Hey man! Prepare to be amazed because there’s a surprisingly simple yet incredibly powerful technique that can catapult your site to the top: internal linking.
The ‘Secret’ Weapon That Google Loves
You might be thinking, “Internal links? Really? Is that all it takes?” The truth is, many website owners overlook this foundational element of SEO, focusing instead on more complex (and often less effective) strategies. But internal linking, when done right, is like giving your website a secret weapon that Google adores.
What is Internal Linking and Why Should You Care?
Internal linking refers to the practice of connecting pages within your own website. It’s about creating a network of pathways that allow both users and search engine crawlers to navigate your site easily. Think of it like building a roadmap for your website, guiding visitors and search bots to the most important destinations.
The Mind-Blowing Results: From #30 to #6 with Just Internal Links
The power of internal linking was proven in a test where a website in a highly competitive niche jumped from position 30 to position 6 using only internal links. Yes, you read that right, no fancy backlinks, no complex SEO strategies, just a focused and strategic internal linking plan, this result shows the potential of this technique.
Diving Deep: The Anatomy of a Perfect Internal Linking Strategy
Now that we’ve established the incredible potential of internal linking, let’s explore how to craft a strategy that works for your website. This isn’t just about randomly adding links; it’s about creating a thoughtful system that maximizes your site’s SEO power.
1. The Foundation: Site Structure and URL Architecture
Before you start adding links, it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of your website’s structure. The way you organize your content impacts the flow of link equity (or “link juice”) and how search engines understand your site.
- Flat vs. Deep Structure: The Debate
- Some people might like to use a structure like:
pressurewashing/pressurewashingdriveway/pressurewashingmiami, however, this can be problematic. A flatter structure keeps important pages closer to the homepage. A flatter structure is when a page is just one click away from the home page, for example,pressurewashing/miami. Having a “deeper” website structure, with multiple folders and subfolders, can make it more difficult for users and search engines to find your content. - The video author prefers a flatter structure with fewer clicks to the main page.
- Some people might like to use a structure like:
- The “Empire” Approach
- If your business has plans for expansion to other states or regions, consider a URL structure that reflects this:
pressurewashing/florida/miami. - However, this approach can make pages further from the homepage.
- If your business has plans for expansion to other states or regions, consider a URL structure that reflects this:
- The Local Approach:
- For businesses with a more local focus, like a pressure washing business, consider structures like:
pressurewashing/miami,pressurewashing/homestead. - This is the author’s preferred approach as it allows a page dedicated to specific locations.
- For businesses with a more local focus, like a pressure washing business, consider structures like:
2. Sidebar and Side Table Links: A Hidden Opportunity
Sidebars and side tables (those little boxes on the side of blog posts) are valuable real estate for internal links. But where should these links point?
- Keep it Simple: Focus on linking to main categories rather than unrelated topics.
- For example, on a blog post about using a pressure washer, the sidebar links should point to other pressure washing services or content, and not something like roof cleaning or stone restoration.
- Build for Categories: Sidebars should be built to promote the categories of content on your site.
- For example, if you’re in the pressure washing category, links should point to other pressure washing services like booking a call, cleaning driveways, or location pages.
- The Power of Repetition: By placing a set of links in a sidebar on multiple blog posts you can create a lot of internal links.
- For example, adding 3 internal links on 10 blog posts will get you 30 extra internal links.
3. The Cluster Strategy: Connecting the Dots
What pages should you be linking together? It’s about finding semantically related content to create relevant clusters.
- Wiki as Your Guide:
- Use Wikipedia to find semantically related topics.
- For example, if you’re unsure whether carpet cleaning is related to pressure washing, search for “pressure washing” on Wikipedia and see if carpet cleaning is mentioned.
- If it is not mentioned, it may not be a great topic to create an internal link to.
- Text Focus: The Supercharged Wiki Search Tool:
- Text Focus is a tool that scrapes Wikipedia and identifies semantically related keywords.
- This allows you to verify what content is related on a deeper level.
- For example, searching for “pressure washing” using Text Focus will bring back driveway cleaning, and power washing. This means that these topics would be good candidates for an internal linking strategy.
- Common Sense Trumps All:
- While tools like Wiki and Text Focus are helpful, it’s important to use your own knowledge of your industry to determine which pages should link together.
- For example, on the Osborne Digital Marketing website, there’s an internal link between the on-page SEO page and the Google Analytics page. While this might seem odd at first, it makes sense because analytics can be used to measure the success of on-page optimization.
4. Geo Pages: Local SEO Gold
If you have location-based pages, like pressurewashing/miami or pressurewashing/fortlauderdale, you can use internal linking to connect these pages.
- Power Up Your Main Page: Focus on powering up the main service page (e.g., pressure washing) as a main priority.
- Link Related Geos: Linking pages such as
drivewaycleaning/miamitopressurewashing/miamican be helpful. - Keep Geos Together: The author likes to keep city-based pages linked together at the start of a campaign.
5. Where to Place Internal Links on a Page: The Top Spot is Prime Real Estate
Where you place your internal links is just as important as what you link.
- Prioritize Top Placement: Just as backlinks should be at the top of an article, internal links should be placed as close to the beginning of the content as possible.
- Link to Main Pages First: If you’re linking from
pressurewashing/miami, the link to the mainpressurewashingpage should be placed first, followed by other relevant links. - Create a Loop: Internal links should create a cycle, keeping the site crawlers flowing through the site.
- For example, a link from the
pressurewashing/miamipage should direct to the mainpressurewashingpage. The mainpressurewashingpage will have a link to thepressurewashing/miamipage.
- For example, a link from the
- This creates a loop for crawlers to follow, and lets Google know how important those pages are.
6. Anchor Text: The Power of Specificity
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. It’s crucial to use the right keywords in your anchor text for internal links.
- The Pitfall to Avoid:
- It is a common mistake to link a page about
pressurewashing/miamito the mainpressurewashingpage using the anchor textpressurewashing/miami. This would be a mistake, as this is not the page you are trying to rank for the termpressurewashing/miami.
- It is a common mistake to link a page about
- Match Anchor Text to the Destination Page: Make sure that the anchor text is a direct match for the page you are linking to.
- For example, if you want to rank the
pressurewashing/miamipage for the keywordpressure washing miamiuse that exact match when linking to that page.
- For example, if you want to rank the
- Internal Links vs Backlinks: Exact match anchor text is great for internal links but should be avoided when building backlinks.
- Include Entities: Use descriptive anchor text that includes entities and related keywords, but don’t link these to supporting pages.
- For example, if you are writing a post about how to clean your driveway in Miami, include keywords like “hire a pressure washing company in Miami” but do not use these for internal links pointing to the main pages. The anchor text for links to the main pages should be exact match keywords.
- Exact Match is King: For internal links, using the exact match keyword as your anchor text will be very effective.
- For example, linking to the
pressurewashing/miamipage from another internal page, the anchor text should be exactlypressure washing miami.
- For example, linking to the
The Jaw-Dropping Proof: Internal Links in Action
Remember that test we mentioned earlier where a website jumped from position #30 to #6? Well, let’s dig deeper into the experiment that provides undeniable proof that internal links have significant power.
The Experiment
- The Setup: A test website in a competitive niche with an average level of power.
- The Content: 202 AI-generated pages were created. Only 66 of those were indexed, with only three not being indexed.
- The Links: 1,000 internal links were built, all pointing to one single page.
- These links were all exact match keywords.
- The Results: The page went from position #31 to position #6, all without building a single backlink.
The Key Takeaways
- Internal links can be more effective than you might think. The test results showcase the power of internal links.
- Exact match anchor text is very effective for internal links The links used for this test were all exact match keywords.
- Automated internal linking tools can greatly speed up the process.
Don’t Wait Another Day: Implement This Strategy Now!
The evidence is clear: internal linking is a game-changer for SEO. It’s not just about randomly adding links; it’s about creating a strategic and interconnected web of content that both users and search engines will love. By following the principles outlined in this post, you can give your website the boost it deserves and achieve higher rankings and more organic traffic.
Stop Overlooking the Obvious
Many SEO strategies focus on acquiring backlinks or optimizing external factors. But internal linking is something you have complete control over, and it’s often the missing piece of the puzzle. By implementing these practices, you’re not only helping search engines understand your site but also guiding your users to the content they need most. This leads to more engagement, longer sessions, and a much better user experience.
Conclusion
Internal linking is not just a minor optimization; it’s a fundamental SEO strategy that can significantly impact your website’s visibility. By focusing on your site’s structure, linking related content, and using strategic anchor text, you can create a powerful internal link network that will boost your rankings. Don’t let your website stay buried in the SERPs; unlock the potential of internal linking and watch your site soar to new heights.
FAQs
How Many Internal Links Should I Have on a Page? There’s no magic number, but focus on quality over quantity. Make sure the links are relevant to the content on the page. You should not add internal links just for the sake of it, make sure that there is a purpose for the links. You should add more than one link to the main page, but not so many that it looks like spam.
Is It Okay to Use the Same Anchor Text Multiple Times for Different Links? Generally, it’s best to vary your anchor text to make your linking look more natural. For internal links, using the same anchor text to link to the same page is not an issue. In fact, it will help you rank for those exact match terms. You should not do this with backlinks, however.
Can Internal Links Hurt My Website? If done correctly, internal links will not hurt your website. Make sure the links are relevant, placed in appropriate locations, and use the right anchor text to point to the right pages. Avoid linking to unrelated topics, and make sure the user experience is not impacted by the use of internal links.