Link building is unquestionably one of the cornerstones of boosting a site’s search rankings (2024)

Link building is unquestionably one of the cornerstones of boosting a site’s search rankings.

After all, backlinks are considered the authority currency of the online marketing world.

The more backlinks pointing to a site, the more authority it has and the better it performs in search results.

However, in this hyperfocus on external validation, a crucial internal element often gets sidelined: internal linking.

Internal links are just as essential for SEO success as others. They are the highways and backroads connecting your website's content, guiding users and search engines through your domain.

If you’ve thrown internal linking to the backburner of your SEO marketing, let’s change that.

Here, we’ll explore five reasons why internal linking deserves a starring role in your SEO repertoire.

1. Valuable Source of PageRank

One of the core tenets of SEO is establishing a website's authority in the eyes of search engines.

A key metric in this evaluation is PageRank, a concept developed by Google to assess a web page's relative importance.

In other words, web pages with higher PageRank or link equity rank more prominently in search results.

Like backlinks, internal linking also plays a vital role in optimizing your website's PageRank distribution.

When a link is created from one page on your website to another, a portion of the source page’s PageRank is transferred to the target linked URL. This strategic distribution allows you to:

  • Enhance the Authority of Targeted Pages: The authority of linking pages rubs onto the target pages, significantly improving their ranking potential.
  • Maneuver the Direction of Link Juice: While transferring PageRank from high-authority to low-authority pages is a usual practice, users can also opt to steer the direction based on their SEO goals. For instance, building internal links from high-authority to fellow high-authority pages can further boost their SERP performance.
  • Improve SERP ranking: More PageRank on a URL means improved ranking on search engines for given search queries.

2. Boosts Topical Authority

A website’s expertise and trustworthiness within a specific subject area, a.k.a. topical authority, also influences the SERP performance of every web page under its domain.

Topical authority is achieved through the creation of topical clusters, which are informational hubs composed of three elements:

  1. Pillar post: The central hub of topical clusters. Pillar posts are long-form content ranking for short-tail keywords and covering a wide range of information.
  2. Cluster content: The spokes branching out of the pillar post. Cluster content rank for long-tail keywords and comprehensively explore concepts glossed over on the pillar post.
  3. Internal links: They connect the pillar post to cluster content and vice versa.

Topical clusters look like this:

Link building is unquestionably one of the cornerstones of boosting a site’s search rankings (1)

Source: LinkStorm

When websites create a network of pillar posts and cluster content, they provide users with a comprehensive and informative resource. This structure also signals topical authority to search engines by establishing thematic connections or contextual relationships across a web of content.

Strategically interlinking relevant content across your website demonstrates a cohesive understanding of a particular subject. As a result, your web pages tend to appear on SERPs for search queries surrounding that topic.

3. Provides Positive User Experience

A well-connected website goes beyond influencing its SEO performance. Internal links also play a critical role in boosting visitors’ user experience.

Here’s how internal linking can contribute to a positive search journey for your users:

  • Improved navigation: While there are different types of internal links, each provides users with a clear path to navigate your website.

For instance, navigational links make up your site’s navigational structure and are present site-wide. These links enable users to explore the site. Conversely, contextual links build bridges between related content.

  • Enhanced Content Discovery: Strategic internal linking exposes users to a broader range of your website's content.

By embedding relevant links throughout their journey, they are likelier to discover valuable information they may not have initially found. This fosters a deeper engagement with your website's content.

  • Increased User Satisfaction: In many cases, users' overall satisfaction with a website increases when they discover relevant content via internal links that satisfy their search query.

This can lead to improved engagement metrics.

Speaking of which…

4. Improves Engagement Metrics

In the SEO realm, there’s a plethora of ranking factors that influence a site’s SERP performance. One of the often overlooked factors is engagement metrics.

Engagement metrics refer to the quantifiable data points measuring how a user interacts with a website. These metrics grant valuable insight into user behavior and content effectiveness.

Internal linking can indirectly yet positively impact engagement metrics. Here are a few ways internal linking does that:

  • Average Session Duration: Also known as dwell time, this metric reflects the average time users spend actively engaged on your website.

Effective internal linking encourages users to explore related content, extending their session duration on your site.

  • Page Views per Session: This metric indicates the average number of pages a user views during a single visit.

Strategic internal linking can entice users to navigate to relevant pages on your website, increasing the number of pages viewed per session.

  • Bounce Rate: This metric represents the percentage of visitors who leave your website immediately without engagement.

Relevant internal links give users pathways to related content, which, when clicked, may decrease the bounce rate and keep users engaged for longer.

  • Click-Through Rate: CTR measures the percentage of users who click on a specific link within your website.

Well-placed internal links that implement anchor text best practices can encourage users to click and explore more content, boosting your site’s click-through rate.

Improved engagement metrics tell search engines that your website offers a valuable and engaging user experience. This positively impacts your site’s SEO performance, leading to better rankings in SERPs.

5. Enhances Crawl Efficiency

Web crawlers are the lifeline connecting websites and search engines. These crawlers, which Google appropriately calls Googlebot, constantly scan the web to index newly published web pages.

Since crawlers have limited resources and time to spend on each website, internal linking can significantly enhance crawl efficiency. Here’s how:

  • Clear pathways for the Googlebot: Internal links are portals web crawlers use to explore new web pages. A well-connected internal linking architecture serves as a roadmap for search engine crawlers.

Strategically interlinking pages on your site guides Googlebot in discovering and indexing new pages.

  • Prioritization and importance signals: The placement and prominence of internal links denote the relative importance of target web pages to search engines.

For instance, linking to high-priority pages from other indexed and ranking pages within your site can signal their importance to crawlers.

  • Reduced crawl budget waste: While Google says crawl budget isn’t something small websites have to worry about, the same cannot be said about large sites. Google allocates a dedicated crawl budget to each website, limiting how many pages they will crawl and index.

Ensuring all your valuable content is interconnected with internal links minimizes the chances of crawlers wasting resources on dead ends or unimportant pages. This allows them to focus on indexing your most valuable content.

In essence, internal linking acts as a guiding light for search engine crawlers. It helps them discover, prioritize, and efficiently index all your website's content.

Don’t take Internal Linking for Granted!

There’s more to internal links than just an improved site-wide connection.

Strategic internal linking can enhance your users’ search experience, improve your crawlability and indexing, and elevate your site’s SEO performance. This ultimately boosts the ranking of your pages on search results.

However, site owners overlook another thing: internal linking is more cost-effective than other SEO marketing approaches. Armed with the right internal linking tool, you don’t need a dedicated team to get your internal links up and running.

Exceptional SEO-driven results for less? Internal linking does just that.

Happy linking!

Link building is unquestionably one of the cornerstones of boosting a site’s search rankings (2024)

FAQs

Link building is unquestionably one of the cornerstones of boosting a site’s search rankings? ›

Link building is unquestionably one of the cornerstones of boosting a site's search rankings. After all, backlinks are considered the authority currency of the online marketing world. The more backlinks pointing to a site, the more authority it has and the better it performs in search results.

Is link building still relevant to SEO? ›

While link building remains a valuable SEO tactic, it's essential to approach it strategically and ethically. Here are some best practices to follow: Create High-Quality Content: Focus on producing informative, engaging, and shareable content that naturally attracts backlinks.

What is the purpose of link building in SEO? ›

Link building is the process of getting other websites to link to pages on your website. Its purpose is to boost the “authority” of your pages in the eyes of Google so that these pages rank higher and bring more search traffic.

What Google says about link building? ›

SEO Expert Weighs In: "Google requires minimal links, suggesting publishers should concentrate on other aspects," says Google's Gary Illyes, a leading figure in the SEO industry. This quote reinforces the idea that content is king, and Google prioritizes websites that deliver exceptional user experiences.

What are the benefits of link building? ›

The significant benefit of link building is that it positions your pages at the top of search engines. This top spot invites more traffic, better leads, and improved conversions. By having pages that are worth linking to, you build a good reputation and increase revenue in your business.

Is link building still relevant in 2024? ›

As of 2024, Link Building is still relevant for SEO.

Search engines use the quantity and quality of links pointing to a website as one of the factors in determining its ranking on search engine results pages. The more high-quality links a website has, the higher its ranking is likely to be.

Is link building worth it? ›

Link building should be a standard part of any SEO campaign. The idea is that the more high-quality, authoritative, trustworthy sites there are linking back to your content, the higher your site will appear in search engine results and the more traffic you'll see. And there are a lot of ways to encourage backlinks.

What is the difference between link building and backlinks? ›

The #1 way is through link-building, which is the process of 'building' links from other websites that 'point back' to your content. A link from an external site that points back to yours is called a backlink.

Why is link building relevant? ›

Relevant link building is very similar. For inbound links, you want the linking pages (i.e. the referring pages that are linking to your site) to be relevant for your keywords (same as discussed above) with the addition of having your keywords and related keywords in the link's context and anchor text.

What kind of link building strategy is best for SEO? ›

And the best way to do so is to make sure your website content is as visible as possible:
  • Start with keyword research.
  • Use keywords in anchor text.
  • Commit to regular link building.
  • Build links from relevant websites.
  • Create infographics and other visual assets.
  • Create share-worthy content.
  • Use influencer marketing.

What are link building mistakes? ›

Repeated usage of the same anchor text is a common link building mistake. Doing so can negatively impact your SEO as it can be seen as spammy by search engines. The issue arises when all of your backlinks have matching anchor text with the target keyword on the target page.

How much should I pay for link building? ›

Even though several factors affect the pricing of link building, our experience and knowledge of the market tell us that average prices per link range as follows: Low End: $50 – $200. Medium End: $200 – $600. High End: $600 – $2,000.

Why link building is essential to online success? ›

SEO link building is an integral part of your digital marketing efforts. Link building is the process of promoting your website content to secure backlinks from high-authority referring domains. Links are important signals that tell search engines your website is a credible source of information.

What are the risks of link building? ›

Relying on Automated Link Building

Using automated tools for link building can lead to an unnatural backlink profile and can potentially attract penalties from search engines.

How does link building affect SEO? ›

Link building is an important part of SEO because it helps search engines understand the value and authority of a website. By building high-quality backlinks from relevant and reputable websites, you can improve your website's ranking in search results and increase the visibility of your content.

What you really need to know about link building services? ›

Quality is more important than quantity when it comes to link building. It's crucial to focus on acquiring links from authoritative websites that are relevant to your industry or niche. These high-quality backlinks have a greater impact on your website's visibility and rankings than low-quality or irrelevant links.

Is SEO still relevant in 2024? ›

As we navigate the ever-changing digital world of 2024, you might be wondering: is SEO still worth investing in? Well, I'm here to tell you that the answer is a resounding yes! SEO continues to be a key piece of the digital marketing puzzle, and here are five reasons why: SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.

Is interlinking good for SEO? ›

Internal links help Google find, index and understand all of the pages on your site. If you use them strategically, internal links can send page authority (also known as PageRank) to important pages.

Are backlinks still relevant? ›

Yes, backlinks are still an important variable for organic rankings. Some say it's a cornerstone of SEO practices. However, backlinks are losing relevance as a ranking factor in Google's eyes.

Is link building off page SEO? ›

There are many names for off-page SEO: Digital PR. Link building. Outreach. The end goal is the same; gaining relevant backlinks and organic rankings to drive traffic and introduce potential customers to your business.

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