Internal Linking: The Online Marketing Tool of the Week
You work hard to create a marketing plan designed to attract prospective customers and increase your revenue. Online content marketing requires a firm understanding of search engine optimization (SEO) tactics to ensure your website ranks well to bring the traffic you need to succeed. When you hire marketing writers, you need to make sure they are up to date on the latest in marketing trends, including adding internal linking to your webpages and blog posts.
Why Should You Use Internal Links?
Internal links may seem counter intuitive because they simply lead to another part of your site, but they can be an effective marketing tool if used correctly. A content writing company should use these links to:
- Aid in the navigation of your site
- Create a hierarchy on your site
- Distribute page authority and ranking power
These links can show your readers other relevant pages in which they may be interested so they can read more. The longer they spend on your site, the more likely they will become one of your customers.
How to Use Internal Links
Your marketing content writer should include internal links on every page they create; however, there is a right and wrong way of using them. If you want your online content marketing to work at its best, it’s important to follow these guidelines.
Create a Lot of Content
You can’t create a couple of webpages and blog posts and then stop working on your websites. Both your site and your blog should be a work in progress at all times. The more content you create, the more places you will have to link readers to and the more likely your website will rank well on the search engines.
Focus on the Anchor Text
Throwing links anywhere in your content isn’t the best option when it comes to SEO. Your marketing plan should dictate how your marketing writers should use links. Adding links after the writing is complete is one of the best ways of making sure you use them appropriately. The best place to hyperlink other pages on your website is on the keywords each particular page uses. Never hyperlink something that isn’t a keyword, unless you are linking to the “contact us” page.
Go Deep
It may be tempting to link to your homepage because that’s where many businesses expect traffic to go. Unfortunately, linking to the homepage isn’t the most effective way of drawing more users through your site, especially since they are already there. Instead, it’s best to go deeper in your linking. If possible, link to a page not found in your main navigation bar.
Keep It Natural
Like all other aspects of your marketing plan, it’s important to keep your linking as natural as possible. Don’t insert links for the sake of using them. Instead, make sure you put them in a logical position where users are likely to click on them. Ask your marketing content writer about the best location for your links.
Use Relevant Links
One of the most important aspects of improving your online content marketing is to use relevant links. The search engines evaluate the relevancy of every internal link on your page. If they seem to be random, you could be losing out on better rankings. Readers won’t be impressed if they click a link and don’t find relevant content.
Don’t Overdo It
Many people think if internal linking is appropriate for a marketing plan, a lot of links couldn’t possibly hurt. Unfortunately, too many links leave a page looking cluttered and can turn readers away from your site. Instead, it’s best to keep links to a minimum. A content writing company can help you determine how many links will work best for your needs.
Online content marketing can be a difficult process if you aren’t familiar with the right tactics. One of the most important elements of a successful webpage is the use of internal links. Internet users like to follow links to find more relevant content they will enjoy. If your website provides that, you will likely attract loyal customers.
If you are looking for a content writing company that knows how to use internal links, contact us. We can provide the website content and blog posts you need to successfully market your business.
