Optimizing your site for Google may seem complex, but with a few internal linking tips, you’ll quickly see a difference. It’s all about making the right choices to guide both users and search engines. Follow the guide!
Key points:
- Poor internal linking hinders Google’s discovery of your pages, so spend some time on it.
- Not all internal links are equal; prefer links within the content rather than in the header or footer.
- For internal links: Accurate and varied internal link anchors are the key to your success.
- For outgoing links: they are proof of credibility, take care with your sources in order to push credible and trusted sites.
Links between your pages: master the art of relationships
But why are links so strategic? Imagine taking the London Underground, but the station has removed all the line maps. It’s hard to see Big Ben, right? Internal links guide your visitors and search engines through your site, allowing them to find your pages.
Descriptive Anchor Text: The Key to Success
Google recommends using clear anchor texts in your internal links. Forget the classic “click here.” Instead, use something more evocative, like “discover our latest SEO tips.” This not only helps your readers know where they’re going, but it also helps Google understand the page: anchor text = topic of the page for the engine!
Associate a primary keyword with your page and use it as your anchor text. Tips: Vary your anchor text with synonyms and different wordings (“dog insurance,” “dog insurance,” “canine insurance,” “dog health insurance”).
Link location: not all are equal!
Links within the main content of the page are more valuable than links in the header, footer, and navigation. Use your text to include links to pages with a similar topic.
Tip: Link to a page from a paragraph that discusses its topic. This contextualizes the anchor of the link.
Avoid link overload
A page loaded with links dilutes the power of each link. If a page has 10 links, then each target page receives 10% of its power. So you understand that adding too many links to your pages will not have a multiplier effect! It’s a question of balance. Tip: Link the 5 to 10 most strategic pages from your Home page and make sure they themselves link to their child pages.
<a href> the correct format for links
Be careful with formats! Google doesn’t consider everything the same way:
- Use the tag
<a>with an attributehref. - Avoid non-standard elements like
<span>and<div>for your links. - Avoid using JavaScript to generate your links.
As explained in the Google video below, if the ses element behaves like a link, it better look like a link:
Outbound links: a question of reputation
Outbound links are links from your site to external sites. Viewed as recommendations, they can strengthen your credibility, but can also undermine it if poorly managed. You wouldn’t recommend a questionable restaurant to a friend, would you?
Good sources: Make sure you link to high-authority sites. A link to a reliable source makes a difference. Conversely, avoiding sites with a poor reputation is wise.
Nofollow : Sometimes you’ll want to tell search engines not to pass authority to a link. This is where nofollow comes in. This can be useful for sponsored links or blog comments.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
In the world of SEO, some mistakes can be costly:
- Remember to check your broken links! Nothing is more frustrating for a user than landing on a 404 page.
- Make sure every important page is accessible in less than three clicks from the home page.
- Consider adding links to a page you just published, or Google might not discover it.
And there you have it, you now have some cards in hand to navigate the fascinating world of SEO. Sometimes I think it’s a bit like gardening. With a little care and attention, your website can flourish in search results.
