I am often asked, usually in a whispered voice, “Do you have any good tricks?”
“Yes, look at your site”, I say.
Good content solves most SEO problems. That same idea applies to on-site link building. There is no doubt that link building is a huge factor in gaining search rankings. However, many web marketers forget to practice quality link building tactics on their own site.
We have all seen sites that force links into the site in order to boost search rankings. These are very transparent, even to the average user. However, with quality content the internal link building is natural. Great content naturally lends itself toward great quality inbound links.
Below are some general guidelines for internal link building.
Write Content First
It is important not to force content on to a page, in order to fulfill link building guidelines. Every site should have something to say. If you do not have anything to say on your site, then you do not deserve the good rankings you are after.
“How can my site be ranked higher?” I am asked.
My answer is always “Why should you be ranked higher?”
That usually makes web editors step back and take a second look. “Just because”, is not a good answer. And before they begin telling me the reasons they are better then the next site, they are stopped with … “Don’t tell me. I don’t care. Tell your customers”.
In other words, write good content on your site. Content is subjective, but ProBlogger.net has some great ideas on Writing Good Content.
Hyperlink keywords
After creating great content, the links will naturally flow. From this point you should be able to go back and hyperlink to internal pages.
It is okay at this stage to change text to emphasize specific keywords. However, do not change the text to where it jeopardizes the user experience.
You will find if the copy is well written that the links naturally pop out of the content.
Not only are these inbound links good for search engines, but it makes much better user experience. It gives the user a direction to go and helps them work through the site easier.
Do not “Click Here”
When adding the links, be sure not to commit the ultimate SEO sin. “Click here” provides no value to users or search engines. Those types of links immediately indicate an unprofessional site and insult the customer. Users know what a link is, they know where to click. There is no need to instruct them where to click.
Instead of telling those consumers to “click here” describe the link. Let customers and search engines know what the link is. Describe the page it’s going to with a link title.
A well internal link structure is the backbone of any quality website. It’s important to make sure internal link building is more than a site map. It can be difficult to get partners to create quality links. However, internal link building is easily controlled and should be treated as a high priority by anyone who wants to improve search rankings.
