An easy way to improve your WordPress skills and boost your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for content is to add internal links to your articles.
Mastering the art of internal linking in your content can help user engagement and boost the discoverability of your content with search engines.
Picture this: your website is a vast network of interconnected pages, each holding valuable information waiting to be discovered by your audience. Internal links act as pathways, guiding visitors seamlessly from one page to another, while also sending powerful signals to search engines about the relevance and structure of your content.
Whether you’re a small business owner looking to optimize your website’s structure or a dedicated blogger aiming to keep readers engaged and exploring your content, this guide has you covered. So, let’s not waste any more time and start unraveling the secrets behind effective internal linking in the world of WordPress!
Table of Contents
Section 1: Understanding Internal Links
Internal links refer to hyperlinks that connect one page of a website to another page within the same website.
There are additional link types that I’ll briefly explain so you can discern the distinctions.
Intra-page links are used to navigate within a page. For instance, the table of contents links above on this page are examples of intra-page links. Clicking one takes you to a different section on the same page.
The third type of link is the external link, which I’ll delve into in the next section.
How Internal Links Differ from External Links
Internal links are links that point to pages within the same website, while external links point to pages on other websites.
Internal links are used to connect pages within a website, making it easier for users to navigate and find relevant content.
External links, on the other hand, are used to connect to pages on other websites, providing users with additional information and resources.
Benefits of Using Internal Links
I’ve covered the benefits of using internal linking before, but I’ll briefly summarize the benefits below.
Improved Navigation: Internal links make it easier for users to navigate your website and find relevant content. By linking to related pages within your website, you can guide users to additional information that they may find useful.
Increased Pageviews: Internal links can also increase the number of pageviews on your website. By linking to related content, you can encourage users to explore more of your website and spend more time on it.
Improved SEO: Internal links can also improve the SEO of your website. By linking to related pages, you can help search engines understand the structure of your website and the relationship between pages. This can help improve the ranking of individual pages and increase the visibility of your website in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Better User Experience: Internal links can also improve the user experience of your website. By linking to related content, you can provide users with additional information and resources that they may find useful. This can help establish your website as a credible source of information and improve user engagement.
Section 2: Identifying Anchor Text
Anchor text represents the clickable portion of a link (usually underlined and in a distinct color). Choosing the right anchor text can boost your SEO efforts.
I’ve previously covered the various types of anchor text suitable for links.
In general, aim for descriptive text that informs readers about the content they’ll discover upon clicking the link. It’s excellent if you can integrate keywords you wish to rank for within the anchor text. However, avoid forcing an unnatural description.
Section 3: Adding Internal Links in WordPress
Use the WordPress editor to add an internal link. It’s easy to do, I’ve broken down the steps below.
1. Highlight the text you want to convert into a link
Select the text you want to convert into a link. This text will become the anchor text once the linking process is complete.
2. Click the link button in the editor toolbar
This will bring up the link dialog box. Alternatively you can use the keyboard shortcut to do this – hover over the link icon to see the keyboard shortcut you can use.
3. Search for or paste the link to the target page
You need to tell WordPress what the URL to the page is. You can either type in the link, paste the link or use the search feature to find an internal page for you.
For external links you will have to paste or type in the URL.
4. Set the appropriate settings for the link
The WordPress editor gives you four options for a link. Let’s explain those options below.
Open in a new tab. When a reader clicks on the link it will open in a new tab, so your current page is not replaced. This is the prefered option so the reader can continue reading the current page, and later read the linked article in another tab.
Add “nofollow” to link. This informs Google not to follow the link when it crawls your website. Don’t set this option unless you have a good reason to.
Add “sponsored” to link. If the link is an affiliate link you should set this option.
Add “ugc” to link. UGC stands for User Generated Content. An example of this content would be user comments on your website. Leave this option unset.
5. Completing the link addition
Finally, to add the link, click outside the link dialog box.
While not the most intuitive method, clicking away from the link dialog box will finalize the process of adding a link and return you to the editor.
The anchor text will now be transformed into a link, evident by the underlined format and a color matching your link color (usually blue, as defined by your theme).
If you wish to modify the link’s settings, you can click on the link again within the editor.
Section 4: Monitoring and Improving Internal Links
Over time links will stop working. This is called link rot. It happens when external websites alter their internal structure and shift content around, leading to external links breaking.
Broken links not only provide a poor user experience but also cast an unprofessional shadow over your website. This underscores the importance of routinely checking your content for broken links.
Tools like SE Ranking can conduct audits on individual pages to detect SEO issues, including broken links and numerous other potential problems.
Periodically review your existing published content to identify opportunities for adding new relevant internal links. By doing this, you make it simpler for readers to discover related content right within your website.
Final Thoughts
I hope you found this article informative and useful. Here is a quick recap:
- Internal links refer to links connecting to other content on your website.
- Internal links enhance navigation and increase pageviews.
- Internal links aid Google in discovering your content.
- Internal links contribute to a better user experience and engagement.
- Use the WordPress editor to quickly add internal links
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