The latest #ContentWritingChat was all about SEO as we talked about the importance of internal linking. In this chat, some amazing tips were shared regarding this tactic and how you can use it in building your own website’s online presence. If you’re ready to learn more about it, keep reading for the recap!
#ContentWritingChat Recap: Internal Linking & Its Importance in SEO with Sarah Danks
Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, June 6th at 10 AM Central Time with @ThinkSEM! pic.twitter.com/XOUOS7Vit2
— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) June 3, 2017
Our guest host this week was Sarah Danks from ThinkSEM. She’s their Digital Strategist and is no stranger to a great Twitter chat. In fact, if you’re a regular participant you’ve likely noticed Sarah in our chat before, as she typically joins us every week. It was great having a regular participant step into the guest hosting role and she shared some fantastic advice with all of us.
Q1: Why are internal links important?
To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share why they felt internal linking was an important part of SEO. Here’s what a few of our participants said:
A1: The World Wide Web is all about connections. What’s related to this content? What else is relevant to my search? #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/MJNwGN1WzR
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
Aii: And it doesn’t get more relevant than showing the relationship between pages on your own website! #ContentWritingChat
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
As Sarah pointed out, the web is all about connections. Internal linking allows you to to connect pieces of relevant content to one another. You’re able to show the relationship between pages on your own website, which is a great way to keep them on your site longer.
A1 If SEO is a house, internal linking is the framework of the house. It moves your “traffic” from room to room onsite. #ContentWritingChat
— Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) June 6, 2017
Julia’s response is really a helpful way to think of internal linking. It helps to move traffic from room to room onsite. This basically means it keeps people from moving from page to page once they’ve first landed on your site. It’s key if you want to keep someone digging into the depths of your archives.
A1: Internal links spread your authority and ranking through the site and builds structure! #ContentWritingChat
— Jeff Higgins (@ItsJeffHiggins) June 6, 2017
Jeff knows that building up those internal links is a good way to increase your authority with your audience. And who wouldn’t want that?!
A1. They help make you a credible, reliable source by showing readers that you’re the authority! #contentwritingchat
— Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) June 6, 2017
Kristen also mentioned it’s a way to show you’re a credible and reliable source and builds your authority.
A1: Makes it easy for everyone. Without these, people will go elsewhere for answers and info. #ContentWritingChat
— Jeremy Murphy (@jeremypmurphy) June 6, 2017
By providing internal links, it also makes it easier for your readers to find more relevant content. As Jeremy pointed out, people will go elsewhere to find what they’re looking for if you don’t give it to them. So, if you have more content you know they’d enjoy, link to it!
A1: Internal links help guide your audience through your site to other valuable/actionable content #contentwritingchat
— Elizabeth Greenberg (@BettaBeYou) June 6, 2017
Elizabeth feels internal linking helps guide your audience through your site and leads them to other valuable, actionable content. Keep that in mind when adding links to content so you can be sure you’re sending them somewhere worthwhile.
Q2: How do internal links affect overall site structure?
Now that you know the importance of internal linking, you should also know how it’s going to affect the overall structure of your website. Here are a few responses we received in Tuesday’s chat:
A2: Internal links are a major part of website architecture. A well-linked site is easy to navigate.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/R2ISQMC1eI
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
A2ii: Conversely, if the linking between pages is sparse it will be difficult to find related content or even convert.#ContentWritingChat
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
As Sarah pointed out, a well-linked site is easy to navigate. This is great for visitors to your site because you want everything to be accessible. There’s nothing worse than a site that makes it difficult to find what you’re looking for.
Also, if you’re lacking when it comes to links, it makes it harder for readers to find related content. It can also make it more difficult to get them to convert.
A2) It offers flow & stability. Internal linking saves the users from thinking where to find additional content. #ContentWritingChat
— Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) June 6, 2017
Jason said internal linking offers flow and stability. Instead of forcing your reader to figure out what to do next or where to go, you can direct them to additional content. Don’t leave it up to them, otherwise there’s a greater chance they’ll leave your site.
A2: It helps create a hierarchy of your content and allows users to flow from broad content to more specific content. #ContentWritingChat
— Pinpoint Laser (@PinpointLaser) June 6, 2017
This is another important thing to consider! Linking helps create a hierarchy of your content. Through those links, a reader can flow from broad content to more specific content that’s still relevant.
A2) Done correctly, Internal linking helps customers more easily find relevant information on their topics of interest. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/batd9sXPaV
— Jeff Reno(e) ? (@Renoe) June 6, 2017
Jenn knows internal linking is going to help customers easily find the relevant information they’re looking for while on your site. Make sure you’re taking advantage of that by directing them to the next page you think they’d be interested in.
A2: Internal linking is like a roadmap… you can subtlely lead your viewer where you would like them. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/lXEy22t4Q0
— Sarah Nelson (@Blogging_Geek) June 6, 2017
Think of it like a roadmap, as Sarah said. Lead your readers where you want them to go next.
A2 Internal links boost the structure of the site and keep visitors engaged. [I wrote a guide: https://t.co/7Ubu7Xj3qz] #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/aHIuVl6nc1
— Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) June 6, 2017
Julia, our CEO, has even written a guide on internal links that will help you out. Be sure to read it!
Q3: Who do you please first: search engines or users?
We all know that it’s important to optimize our content for search engines, but is that really where we need to direct our attention first? Or should we primarily be focusing on our users? Check out these responses from the chat:
A3: In this day and age, everyone should know the answer is always “Cater to your users first; search engines second.”#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/3L6rW52ggk
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
A3ii: You want to show up well in SERPs, and by putting users first you’re actually playing by Google’s rules. #ContentWritingChat
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
Sarah said it’s all about catering to your users first and the search engines second. When you focus on them, you’re playing by Google’s rules and delivering valuable content. That’s important!
A3: USERS! Search engines want to make users happy, so when you make them happy…search engines are happy. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/47K0PfPx2A
— Sarah Nelson (@Blogging_Geek) June 6, 2017
Make your users happy and you make the search engines happy as well!
A3: Users. What the search engine wants is constantly changing so you need to focus on your user first. #contentwritingchat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) June 6, 2017
The search engine algorithm changes from time to time. One way you can’t go wrong is to focus on your user first and foremost. This ensures you’re creating the content they’ll love.
a3 It’s ALL about the USER EXPERIENCE #contentwritingchat
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) June 6, 2017
Debi knows it’s all about the user experience when it comes down to it.
A3 Real humans all the way. Comprehensive content = Google’s #1 ranking standard. They look at it like humans do now. #ContentWritingChat
— Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) June 6, 2017
Julia is all about focusing on the real human who is going to be engaging with her content.
A3: I like to make my site first about the users and second about search engines. People before bots. Lol! #ContentWritingChat
— Mind of a Diva (@MindofaDiva) June 6, 2017
People before bots!
A3: People have to find your #content to read it, but then it has to be humanistic. Optimize for SEO, create for users. #ContentWritingChat
— Ashley Cardwell (@TheAshleyDale) June 6, 2017
Ashley brought up a great point about how users need to be able to find your content in order to read it. Her advice is to optimize for SEO, but create for your user.
A3: SEO optimization is mandatory for competitiveness, but user engagement is the reason you even have a website. ?vs? #ContentWritingChat
— Andrew Roberts (@ARoberts021) June 6, 2017
As Andrew pointed out, it’s just like the old chicken versus the egg debate. He said it’s important to optimize your content for competitiveness, but user engagement is essential as well.
Q4: Does the anchor text of links matter?
When it comes to actually creating a link, does the text you add the hyperlink to matter in the end? If you’ve been wondering about this, we have an answer for you. Check out these responses:
A4: In a word, yes. Be descriptive, tell the user where they’re going. BUT, beware the spammy anchor text!#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/m2cH4IGne3
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
A4ii: I.e., don’t link an entire 70-word sentence. Choose the key point and use that for your link text. #ContentWritingChat
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
Sarah knows anchor text should be descriptive, but you also need to avoid anything spammy. That’s not cool! There’s no need to link an incredibly long sentence either. You can link just the key point so people know what they’re clicking for.
A4: Anchor text absolutely matters. Is there anything more frustrating than a link that says, “here”? Give details! #ContentWritingChat
— Rachel (@redheadrachel) June 6, 2017
Anchor text certainly matters. Readers don’t want to see a link that says, “Click here,” or anything else of the sort if it doesn’t state where they’re going. They want details so they know what they’re clicking on.
A4: Using a pertinent and relevant anchor text makes your link more valuable to readers and Google alike#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/BjVdfGDZ11
— @AndreaTorti90 (@andreatorti90) June 6, 2017
With relevant anchor text, you make your link more valuable to both readers and Google. That’s key to any internal linking strategy.
A4: using descriptive anchor text lets people (& search engines) know where they’re going & what they’re getting. #contentwritingchat
— Elizabeth Greenberg (@BettaBeYou) June 6, 2017
Elizabeth’s advice is to use descriptive anchor text to let users and the search engines know where it leads.
A4: Yes, just as in image ALT attributes, anchor text should be descriptive. Not just for SEO, but for accessibility. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/Zjl2vFVIZM
— Ray Sidney-Smith (@w3consulting) June 6, 2017
Ray knows it’s not just important for SEO, but also for accessibility. Everything needs to be user-friendly for your reader.
A4) Don’t click bait. It’s a part of the reason the #FakeNews movement happened. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/Mk0Cxum7fT
— Jeff Reno(e) ? (@Renoe) June 6, 2017
And of course, make sure you avoid any kind of click bait.
A4: Ask yourself, would I click on this anchor text? Treat readers as you’d like to be treated #ContentWritingChat #blogging
— Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) June 6, 2017
In the end, if you wouldn’t click on a link, your readers probably won’t either.
Q5: Are there any links you should include on every page?
We asked everyone to chime in with their thoughts on including certain links on every page. Here’s what some of them had to say:
A5: Every website has a purpose. Make sure yours is known by putting a CTA (link) to the goal of the site. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/vA4sTBr9nM
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
A5ii: Obviously, a good main navigation is key — be sure it’s easy to find/access and links to most important content.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/vA4sTBr9nM
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
As Sarah said, every website has a purpose. Make the purpose of your site know through the use of a CTA (call to action) that leads people to your end goal. And of course, having a good navigation on your website is important in helping people find what they want.
A5) I think there should always be a link that takes users to the next relevant step in their journey e.g. CTAs #contentwritingchat
— Liliana H ☕️️ (@Liliholl) June 6, 2017
Liliana also agrees having a link to your CTA is always important.
A5: We include links that drive to our contact us page on every content page we have… sometimes twice in a scroll. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/KjRaZCpa3Q
— Jeff Reno(e) ? (@Renoe) June 6, 2017
For Jenn, she likes to include links to a contact page. This makes it easy for a reader to get in touch with you and encourages them to do so.
A5: Navigational links should be included on every page #contentwritingchat
— GCMEDIA (@gcmedia123) June 6, 2017
Navigation links are a crucial element of every successful website.
A5: A link back to the homepage of the blog. I hate when I can’t get back to the beginning. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/8xoGeuz8Vv
— Sarah Nelson (@Blogging_Geek) June 6, 2017
Don’t forget to add a link to your homepage on every page of your site. This gives people an easy way to get back there after they’ve clicked off.
Q6: Is there such a thing as too many or too few links in page copy?
When it comes to your internal linking strategy, is it possible to have too many or too few links? Here’s some advice to consider:
A6: Both, actually. Too few = content that’s not linked well, it won’t perform well in SERPs; users won’t like it.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/QHHrzsKx2E
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
A6ii: Too many (i.e. in copy) = content that looks spammy/hard to read. Users definitely won’t like that! Nor Google 🙂#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/QHHrzsKx2E
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
As Sarah said, both are absolutely possible. You don’t want to overdo it by providing too many links, which can look spammy. However, there are downsides to too few links as well.
A6 Yes, I’d say add links to page copy if it’s necessary and if you’re referring to something else #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/8na0DwxAUD
— Tony Stephan (@OmnipoTony) June 6, 2017
Tony’s advice is to only link to content when it’s relevant to do so.
A6: Yes, there is a happy medium to the number of links. Don’t have links just to have links; make them valuable links. #contentwritingchat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) June 6, 2017
To second that, don’t have links just to have links. Make sure they’re adding value to your user in some way.
A6 Yes, you can TOO MANY links in content, like reading an academic paper w/ footnote for each sentence. #Tiresome #ContentWritingChat
— Shannon Mouton Gray (@ShannonRenee) June 6, 2017
Shannon knows too many links can be a turn-off for your readers, so it’s best you find a balance.
A6: Yes! Don’t overwhelm. But don’t leave ’em hangin’ either. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/cuf4o3boYl
— Sherri Johnson (@FlyGirlFMP) June 6, 2017
The key is to make sure you don’t overwhelm them, but that you also don’t leave them hanging. If you have more they’d be interested in, link to it.
Q7: What’s the easiest way to incorporate new internal links to your website?
Now that you know all about internal linking, it’s time to start using this strategy yourself. How do you begin? Check out this advice from the chat:
A7: If you add any new content, link to it! The easiest way for this to happen these days is with your blog posts.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/lmLzzmIES9
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
If you add a new blog post, make sure you link to it. You can link newer posts to older ones and older ones to newer ones. It really is that simple to get started!
A7 Link naturally to related older blogs from new blogs. That gets super easy with long-form, comprehensive content. #ContentWritingChat
— Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) June 6, 2017
Julia suggests doing the same. Whenever you create new content, take the time to add links to relevant content from your archives.
A7: Review all major pages/posts on your website and look for text that could be appropriately linked to other pages. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/cc3CKsTeBp
— Ray Sidney-Smith (@w3consulting) June 6, 2017
Ray’s advice is to review the major pages and pots on your website first. Then, start determining what can be linked to other pages appropriately.
A7 You can also list content in employees & contributors bios #ContentWritingChat
— Shannon Mouton Gray (@ShannonRenee) June 6, 2017
Shannon suggests listing content in the biographies for employees and contributors.
Q8: Give some examples of internal linking done incorrectly.
What are some examples of internal linking gone wrong? Here’s what you need to avoid:
A8: Over-use of links in copy going to the same place, using “here” for anchor text, getting spammy with CTAs.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/wI7bmsPzmj
— ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017
Don’t use the same link too many times, avoid using non-descriptive text such as “here” for anchor text, and don’t get spammy with CTAs.
A8: Not using valuable anchor text/keywords, linking to the same page multiple times, over doing the # of internal links #contentwritingchat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) June 6, 2017
Not using valuable anchor text, linking to the same page multiple times, and overdoing it on the links are all things to avoid.
A8: If the content is riddled with links like a law review article’s footnotes, that’s too many. Prune some. #ContentWritingChat
— Jeremy Murphy (@jeremypmurphy) June 6, 2017
Jeremy said to avoid using too many links, otherwise it can look like the footnotes of a law review article. Your readers probably don’t want that!
Dead links. #ContentWritingChat
https://t.co/gNB92UFel6
— Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) June 6, 2017
No one wants to come across a dead link, so make sure all links work before hitting publish.
A8 The worst internal link is inserting a link for the sake of a link because you haven’t inserted one lately. #ContentWritingChat
— Jim Katzaman (@JKatzaman) June 6, 2017
And remember, don’t like just for the sake of linking. It should add value and serve a purpose.
Ready to join the fun for yourself? #ContentWritingChat takes place every Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time over on Twitter! Just follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat for all the latest.