How to use internal linking for SEO

Summary

In this informative video, Martin Splitt emphasizes the significance of internal links for SEO, illustrating their role in guiding users and search engines like Googlebot through a website. He contrasts meaningful anchor text with 'click here' placeholders, advocating for clear, context-rich links that enhance user experience and site navigation. The video also advises on the judicious use of internal links to avoid overwhelming users, while ensuring content structure is logically connected.

Takeaways

• 🔗 Meaningful Anchor Text: Links with meaningful anchor text help users quickly identify where the link will lead them.
• 🚫 Avoid Non-Descriptive Links: Pages with non-descriptive anchor text, such as 'click here' or 'read more', can degrade the user experience.
• 📚 Focus on Internal Links: The video emphasizes the importance of internal links for user navigation and SEO.
• 🤖 Googlebot Utilization: Googlebot uses internal links to discover and understand the relationship between pages on a site.
• 📈 Moderation in Linking: Overusing links is not beneficial; apply critical judgment to determine the next logical steps and relate content appropriately.
• 🛠️ HTML Best Practices: Use the A element with an href attribute for links, avoiding the use of other elements like spans or divs for link behavior.
• 🔍 Enhance Discoverability: Make it clear to users and Googlebot that an element is a link by using proper HTML elements and attributes.
• 🏷️ Use of Anchor Text: Both users and bots prefer links with meaningful anchor text for better content understanding and navigation.
• 📝 Content Structure: Links help in understanding the content structure of a website, aiding both user navigation and search engine indexing.
• 📉 Avoid Over-Linking: Too many links on a page can be overwhelming and may not improve the user experience or SEO.
• 📈 SEO Evergreen Topic: Links remain a fundamental and evergreen aspect of SEO, warranting ongoing attention and optimization.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is the importance and best practices of using internal links in SEO, including the use of meaningful anchor text and the role of links in aiding user navigation and search engine crawling.

Why are meaningful anchor texts important in links?

Meaningful anchor texts are important because they allow users to easily understand where the link will take them, enhancing the user experience, especially when scanning a page for the right link to use.

What is the difference between the left and right examples of anchor text in the script?

The left example shows links with meaningful anchor text, making it clear what the link leads to, while the right example lacks meaningful anchor text, making it difficult for users to quickly identify the purpose of the link.

Why is it not advisable to link to everything everywhere on a page?

Overusing links can clutter the page and make it difficult for users to navigate, which can negatively impact the user experience. It's important to apply critical judgment and link only where it makes sense and aids in user navigation.

How does Googlebot use internal links?

Googlebot primarily uses internal links for discovering pages on a site and understanding the relationship between different pages. When Googlebot finds a URL on a page, it may attempt to crawl it.

What is the proper HTML element for creating a link?

The proper HTML element for creating a link is the 'A' element, which should have a URL in its 'href' attribute to function as a link.

Why should developers avoid using other elements like spans, divs, or buttons as links?

Using elements other than the 'A' element for links can confuse users and search engines. If an element is behaving like a link, it should be a link to maintain clarity and best practices in web development.

What is the role of internal links in helping users and bots understand the content structure of a website?

Internal links help users and bots to navigate through the website by connecting individual pages, indicating the next logical steps for users and providing a clear content hierarchy.

How should links be used in terms of quantity on a webpage?

Links should be used reasonably, neither too few nor too many. They should be placed where they make sense and contribute to the user's understanding and navigation of the site.

What is the script's suggestion for the future of technical content on Google Search Central?

The script suggests that viewers should leave comments if they want more technical content on Google Search Central, indicating the topics they would like to see covered in future videos.

What is the closing remark of the video script?

The closing remark of the video script is an invitation for viewers to comment on the video if they want more technical content, followed by a casual sign-off indicating it's time to go swimming.