Internal and external links for SEO

Linking guidance

General linking tips:

• Make sure that all pages on the site can be reached by a link from another findable page. Otherwise, search engines may have a difficult time finding pages and assigning popularity to them.
  

• Link to the top pages the most.
  

• Only link when you mean it. The more links on a page, the less equity (ranking power) each link can pass to its destination page.
  
  
• Make sure the text you're hyperlinking (called the link anchor text) tells readers what to expect before they click the link. Anchor text must be:
  • Descriptive
  • Succinct
  • Highly relevant
  • Not generic (avoid using "click here" for example) 
  • Not overly keyword heavy (Google might sense spammy behavior)
• It's also good to include calls to action as part of the link anchor text to entice readers to click ("read more about," "watch this video," "see why," etc.).

• Link anchor text also tells Google algorithms what your content is about. Google’s algorithms use anchor text to understand the topics being linked to and also to make sure there is no keyword stuffing.

SEO impact

• Search engine spiders crawl the various links within a site to determine its structure. The pages that are closer to the top of the site hierarchy are naturally considered more important by search engines.
  
  
• Ensure that all pages are linked to from another page or section of the website. This allows (1) users to access the page without knowing the direct URL and (2) those pages to be crawled and indexed by search engines. A page without any links to it is called an "orphan page." When search engines can’t find orphan pages through links, the orphan pages often go unindexed and never show up in search results.
  
  
• Internal links can make it easier for searchers to further engage with a site, clicking on the link and continuing to explore that site. This can help to reduce bounce rates and encourage brand appreciation.

• External links can help add authority to a site and improve the experience for our audience who is interested in a particular topic.
  

Character considerations

• While there isn't a specific length limit for link text, it's best to keep it as succinct as possible. Ask yourself the following 2 questions:
  
  
  • What is the most concise, accurate way to describe the linked-to page?
  • What word or phrase would encourage users to click on a link?