Content writers know how easy it is to get caught up in writing and researching for the next piece. However, you should never lose sight of the bigger picture – building a web of rich content.
We are talking about internal links, a precious tactic to grow website traffic and improve your search engine results. But internal linking can be tricky because it’s not always cut and dry.
If done poorly, internal links may distract and confuse visitors or even cause them to leave your site – all of which can reduce your organic traffic and SERP rankings. Here are 10 internal linking mistakes that will negatively impact your content strategy.
1. Neglecting internal linking when creating new content
Mistake number one is quite obvious – you don’t think about internal linking when creating fresh content. When you make a new piece of content, make sure to add links to and from other related pieces. This is essential if you want your pages to rank for specific keywords and benefit from internal linking.
After all, why be digital if you don’t pay special attention to your site and the pages that can make it more successful in the long run?
2. Not linking to important pages
Every site has a number of pages that are considered to be more important than others. These are your money pages such as product pages, e-commerce categories, important blog posts, etc.
If you don’t link to these regularly or regularly enough, you risk losing organic traffic and search engine placement for those pages. That’s why you always need to keep these pages in mind when writing a new piece of content.
3. Ignoring keyword phrases in your links
Keywords can make or break your site, especially if you want to rank for competitive terms. Keyword-rich internal links are an easy way to boost the SEO power of your content, but only if they’re used correctly.
Jake Gardner, an SEO expert at Superiorpaper, says you shouldn’t place keywords in links that have nothing to do with the topic at hand. This is a faux pas that can hurt both your reader experience and overall SEO power. The keyword you use to place an internal link should precisely match the page you want to promote.
4. Using too many external links on a single page
A single internal link is probably not enough to improve the SEO power of your content. But if you add too many links to a page, it may harm both the user experience and your site’s search engine ranking.
When you add too many links, visitors will either get distracted or click away in fear of leaving your site for good. The same goes for search engines. If you place too many links on one page, Google may detect it as spam.
5. Linking to irrelevant articles
You know the drill already – every link needs to be relevant and helpful. Otherwise, it can harm your site’s credibility and reduce its traffic and domain authority. If your content is packed with irrelevant links, why would Google reward you with any precious rankings?
You need to place only those that are related to the page at hand in order for internal links to benefit your site. If you are not sure that a given link is helpful, you better leave it out.
6. Linking to the wrong page
An internal link is useless if it doesn’t work or if the wording is confusing to visitors. Always make sure that your links are formatted correctly, easy to read, and direct your readers exactly where you want them to go.
This mistake usually happens due to a lack of concentration, so we suggest checking your internal links before publishing the post. That way, you won’t make a mess of your page, making your website look more credible.
7. Using multiple internal links in a single paragraph
It’s great to own a site with lots of internal linking opportunities, but you need to keep it balanced. You need to separate internal links from one another to avoid anchor-stuffing. Otherwise, you risk turning your text into a confusing array of links that don’t do anything for the reader.
The general rule of thumb is to add no more than two links to a single paragraph. This is enough to grab a reader’s attention without looking cluttered or intrusive.
8. Not paying attention to the distribution of internal links
Do you tend to place all links in the first few paragraphs? It may sound reasonable, but it’s actually a mistake. Your goal is to distribute internal links gradually, making sure to add relevant links to all sections equally.
9. Linking to dead pages
Having a broken link on your site is bad enough because it reduces the user experience and frustrates visitors who may never return. If a broken link appears on a money page that holds valuable keywords, rest assured you’ll lose valuable rankings.
Dead pages are also bad news for internal linking practices. You should delete or update broken pages so that you can strengthen your site’s SEO power without harming visitors.
10. Repeating the same pages over and over again
It’s easy to fall into a pattern of using the same internal links time and time again. But this is not good for SEO because regular readers will recognize your habit and stop clicking on internal links in your posts. Your goal should be to use a more proactive approach, placing different internal links whenever you find the opportunity to do so.
Conclusion
Internal links are very valuable, but only if you use them properly. Make sure to remember our tips and you won’t make an internal linking mistake ever again.
AUTHOR BIO
Eun Rockwell is an SEO professional and a part-time blogger who works for Essay Mama. She likes trying new subjects and is always focused on proving her worth as a writer in new and challenging writing areas. Her hobbies are reading books and traveling.
