Internal SEO linking:
Knowledge & tips

What is an internal link?

Internal linking is characterised by hyperlinks that navigate to other subpages within a website. The main purpose of these links is to make it easier for search engines and visitors to a page to find content. To this end, the hyperlinks distribute the so-called link juice, i.e. the power that external or internal links pass on from one website to the next in order to strengthen its search engine ranking.

What are internal and external links?

While internal links remain within a domain, external links (also known as backlinks) lead to another domain.

Function of internal links

For search engines: Internal links are essential for search engines such as Google. They help them to understand the structure of a website and to index the content efficiently. A clear linking structure shows Google which pages of a website are particularly important. This can help search engine software programmes that search the internet to index (crawl in technical jargon) the content of important pages more frequently and more quickly.

For users: Internal links also make it easier for users of your website to find relevant content and also serve as navigation on the page.

PageRank and authority: The importance
of internal linking for SEO

PageRank, an algorithm developed by Google, evaluates the relevance of websites. Its importance is influenced by the number and quality of links to a page. Internal links make a significant contribution to increasing the PageRank and therefore the authority of a particular URL within your domain. This process is usually referred to as "inheritance of link juice" . The anchor text, also known as link text, provides search engines with valuable information about the content of the linked page. You can increase the ranking of your page with an appropriately chosen anchor text. Bear in mind that search engines favour what users also like. A well thought-out and user-friendly internal linking structure can significantly improve the user experience, which in turn has a positive impact on SEO. This means that the website can be crawled better and the indexing speed can be increased as more link signals are set.

How to optimise your anchor texts

The anchor text plays a decisive role in the on-page optimisation of your links. You can optimise your anchor text with the help of these four tips:

1. Use descriptive words.
2. Avoid over-optimisation and general terms.
3. Keep the anchor text short and concise.
4. Use different anchor texts for different pages.
   

An optimised anchor text can increase traffic to your website and improve the conversion rate. Make sure to use the keyword in different variations - ideally in connection with your brand or a related search term. Google says: "The better your anchor text is, the easier it is for users to access the linked page and the better Google recognises the content of this page."

Tip: Use the search operator site:yourdomain.com "search term" in the search bar. This will display all pages of your domain that contain the desired keyword.

Best practices for an effective
internal linking strategy with siloing

Siloing is an advanced method of website structuring in which content is organised in clearly defined, thematically delimited blocks - so-called silos. The aim of this technique is to strengthen the thematic relevance and authority of individual areas of a website. The clear separation and internal linking within these silos signals to search engines which content belongs together thematically. This can facilitate indexing and increase the relevance of content for certain search queries. Users also benefit from such a structure, as they can find their way around the website more easily and access the information relevant to them more quickly.

Example of siloing in e-commerce

Let's assume you run an online shop for pet supplies. Instead of presenting all products randomly, you could divide your website into individual thematic silos - for example into supplies for dogs, cats, birds and other pets.

You could then define further sub-categories within the individual silos, such as food, toys or care products. Each of these silos would be internally linked so that users who are in the "dog silo", for example, can easily and quickly access all relevant products for dogs without having to navigate through products for other animals.

Example of siloing in the B2B sector

The website of a company that manufactures and sells industrial machinery for various industries could also be divided into different silos. In this case, you could orientate yourself on the industries you supply, for example food processing, textile industry or automotive production.

Within the "food processing" silo, you could have specific product categories or solutions such as "filling machines", "packaging solutions" or "quality control systems". Each of these categories would be internally linked so that interested parties looking for machines for food processing can find all relevant products and solutions - without being distracted by offers for other industries.

This clear structure not only improves the user experience, but also signals to search engines that the company offers specialised solutions for different industries. This can help the website to "rank" better for industry-specific search queries, i.e. to be listed higher by search engines.

The optimal linking for topic silos

The individual topic silos are optimally linked using the following four steps:

1. All directory pages link to the main directory.
2. Directory pages at one level link to each other.
3. Directory pages at a lower level link to directory pages at a higher level.
4. Addition of main navigation, footer, breadcrumb navigation, link boxes, etc.
   

Different types of internal links

Internal links are essential components of any website and are of great importance for both user experience and search engine optimisation. There are two types of internal links:

• Content links: These are embedded in articles, blog posts or other content. They often refer to thematically related pages or offer users additional information on a specific topic. The links encourage users to delve deeper into the content of the website, which can increase the length of stay.
  
  
• Recurring links: This variant is often found in the main navigation, in the footer or in the sidebar. They are the same on every page and refer to important, permanently accessible areas of the website, such as the imprint, the contact area or main categories.
  

Both types of internal links offer individual advantages and functions. While content links help users to discover relevant content and deepen their knowledge, recurring links give the page a clear structure and make navigation easier. For an effective SEO strategy, it is important to use both types sensibly and in a targeted manner.

The danger of over-optimisation:
can be recognised as spam

The so-called over-optimisation of a keyword in the internal linking can quickly be interpreted as spam. How does this happen? Too many identical anchor texts appear unnatural to search engines. An overabundance of footer links, especially with repeated keywords, can also be problematic. It is important to maintain a natural linking behaviour in order to maintain the trust of search engines and users. Another common problem is linking to redirected URLs. Such links can increase the loading time of a page and disrupt the flow of PageRank.

Tip for URL customisation: Update the hyperlink in your content despite a 301 redirect. It is always advisable to link directly to the final URL. Avoiding redirects can help to increase the speed of the website.

Maximising user experience:
what we can learn from Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a pioneer in internal linking and offers valuable lessons for SEO:

1. Dense linking: each article links to numerous others, which promotes a positive user experience and crawling by search engines.
2. Contextual links: Wikipedia links are always thematically relevant and provide clear contextual signals to search engines.
3. Consistency: The clear and uniform linking structure facilitates crawling.
4. Precise anchor texts: Instead of "click here" links, Wikipedia uses descriptive anchor texts that clearly communicate the content.
   

Through these approaches, Wikipedia not only maximises the user experience, but also optimises its SEO performance. It is also a role model for effective internal linking strategies.

Conclusion and conclusion on internal linking

Internal linking offers numerous opportunities to push pages in a targeted manner. It influences both the search engine ranking and the user experience. Our experts at RYZE Digital recognise the relevance of strategic internal linking and help you to optimally position your website and get the most out of your online presence.