Intro
In the latest "SEO Made Easy" video series, Google's Martin Splitt provides crucial insights into optimizing internal links for better SEO and enhanced user experience. Here are the three main tips highlighted in the video:
1. Use Descriptive Anchor Text
One of the primary recommendations is to use meaningful and descriptive anchor text for internal links. Descriptive anchor text helps users and search engines understand the content and relevance of the linked page. It allows visitors to quickly scan a webpage and anticipate the content they will access by clicking on the link.
Example:
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Good: "Learn more about our new product features"
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Poor: "Click here"
2. Facilitate User Navigation and Search Engine Crawling
Internal links play a vital role in guiding users through a website, helping them discover related content and understand the site’s structure. For search engines, internal links are essential for crawling and indexing new pages and understanding the relationships between different parts of the site. This helps in distributing page authority and improving overall site visibility.
3. Balance the Number of Links
While internal linking is crucial, it is important not to overdo it. Overwhelming users with too many links can dilute the page's focus and degrade user experience. It's essential to create logical connections between content without overcrowding the page, ensuring that links are relevant and useful to both users and search engines.
Technical Considerations
Splitt also emphasized using the proper HTML elements for creating links. Specifically, he advised against using non-standard elements like spans, divs, or buttons to create links, as these can confuse search engines and screen readers. Instead, standard HTML <a> tags should be used, which are specifically designed for hyperlinks.
Key Takeaways:
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Internal linking is crucial for both SEO and user experience.
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Use descriptive and meaningful anchor text to clearly convey the link's destination.
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Strategically place internal links to help users and search engines navigate the site.
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Avoid overwhelming users with too many links on a single page.
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Use proper HTML structure when coding links to ensure they are correctly interpreted by search engines and assistive technologies.
By adhering to these guidelines, website owners can enhance their SEO performance and provide a better navigational experience for their users.
