Do you understand how important it is to add internal links to your website and optimise each of these links? The internal link structure of a website links all of the web pages in a website to each other. This makes it easier for users to navigate through your website, but more importantly it allows the search engine spiders to easily crawl through your website and index all of its pages. This is important because it means more of your web pages appear higher in the search engines search results. Below are some of the most effective ways to optimise your internal link structure.

Publish Plenty of High Quality Content

In the past, many website owners created websites that were filled with links but did not feature any useful content. Things have changed and it’s vital to surround each of your websites links with valuable, high quality, relevant content. This makes it easier for website visitors to read your content and is also a clear indication to the search engines that your website provides value first and then focuses on links.

Add Anchor Text

Your content should look natural and the links you add to it should not stand out for the wrong reasons. Whenever you add a link to your website use an anchor link that’s natural and that is relevant to the web page you are linking to.

Deep Linking

Many website owners only link to their website’s main pages such as their homepages. If you have a large website, it’s vital to link to every page on your website, so that every one of these pages has a chance to be crawled and indexed by the search engines. The more web pages that are indexed and noticed by the search engines, the easier it will be for online users to find more of your websites web pages and the more exposure your website will get.

Add Follow Links

‘Nofollow’ and ‘Follow’ are the two main types of links you can add to a website. If a link is a Nofollow link, this indicates to a search engine that they should not follow a link that is pointing to a particular page. However, when you are linking internally in a website, you normally want the search engine spiders to find and visit every web page on your website, so every link should be a Follow link.

Don’t Overdo It

Thanks to the latest website platforms and Content Management Systems, it’s much easier to add links to your content. However, don’t overdo it and only add links when you believe they are really needed. Developers of the search engines advise website owners to keep links to a reasonable number, so you should follow this advice.

Optimising your internal link structure is an important Search Engine Optimisation activity. It has the potential to rank more of your websites web pages, which ultimately leads to more online visitors who find your website through the search engines. Following the tips above will ensure that your linking strategy will not be frowned upon by the search engines and will make your website visitors’ user experience much more pleasant.