A website’s internal linking structure is simply how each page links to other pages on the site. Seems simple enough, but surprisingly, many business owners or Internet marketers overlook how important it is to search engine optimization efforts to properly display and name internal links.
How to Use Internal Links
Each page on a website should link to many other pages on the site. The most common place to accomplish this is in the footer. It is out of the way, yet if users get lost on a site they will often look in the footer for the link they want. This is the same reason it is important to have a link in the footer to a sitemap that lists all pages on the site. If a website is like a hotel, the links are the doorways. The more doorways, the more chances a search engine bot will visit every room. The more rooms a search engine bot visits, the better chance a room (web page) will come up in the search engine rankings.
Another way to think about internal linking is in your content. Having links in the footer is nice, but including links to relevant pages on your site in the content of your site will give search engines or customers a chance to see these pages more. Customers may even find it convenient. Say if you're talking about your newest services in a blog article, you can link to your services web page in the copy for a customer to easily click over to if they're curious about the rest of the services you offer. Just be careful not to stuff your web page with links as it can start to look unappealing and spammy. Two to three links per page is fine.
Naming Your Links
Naming your links with the appropriate page it will be taking you to will give search engines a better idea of what is on that page without ever going into the page. This helps with keywords on your website and let's search engines know more about what your website offers.
Make it easy for search engines and users to find your pages using internal links named properly.
If your website isn't performing as well as you'd hoped, contact the experienced Orlando Internet marketers at Sales & Marketing Technologies for a free consultation. We can help to unlock you potential to thrive online.