Recently, Google has shared some valuable insights that can help enhance SEO using internal linking. These best practices will help ensure that your links are crawlable. They also focus on improving anchor texts and reveal how you can use internal and external links. Together, it helps boost your website’s search engine rankings and helps you reach your target audience. Let’s dive into the tips Google revealed and see how you can use them to boost your SEO ranking.
1. Make All Links Crawlable
Google uses bots to provide your website a ranking. Hence, they insist that your links should be crawlable by these bots. To do this, you should structure your links as <a> HTML elements and provide an href attribute. This is important because it helps Google’s crawlers to effectively parse and index the URLs used.
According to Google, some best practices that you can follow for crawlable links are as below.
1. Standard HTML Links – Use the HTML standard <a> tag with the href attribute to ensure your links are standard. This is the most reliable way to ensure that Google crawls and follows your link. Example – ahref=”https\:\/\/yourwebsite\.com\/blog\/latest\-articles”>PlaceholderText<a>.
2. Avoid Non-Standard Link Formats – Do not use elements like <span> or custom JavaScript functions to create links. These might not get parsed properly by Google. Example – Google does not recommend a link like spanonclick=”goto\(” https∶⁄ yourwebsite.com”\)”>PlaceholderText<span>.
3. Ensure URL Resolution – The URL included in your <a> element should point to an actual web address that Google can find. You should also avoid Javascript-driven URLs. An example of a correct URL is – ahref=”\/contact\-us”>ContactUs<a>. An example of a JavaScript-driven URL is – ahref=”javascript\:goTo\(\’contact\-us\’\)”>ContactUs<a>
2. Write Descriptive Anchor Texts
Anchor texts are the visible and clickable texts in hyperlinks. These anchor texts play an important role in SEO. They are often used to provide more context about the linked page to users and search engines.
Some tips that Google suggests you follow for effective anchor texts are given below.
1. Be Descriptive and Relevant – Your anchor texts must clearly describe the linked page’s content. For example, it is better to avoid generic texts like click here. Instead, a better example would be ahref=”https\:\/\/yourwebsite\.com\/blog\/seo\-trends\-\2\0\2\4″>SEOTrendsFor2024<a>.
2. Avoid Empty Texts – Do not omit your anchor text. For example, you shouldn’t have an anchor tag like this – ahref=”https\:\/\/yourwebsite\.com”>⁄a>.
3. Use Alt Text for Image Links – If you are using an image as a link, ensure it also includes a descriptive alt text. For example, using something like ahref=”\/add\-to\-cart\.html”>imgsrc=”product\-image\.jpg\ alt\=” AddCart”\/\>\<\/a\>\ ”
is better than something like ahref=”\/add\-to\-cart\.html\>\<img\ src\=” product-image.jpgalt=⁄<a>
3. Internal Links – Cross-Reference Your Content
Internal linking is not only about connecting pages but also about creating a comprehensive structure for your users. They help in better navigation for both users and search engines. Some key practices for internal linking recommended by Google are as follows.
1. Link Related Content – When you connect relevant pages to your content, it becomes easier for users to discover your content. For example, you can include a link like ahref=”\/services\/graphic\-design”>GraphicDesignServices<a> in a blog post about Web Design trends.
2. Balance Link Quality – There is no perfect number of internal links that your content can have. But you should avoid adding too many links and ensure each link adds value.
3. Regularly Updated Old Content – You should regularly check your old content and update it with new internal links wherever applicable. For example, in an older post about SEO basics, you might add a link like ahref=”\/blog\/advanced\-seo”>AdvancedSEO<a>.
4. External Links – Establish Trust
When you link to external and reputable sites, you enhance your site’s trustworthiness and authority. Some guidelines that you should follow for external links are as follows.
1. Cite Reliable Sources – If you are referencing external information, cite reliable sources. For example, if you are discussing web security, you might have a link like ahref=”https\:\/\/www\.ssl\.com”>SSLBestPractices<a>.
2. Use Nofollow if Appropriate – If you are linking a site that you do not entirely trust or were paid for a sponsored link, use the rel=”nofollow” attribute to prevent passing link equity. For example, ahref=”https\:\/\/example\.com” rel=”nofollow”>SponsoredContent<a>.
Conclusion
Google’s latest tips show how you should adopt a strategic approach when performing internal linking. When you ensure your links are crawlable, provide anchor texts, and provide both internal and external links, you ensure your website’s SEO is enhanced significantly. These practices will help you keep up your SEO game as search engine recommendation bots get more sophisticated.
Sandeep Goel is the founder and CEO of Obelisk Infotech, with over a decade of experience in digital marketing. He started his career as an SEO Analyst, refining his skills with US clients, which deepened his understanding of digital culture. Sandeep is passionate about writing and regularly shares insights through blog posts. He plays a key role in company growth by implementing processes and technologies to streamline operations.
Founder (Obelisk Infotech)
