Internal links can connect pages together and make navigation throughout a website easier.

HOUSTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, December 15, 2022/ EINPresswire.com / -- Google’s algorithm decides where websites fall on its ranking system. Although the full complexities and details are hidden, most SEO experts generally know what works and what doesn’t. Most people with only a cursory knowledge of SEO may not realize internal links are an important ranking factor for search engine result pages (SERPs). However, Actual SEO Media, Inc. can validate that internal links are ranking factors and why that is.

The Definition of Internal Links

Internal links are hyperlinks that point to another page within the same website. These links are used to help visitors navigate between pages of the same website. They’re also important for search engine optimization (SEO) because they help search engine crawlers discover more of the pages on the site.

These links can help structure a website while also providing an easy way for visitors to access related content. On top of that, they can help increase page views, and user engagement since visitors may be more likely to click on a link that takes them to other parts of the website. Internal links are best used when linking to relevant content since this will help visitors quickly find the information they need.

How Internal Links Fit Into Google’s Ranking Factors

The general basis of Google’s method of ranking websites centers around user experience. The better an experience users have on a website, the higher it’ll rank on the search engine result pages. Vice versa, the less optimized a website is for users, the lower it’ll rank on the SERPs.

One major part of user experience is the ease of navigation. The easier it is for users to find their way around a website, the better structure the website has. One integral part of navigation is internal links.

As explained earlier, internal links link various pages of a website together. It’s a neat and simple way to connect menu pages with blogs, blogs to an informational article in the backend, or an article to a menu page. Users can find the information they need by clicking on the relevant links that bring them to other pages that provide more answers to their questions. The smoother the journey, the better the user experience, and the higher the website will rank on the SERPs.

A “Good” Internal Link

Google sends millions of “crawler” bots across the web to index websites by crawling through the code. These crawlers will follow along the pathway of internal links to see what web pages they can reach. If the path is logical and makes sense in the relevant context, then there’s a higher chance that the website has a good sense of hierarchical link structure.

Of course, businesses can’t just link random pages to each other. That would break the flow of navigation and make the path confusing. If one of the crawlers doesn’t have an easy time going through the website by following the internal links, users probably won’t have a good time either. A website with a confusing structure will naturally rank lower on the SERPs.

That’s why the internal links on a website should have a hierarchical structure. A website’s main pages should be displayed prominently so that visitors can easily make their way to them. Most of these will be the menu items in the header or just beneath it. Some websites may have dropdowns with further options related to the menu item the user hovered over. That means these options are subcategories of the main one, and so on and so forth. It’s an easy structure to understand and grasp.

Menu items on the home page aren’t the only types of internal links. As mentioned before, links that link internal pages to other internal pages are also considered internal links. In that context, another point of navigation would be the use of anchor text.

The anchor text is a reference point for crawlers and users to know what type of page the link goes to. For example, say that the current page talks about grooming pets, and one of the links has the anchor text of “dog grooming.” Naturally, users would assume that the link goes to a page about dog grooming or similar.

As a leading Houston SEO company, Actual SEO Media, Inc. emboldens its clients to expand their online presence further. By harnessing the power of search engine optimization, the company helps businesses expand their online visibility and establish a stronger presence on the Internet. This company helps clients optimize their websites to expand their online presence and connect with more business opportunities. For more information, contact the office at (832) 834 - 0661 or by email at info@actualseomedia.com.

Jamin Mootz
Actual SEO Media, Inc.
+1 832-834-0661
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