- Best practices for internal linking in 2024 include linking deep into site hierarchy, using relevant anchor text, ensuring links have context, and linking to authoritative pages to pass “link juice”. Common mistakes like broken links, over-optimization, and linking automation should be avoided.
- Recent Google algorithm updates reward sites with a clear internal link structure that helps search engines understand site hierarchy and topical relevance between pages.
- Internal links significantly impact site structure, helping search engines crawl new pages, and user experience, leading visitors to useful related content.
Best Practices
Internal linking best practices for SEO in 2024 include:
- Linking to authoritative, high-traffic pages to pass “link juice” and improve page rankings.
- Using relevant anchor text with keywords to indicate page topics to search engines.
- Linking deeper into site hierarchy to pages like category and product pages.
- Ensuring links have contextual relevance to content they appear within.
- Being reasonable with links per page (around 100) to avoid over-optimization.
Common Mistakes
Common internal linking mistakes to avoid:
- Broken links from deleted or moved pages.
- Overusing nofollow attributes on internal links.
- Creating orphaned pages with no internal links.
- Forcing same anchor text across multiple pages.
- Automating internal links instead of editorial curation.
Impact on Site Structure and UX
Internal links significantly influence site structure and user experience:
- Helps search engines crawl and index new pages.
- Passes authority to improve page rankings.
- Creates site architecture that indicates page hierarchy.
- Improves user experience by connecting visitors to useful related content.
Recent Google Algorithm Updates
Recent Google updates reward sites with:
- Clear internal link structures indicating page relationships and hierarchy.
- Contextually relevant links helping search bots understand site architecture.
- Limited redirect chains and crawl depth to reach all important pages.
Tools
Useful tools for managing internal links: