the same site. Usually, you encounter internal links through the site’s navigation menu. For example, you may visit a clothing retailer and land on their homepage. From there, you’ll use the navigation menu to find individual product pages, a blog, your account information, shipping and return policies, or an about page. Each of these links is an internal link.

Begin with Quality Content

All the links in the world won’t matter if your content isn’t up to par. Instead of randomly linking pages, devote time to creating original, valuable, and relevant content. Don’t publish for the sake of it – make sure every piece of content supports your overall strategy.

Link Related Pages

Much like poor-quality content, linking pages to each other without a common thread doesn’t do much for SEO. Consider the type of content on the pages you want to link. If they’re directly related and provide a logical path for a user to follow to find out more information, a link is warranted. If not, link those pieces to different, better suited content. Internal linking should always be based on topic relevance. This indicates the pages are related to search engines and improves the relevance of that category on the site. Users will follow links to get more information about a topic, improving dwell time and search rankings.

Keep Users in Mind

Internal links should be natural, not forced. Don’t just put links anywhere in hopes of boosting SEO. Ask yourself if it makes sense to connect topics and if they benefit the user. If you just link because you can, the users will notice and so will the search engines. It’s easy to get immersed in the technical aspects of internal linking, such as balancing keyword matches or anchor density, but that’s not what it’s about. At the end of the day, linking is about providing a positive experience for the user and solving a problem, which will improve your SEO as a result.

Link to More than Landing Pages

A lot of sites link to homepages, about pages, or contact pages for internal links. Instead of focusing on just these options, try to vary the links between blogs, category pages, and product pages with relevant anchor text.Linking to pages that will be useful for visitors is more important and beneficial thank linking to pages to prompt them to contact you, get a quote, or schedule a consultation. If the user wants what you have to offer, they’ll find those pages on their own.