In a new installment of its “SEO Made Easy” video series, Google offers three straightforward guidelines for enhancing SEO through internal linking.

The video presented by Google’s Martin Splitt provides valuable insights for improving site structure and user experience.

Strategic internal linking highlights your most valuable content, making it easy for users and also search engines to find.

Furthermore, internal linking helps search engines understand the relationships between pages, which can improve your rankings.

3 Tips for Internal Linking

Google’s Martin Splitt emphasized three main points regarding the effective use of internal links:

1. User Navigation: Internal links guide users through a website, helping them find related content and understand the site’s structure.
2. Search Engine Crawling: Google’s web crawler, Googlebot, uses internal links to search for new pages and understand the relationships between all pages on a site.
3. HTML Best Practices: Properly using HTML elements, particularly the <a> tag with an href attribute, is essential for creating effective links.

The Importance of Meaningful Anchor Text

One of Google’s key recommendations is to use descriptive, meaningful anchor text for links. Splitt demonstrated how clear anchor text improves user experience by allowing visitors to quickly scan a page and understand where each link will lead them.

Balancing Link Quantity

While internal linking is crucial, Martin Splitt advises against overdoing it. He recommends using critical judgment when adding links, ensuring they create logical connections between related content without overwhelming the user or diluting the page’s focus.

Technical Considerations for Links

The video also addressed the technical aspects of link implementation.

Martin Splitt discouraged using non-standard elements like <span>, <div>, or <button> to create links. He emphasized that if a component behaves like a link, it should be coded correctly using the <a> tag to ensure proper HTML structure and functionality.

In Summary

Key takeaways from Google’s video on internal linking:

• Internal linking is a fundamental of SEO and user experience.
• Focus on creating meaningful, descriptive anchor text for links.
• Use internal links strategically to guide users and search engines through your site.
• Balance the number of links to avoid overwhelming users or diluting page focus.
• Stick to proper HTML structure when implementing links.

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