Using different types of links for SEO not only helps the user find more of the information they are looking for, but also communicates important information to search engines.
When it comes to editing for SEO, you’ll need to utilize these different kinds of links in order to create an effective strategy.
In this guide you’ll learn about the types of links for SEO.
Internal vs External Links for SEO
Internal links are links that point to pages on your site from within your site.
External links are links that point to pages on your site from outside your site.
The Importance of Internal Links
Internal links are important because they help communicate your site structure to search engines.
We want a lot of internal links pointing to our cornerstone content.
By doing this, we tell Google it is the most important content on our site, and Google is more likely to rank it higher for our chosen keyword.
Internal links are also important because they help keep users on your site.
If you’re not linking to more detailed information on your site, the user will likely turn to Google and find that information on someone else’s site.
The longer you can keep the user on your site, the more likely they will be to take the action you want them to take.
This could include making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or any other type of conversion.
The Importance of External Links
External links, or backlinks, are important because they communicate to search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative.
One of the most important aspects in ranking high in search engines is having lots of high-quality backlinks.
There are two elements that make a backlink high-quality.
1. Authority of the linking site
Many years ago, search engines didn’t take into account the trustworthiness of the linking site.
This led to people purchasing links and receiving a high ranking without actually earning it.
Now, however, Google takes the trustworthiness and authority of a site into account.
For example, a backlink from spammylinks.com will be worth a lot less than a link from a major publication or a .edu site.
2. Topical relevance of the linking site
Search engines also take into account topical and semantic relevance when determining how much a backlink should improve your ranking.
For example, if your site is about running shoes, a link from Runner’s World magazine will be worth much more than a link from a site about tech news.
Google can make these judgments by considering semantic relevance.
Runner’s World will be using a lot of keywords like “running,” “shoes,” and “exercise,” while the tech news site will more often use words like “computers,” “software,” and “Silicon Valley.”
Follow vs Nofollow Links for SEO
Follow links are links that impact your results in search engines.
Getting other sites to link to you with follow links is crucial to increasing your search engine ranking.
These links pass on link juice.
That is just SEO slang meaning the link passes on more authority and trustworthiness to your page.
Nofollow links, on the other hand, do not pass on link juice.
They are tagged with the HTML code rel=”nofollow” so search engines don’t follow the link to your page, meaning it won’t boost your page’s authority or ranking.
These links typically come from social media or blog post comments.
This prevents people from creating spammy links and boosting their search engine ranking unfairly.
However, while nofollow links don’t pass on link juice, you shouldn’t ignore them entirely.
Any legitimate link to your site is a good link because it can help drive traffic.
While you might not get the ranking and authority benefits of a follow link, driving more traffic to your site is always a positive.
The more traffic you can drive, the more likely it is that someone will appreciate your content and link to it with a follow link later on.
Remember, SEO editing is a long-term process.
Take the time to drive traffic to your site and eventually you will see the results in Google.
Inbound vs Outbound Links for SEO
So far, we’ve only discussed inbound links. These are links pointing to your site.
Outbound links are links pointing to pages outside of your site.
Outbound links, unfortunately, do not improve your SEO.
However, they do help create a more connected web.
After all, if you want others to link to you, you should link to others.
Just as Yoast’s (an SEO resource and plugin) tagline reads, “SEO for everyone.”
Also, providing outbound links to information you don’t have on your site that the user may want is best for the user.
We always want to put the users’ needs first.
Remember, Google does tweak it’s ranking algorithm from time to time, and these tweaks are typically done in order to provide the user with the most helpful content possible.
Do what’s best for the user, and you shouldn’t have to worry when Google makes changes.
Anchor Jump Links for SEO
Finally, you can utilize anchor jump links.
These are links that point to a spot on the same page as you are currently on.
It allows the user to “jump” to a specific spot on the page.
If you’d like an example, there are anchor jump links at the beginning of this article.
These links are most effective for long content that would be difficult to skim.
It helps the user find the specific information they are looking for. Essentially, they act as a table of contents.
Anchor jump links can also help you rank in search engines because you are telling them where to find the very specific information the user is looking for.
Google’s goal is to provide the user the information they want as quickly as possible, and anchor jump links help them do this.
Conclusion: Link Building Is A Crucial Part Of Your SEO Strategy
By providing the information and clearly showing where it can be found, you help both the user and Google.
That is the entire purpose of links for SEO, and is key to an effective SEO strategy.
If you want to start ranking in search engines, you’ll need to make sure you’re building high-quality links.
Working with an SEO editor like myself can help start building your links and ranking in search engines.