Why is internal linking important for SEO

Internal links, at its core, is just how your pages all connect together. Kind of like a web. It guides users from one page to the next based on relevant topics and keywords. That's the helpful part for users. But it's helpful for search algorithms because it lets search engines know what is the most valuable content. I like to picture websites like a giant map. Each internal link is like a signpost that directs your traffic where you want them to go or what is the most helpful next step. #nopageleftbehind

How to do internal linking (and make it work for you)

Step 1: Identify the most important pages on your site

These are what I like to call your key pages or all stars. These are the pages that matter most for your ultimate goals. Most likely a revenue driver or very informational. A few types of pages: service pages, high converting blog posts, or essential product pages. These are the pages you want your audience to search for and search engines to find. And not just find, but finder easier!

Pro Tip: Use Google Analytics + Google Search Console to identify your top traffic drivers and most engaging pages. A few questions you should ask yourself:

• Which pages are driving the most conversions?
• What blog posts get the most engagement: comments, shares, backlinks?
• What pages align best with my SEO goals: inform, sell, navigate?
• What pages are driving the most revenue currently?

Step 2: Use keywords in the link texts aka anchor text

When you are linking back to your source page, be sure that the link includes keywords and is very clear what you are linking to! DO NOT. I repeat DO NOT just use click here or view more, please! That tells your audience NOTHING. So instead, use very descriptive phrases. A few examples I would use: "learn more about on-page SEO" or "discover SEO tips for SaaS companies" they inform the reader exactly what they will find at the linked page. It also gives Google, and other search engines more context on both pages SEO.

Anchor text tips:

• Be super specific! Your link text should inform your user EXACTLY what will be found at the related page. (make sure it actually makes sense to the topic as well!)
• Keep it natural. – My biggest petpeeve with SEO is when people just shove keywords into a phrase. If you wouldn't say it in a conversation, do not write it in your copy!!
• Switch it up. – Don't just use the same phrase on multiple pages. BORING. Bring some variety to your content. Call out other aspects that they may find on the next page.

Step 3: Link from high traffic and high authority pages

A page that gets ZERO traffic will not be equal to a page that get's 1/2 of your site traffic. A link from a low traffic page will not be as beneficial as a page that gets tons of traffic. More traffic = more authority. More authority = better for SEO. A link from a high traffic (high authority) page will give less visible pages more visibility. Plus it will start to pass it's authority to the less traveled page. For some reason someone out there names this process link juice. Whoever that person is. I just want to silently shake my head at them...

How to do this (I almost called this section: how to link juice you juicer):

• Best place to start is to figure out what pages are high rollers (aka: which ones get traffic). You can use Google analytics to find out which page gets more trafficl.
• Look for a place where you can link to a separate page that would help the audience go further down the rabbit trail. Be very targeted here. Not all pages are link-worthy!
• I try to aim for 2-5 relevant links. DO NOT OVER DO THIS!! Nothing cries spam more than 100's of links. Please don't do this.

Step 4: Create a content hub (with relevant topics and links)

Best thing to do here is to create an outline of all of your pages. (Sorry if you have a lot of pages, that may take a while) Then you are going to want to cluster your topics together. Find the page that should be the center (the page with the most traffic) and then start to build a strategy around it. For example, I would link a series of Beginner's guide to SEO articles together. This is all about keep your audience informed and making it WAY easier for them to browse your content. It's just a benefit that this also helps Google and search engines see the value to your content as well.

A few content hub tips:

• We're all looking for the center of the universe. Well so are your users. What is the central page for your topic? This is called your pillar page!
• Link all of the articles you outlined in your cluster back to the pillar page (center of the universe) and then vice-versa.
• You are going to want to keep your content hub fresh over time by adding new content and refreshing outdated content.

Step 5: Audit your internal links on a schedule! (not one and done)

Nothing in SEO is ever one and done. Especially internal linking. This is an ongoing process to keep your content up-to-date and relevant. As you create new content or refresh old content, actively staying on top of your internal links keeps everything connected. You do not want a siloed page (page with zero links) Broken links and/or outdated content can hurt your SEO and your repuation with your audience. So don't let it get behind!

Here's your internal linking audit checklist:

• Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to catch and fix broken links.
• Find pages on your site with zero or little links point to them. Give them some love and funnel the juice!! (link to them)
• Prioritize your top pages!! They need the most love and will need the most links so they stay at the top!

As in all things: quality > quanitty

Internal linking is not a quantity game. You get what you put in. It's about strategy (hello to my Risk people!). You don't need dozens of links to make an impact. Just a few well placed and very targeted links can drive a huge increase.

Internal linking might not be as glamorous as some other SEO tactics, but the results speak for themselves. Unlike backlinks, you don’t have to depend on anyone else. You have full control over where your links go, which means you can build a solid strategy from the ground up. And if you do it right, you’ll see better rankings, longer user sessions, and a much more cohesive site structure.

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