9 Internal Linking checks for SEO success

1. **Prioritize your pages** - Ensure that the most important link on your page is featured first to attract the most attention. Identify the pages that have the highest conversion rates. 2. **Choose the right anchor text** - Use relevant and descriptive anchor texts to give users and search engines a clear idea of the linked page's content. 3. **Link to top performers** - Utilize links to and from high-performing pages to spread their authority to other pages on your website. 4. **Don't overlink** - Avoid overwhelming your audience and diluting your page's authority by maintaining a balanced number of links. 5. **Use an HTML sitemap** - Employ an HTML sitemap to assist users and search engines in navigating your site more easily. 6. **Remove poor links** - Regularly check for and eliminate links that lead to low-quality or irrelevant pages to avoid negative impacts on SEO. 7. **Link to hard-to-reach pages** - Guide users to important pages that are challenging to locate using internal links. 8. **Think about the user** - Always prioritize the user experience when adding links to your content to enhance the user's journey. 9. **Don't force internal links** - If a link does not naturally fit within your content, consider excluding it.

Answer:

Internal linking is a crucial aspect of SEO success, and optimizing it involves several considerations:

  1. Prioritize your pages: Strategically place the most important link on each page to attract user attention and drive traffic to high-converting pages.
  2. Choose the right anchor text: Use relevant and descriptive anchor texts to provide users and search engines with a clear understanding of the linked page’s content, improving click-through rates.
  3. Link to top performers: Leverage links to and from high-performing pages to distribute their authority to other pages on your website, enhancing their visibility and ranking.
  4. Don’t overlink: Maintain a balanced number of links to avoid overwhelming users and diluting your page’s authority.
  5. Use an HTML sitemap: Implement an HTML sitemap to facilitate navigation for both users and search engines, improving user experience and crawlability.
  6. Remove poor links: Regularly identify and eliminate links to low-quality or irrelevant pages to prevent negative SEO impacts.
  7. Link to hard-to-reach pages: Guide users to important pages that may be difficult to locate using strategic internal linking.
  8. Think about the user: Prioritize user experience by adding links that enhance their journey and provide valuable information.
  9. Don’t force internal links: Avoid placing links that do not naturally fit within the content, ensuring a seamless and organic user experience.

To further enhance your internal linking strategy, consider linking your most important pages from the header, footer, and homepage body copy when relevant. Additionally, maintain a consistent flow of links, leading users towards your money pages. Remember that each link, both internal and external, dilutes the “link-out equity” or “juice-givability,” so prioritize internal linking and use external links with discretion.