What is competent linking. Correct internal linking of pages - conclusions

Internal linking is a subject of constant controversy. Some experts argue that building the correct site structure and distributing the weight of internal links is an extremely important mission, while others believe that this is a waste of time. I am an adherent of the first option, and you will understand why after reading this article.

So, internal linking is the process of redistributing static link weight with the formation of the necessary concentration on landing pages. Link weight consists of two parts: anchor (semantic, semantic) and static (trust) weight.

If you have taken care of filling the pages with relevant content, purchased high-quality links, and the site's positions do not grow as you would like, you should pay attention to the correctness of the internal linking. The first thing to do is to find a suitable scheme for requests of all types of frequency. There are an incredible number of such schemes, but we will consider the most common and available ones.

    Faster site indexing by search robots.

    Free movement of visitors through relevant pages (a little, but it helps to improve the PF).

    Correct redistribution of the static weight of the resource and the ability to point to more relevant pages.

Simple site navigation, saving time, quickly finding the information you need are important factors for a modern user. Otherwise, it will simply go to another site.

It is important for the robot to obtain information about the structure of the resource. Competent correct interlinking of site pages is compliance with several requirements:

    convenient navigation with a minimum level of page nesting;

    static weight distribution - the most important pages should have more weight;

    distribution of link weight - the anchor should correspond to the topic of the page to which it links.

Navigational- links to make it easier to read large text. Relevant for long pages with a large amount of content. An example of such a linking can be seen in any Wikipedia article - the menu at the beginning of the article allows you to quickly go to any section, and not search for information on your own throughout the "sheet".

End-to-end- repeated reference blocks. For example, this is a site menu that is present on all pages of a resource. These internal links are the most important for a search engine crawler - and their weight is higher.

Auxiliary or helpful- links that are placed at the bottom of the page. For a blog, these can be links to articles that are relevant to the topic, for an online store - to related products, etc. The purpose of these links is to improve user factors.

Basic steps when doing internal linking

    On a site with a history, you need to study the linking system in detail and destroy all inappropriate links.

    Identify the pages that need to be increased in weight and create a keyword list for them.

    Optimize site pages (text, photos, meta tags) by keywords.

    Proceed to linking.

    different anchors should be used;

    you need to use all of the listed types of linking for the naturalness of the pages;

    link anchors should be short and natural, inserted in place and mentioned only once;

    be sure to use "bread crumbs" - convenient navigation chains, so that the user understands where he is and what chain he came in;

    when placing contextual links, the best solution would be to search for the most relevant pieces of text for the target query - they contain snippets that are displayed in the search results for pages when searching the site;

    it takes 1-2 months to distribute the link weight within the site.

Before starting, you need to distribute all the pages of the resource into thematic groups: product categories, news, reviews, etc. After that, you need to choose a suitable linking scheme between pages in each group.

Dignity: fast and even distribution of static weight between pages belonging to the same thematic group.

Flaws: the ring will break (in the picture on the right) if at least one of the pages fails indexing. If this happens, the weight distribution will be incorrect. The weight of pages left without inbound links will be reduced.

What to do? The only way out is to create several rings of different sizes for different groups of pages using several linking methods.

In this diagram, all pages within a group refer to each other. The number of outgoing links is equal to the number of incoming links.

Advantages: a large number of incoming links on each page, there is less risk of weight loss when a page falls out of the index: more precisely, the weight will decrease, but not significantly.

Flaws: difficult to organize a layout for a large group of pages.

What to do? When organizing the linking of an online store, a good decision is to make the most popular product recommended on the page with another product. This type of linking will not always correspond to the "Star" scheme, but it allows working with large groups.

The scheme is represented by rings that intersect in a cross.

Advantages: organization of stable links - dropping out of the index even 3 pages will not affect the weight of other pages.

Flaws: manually organizing linking is almost impossible - you need to use automatic plugins and internal linking services.

What to do? For such a linking, it is better to draw up a preliminary diagram so as not to get confused.

To make the linking optimal, you need to use more complex schemes.

The linking scheme in the figure shows a high-frequency request (topmost) on the main page. From it, links go to 2 sections (as many as possible). Sections have subsections that are referenced by both the home page and the sections. Backlinks from both sections and subsections go to the home page. What does it do? Links from subsections return the weight to the main page, increasing it several times.

On the right is a diagram similar to the previous one. In this case, the subsections in this case are additionally "looped". This has reduced almost 2 times the weight on the home page, but this weight loss is offset by the emphasis on subsections.

General advice. The correct organization of internal linking is possible if you clearly understand which queries you are promoting: high-frequency, medium- or low-frequency.

After clustering queries, many are wondering how to build a site structure. One of the most important factors when working on the structure of a resource is the correct level of page nesting. Ideal - if even the most "distant" pages are available in 3 clicks. Here's an example diagram:

    1 click - the first nesting level - the main page;

    2 click - second level - heading / section;

    3 click - third level - section materials (articles, products, etc.).

For small sites with about 100 pages or more, these requirements are easy to follow. Difficulties can arise with a large portal - a media outlet or an online store. The rule will not work here, but the intuitive structure, the presence of a sitemap, setting up "bread crumbs" and, of course, competent internal linking will save the situation.

CNC: what is it and why?

After distributing the pages by nesting level, you need to work on human-readable URLs. In a nutshell, these are links that allow the user to understand where he is on the site. That is, instead of the standard set of meaningless characters, the user, when looking at the link, will see the same breadcrumbs - the path that he made to the page, written in Latin or Russian letters. On popular cms, the creation of cnc URLs is already provided for by the functionality. But on some, you need to install the appropriate plugin for this.

You need to get rid of duplicate content or identical pages without wasting time. Without this, there will be a great risk of being sanctioned. Duplicates are a characteristic element of large sites at the stage of a change of ownership or a certain neglected period in development. If there are duplicates, you must first close them from indexing in Robots.txt, and then get rid of the generation of unnecessary pages.

This is the name given to the breadcrumbs needed for sites with a large number of pages and a nesting level of more than three. In most cases, a chain is a path to a specific page, starting from the main one. All the constituent elements of the chain are usually separated by hashtags or spaces. Ideally, they should be clickable - so that you can go to any stage of the path in one click. To install breadcrumbs, they usually write a unique code or use ready-made solutions (plugins).

We touched upon the basic elements of organizing the correct structure of the site and the correct internal linking. It will be difficult to achieve the perfect result on your own - therefore it is better to entrust this mission to a specialist.

Many webmasters and SEOs are familiar with the concept of linking. This term means the placement of internal links from one page of the site to another in order to transfer more weight to more significant pages. However, when working directly with the site, many questions arise, and the main one is: “What is a competent linking?”, Implying the fact that there is also an “illiterate” one. Let's try to understand the literacy of the internal linking of site pages.

User point of view

From the user's point of view, competently linked pages of the site make it possible to easily and simply navigate the site, saving the visitor's time to find the necessary information.

The crawler's point of view

Navigation is also important for a search engine spider in order to understand the structure of the site. However, internal links also affect the anchor list generated by bots and the static page weight ().

A competent linking can be called one that optimally combines compliance with all three requirements:

- Navigation... Its convenience and minimum levels of nesting of any page of the site.
- Static weight... The most significant pages should be the most influential.
- Reference weight... The text of the link on the donor page should make it clear the topic and meaning of the content on the acceptor (both for the bot and for the user).

Let's take a look at each of these points.

Site navigation with competent linking

A site with more than one page has navigation, with the help of which users and search bots wander around the resource, studying it in detail. If the navigation is composed correctly, then any page of the site is no more than 2-3 clicks from the main page, since the higher the nesting level of the page, the less attention is paid to it due to its inaccessibility. With proper navigation on the site, there are no pages that cannot be reached by navigating through its internal links.

The easiest way to create good navigation is to place a menu of sections (subsections) that contain links to informative pages:

On complex sites (including portals), it is advisable to use techniques such as "bread crumbs" and "tag cloud". In this case, even the oldest pages will be no further from the main page than in 3 clicks.

Why is it so important to have a minimum of page nesting levels? The fact is that with a high level of nesting, you can wait a long time for the indexing of pages, without waiting in some cases. The priority of such pages is low, and even if they get into the index, they will be updated very, very rarely.

Static weight distribution

Agree that the most significant website pages that you promote should have the most weight! With the help of linking, you can direct the static weight to a particular section, home page or other pages of the site.

Where to direct the weight depends on what type of queries you are promoting the site for. If this is a high-frequency (high-frequency) request, then most likely it is highly competitive, therefore it is better to optimize the main page for it, it usually has the maximum internal static weight, since all pages in the menu link to the main page.

With medium-frequency queries, it is better to promote second-level pages, you can put links on them from the main and internal pages, increasing the static weight of the sections.

You can also correctly distribute the weight on the third-level pages for low-frequency queries, referring to them from the sections and the main page.

If you have only one request for promotion, try to have as many links to the promoted page from your own internal pages of the site. Competent linking in terms of redistributing static weight implies its maximum concentration on the pages being promoted.

Reference weight

It is clear that links that lead to the pages being promoted must have keys in the anchor, but there is a small trick here that is overlooked by some optimizers. Imagine that third-level pages (articles, news, blog posts, etc.) are linked to each other, and there are also links to them from the main sections. In total, for each article we have at least 2 links: one from the section, the second from another article (there may also be links from the main page or several from the pages of articles). It will be wise to use the key for each link in a different case.

Thus, competent linking means the optimal combination of its three components: competent navigation, competent weight distribution and competent placement of anchors.

Re-linking is linking pages of one site or different resources with hyperlinks. The word itself comes from the English word link, which can be translated as a link or link. If you correctly make the internal linking of the site, you can increase the positions on the promoted queries without extra money.

By using the internal potential of your site, you deprive yourself of any danger associated with building up unnatural link mass.

What is interlinking for?

Internal linking consists in linking the pages of one resource with hyperlinks. Moreover, such linking is understood not as a single placement of links from page to page, but a system of links, their combination, which ensures the integrity of the entire resource.

Relinking is applied:

  1. As a tool for increasing the relevance (correspondence) of site pages to a query in search engines - each such link "tells" the search robot that this page meets a specific query;
  2. In order to increase the static weight of pages (it increases with the number of links to the page), which is important when promoting a resource in search engines;
  3. To speed up the indexing of new pages on the site. Let's say a search robot enters a resource page, finds a new link on it and follows it, indexing the article and entering it into the search engine database;
  4. To improve usability, that is, the convenience of using the site. It will be easier for the visitor to find similar materials, navigate the internal content of the resource.

Linking pages can be used within one site (internal or paginated linking) or between different sites (external linking).

Types of internal site linking

  • Contextual;
  • Through;

Contextual linking- this is the most convenient option in terms of SEO effect and benefits for visitors. Links installed on the pages of your site have an effect comparable to purchased ones. However, in addition to being useful, such links will help your site improve and. Correct internal linking of site pages contributes to user retention on the site, increasing the number of viewed pages and the time spent on the site.

Through linking- links to the same pages are located on all pages of the promoted site. One of the varieties of "pumping" the promoted pages of the site. The essence of end-to-end links is to increase the weight of the promoted pages. The main disadvantage is that, unlike contextual links, end-to-end links do not bring significant benefits to website visitors. Users will click on these links, but not massively.

Examples of internal page linking

SEO-optimizers use special techniques to make internal linking optimal and effective. For example, the most common are:

  • Placement of links in the text of articles;
  • Re-linking within the page by anchors;
  • Compilation of lists of links at the end of articles;
  • Drawing up a sitemap;
  • Handling 404 error pages;
  • FAQ creation.

Linking the text of articles- that is, links leading to other pages of the site are individual words or expressions that are part of the general semantic intent of the articles. This method is most effective in terms of SEO, and, in addition, it works to improve the usability of the site.

Re-linking within the page by anchors- at the beginning of the page, the content is created and when you click on one of the items, it transfers it to the corresponding heading.

Making lists of links at the end of articles- a list of similar materials at the end of the article you are currently reading.

Sitemap creation- in this case, a page is created containing links to all other pages of the resource. Due to the large number of transitions located on it, the page with the sitemap cannot have much authority. But its presence among other pages of the resource significantly speeds up its indexing.

Handling 404 error pages- if the robot could not find a page on the site - that is, followed a link that leads to a non-existent (deleted, changed) page - it is advisable to provide him with a link to the page relevant to the missing one.

Creating a FAQ- these are pages with questions and answers, allowing you to additionally link specific keywords.

Internal site linking rules

It is best not to use many links on one page (optimally no more than 50), since the weight distribution occurs across all outgoing links. Close unnecessary links from indexing so that they do not interfere with your promotions in the top pages. This is very important for proper weight transfer. Close the section with tags from indexing so as not to produce and confuse search engine robots.

By following these simple rules, you can most intelligently distribute static weight between the pages of your site.

Automatic internal linking

This type of linking does not require a lot of time and effort from the webmaster: it is enough to configure all systems once and periodically check their work. And although it will not give such an effect in search engine promotion as manual linking, it is indispensable in terms of increasing user activity.

Automatic linking includes several types of work. The most basic:

  1. Sitemap creation... A high-quality site simply must have its own map - it allows users to easily navigate the sections and navigate the resource. Examples of implementation: on the Joomla platform - joomla sitemap, on WordPress - sitemap for WordPress.
  2. Conclusion of similar articles- under each article, the output of links to materials similar in topic or content is organized. Site visitors click on them, thereby winding up the behavioral factors of the resource, and this has a good effect on the position in the search results. For each type of engine (content management system) there are separate extensions that allow you to create an automatic display of similar content. However, this method has its drawback - there is a heavy load on the server.
  3. Automatic contextual links- one of the best methods of website promotion in search engines, which is the placement of internal links with key anchors (text content) right in the body of the article.
  4. So called Bread crumbs- internal links at the top of each resource material, which show the user the path to the main page. For example, if there are many subcategories or articles on a site or blog, the visitor can easily get lost, and using this method, you can see your entire path. Such links are excellently indexed by search engines and bring their weight to certain pages.

Manual internal site linking

Manual linking is a rather laborious and time-consuming job, but it gives the most powerful and long-term effect. The most important thing to remember is that new content should link to old content.

There are several types of linking:

  • annular;
  • carousel.

Donut involves the creation of a vicious circle of links, with the transferred weight increasing as the “rings” increase.

The second, carousel option, is the distribution of weight from the main page to sections, then to subcategories and materials (as they say, "top to bottom"). When choosing a link, it is important to keep in mind the existing structure of the site, as well as the general promotion strategy. Already using these factors, you can achieve a good result in promoting low-frequency requests to high places.

An important nuance - if you need to give many links to one page, it is advisable to dilute the anchor with different words, but so that it looks more natural. For example: "pie recipe", "meat pie recipe", "meat pie recipe", etc.

Correct linking of pages

Correct linking of site pages differs from the wrong linking, just like the headphones that are in your pocket, and the headphones that you, swearing, nevertheless unwound.

It's the same with linking on the site, if you don't think about it, it will be very difficult to unwind. So, correct linking is linking within the framework of a rigid scheme with a clear separation of the meaning of each page. Not the key query, but the meaning, since the key queries determine the meaning of the page.

In order to create a page structure, you must:

  • collect a detailed semantic core;
  • create a general structure of the site pages;
  • create a logical structure of the site pages.

And then you will succeed competent linking of pages based on the logical structure of the page, which is based on the overall structure.

Basic linking schemes

The linking scheme depends on the goals set. In this case, the number of pages on the site can be any.

It is necessary to choose the scheme of internal linking in such a way that the internal link weight of the site is used to the maximum. High-frequency queries are usually promoted to the main page, medium-frequency queries to the second nesting level (section page), and low-frequency queries are promoted to the third nesting level and below (services and product pages).

The main rule to remember: there is no universal linking, since the choice depends on the promoted queries and the topic of the site.

Relinking for high-frequency requests

The essence of the scheme

The weight from all pages of the site is concentrated on the main page, which is tailored for high-frequency requests. For example, you can add links from the home page to second-level pages (medium-frequency queries). From the second-level pages back to the main page and the third-level pages (low-frequency queries). From the third level pages, you need to direct the weight through the links back to the main page.

The main page will be able to compete for high-frequency queries, but the pages of the second and third level will have little weight and it will be difficult for them to compete even for low-frequency queries.

The essence of the scheme

Most often, this scheme is used for second-level pages. In this case, links should be placed from the main page to the pages of the second level, and from the second to the third and vice versa.

Suitable only for incorrect requests that imply a product group. If, for example, users are looking for "buy a laptop" without a specific brand, then this scheme is ideal for an online store.

The essence of the scheme

In this case, the maximum weight must be transferred to the pages of the site at the lowest level. At the same time, external links are much more useful not to the main page, but to internal pages. All materials need to be linked with each other.

Local linking schemes

Ring

The most popular and simpler linking scheme. In it, the pages are linked in sequential order and closed in a ring. The weight is distributed to the promoted page, the rest of the pages are auxiliary. Each page links to the next one. The trick is that the last page should always link to the first.

The circuit has a significant drawback. If 1 page is dropped, then the link is broken and all pages lose weight. Accordingly, the scheme loses all meaning.

In an improved version of the "ring" scheme, the pages link not only to the promoted and to the adjacent one, but also to each other. Thanks to this, the loss of one link in the chain does not bode well, the system will continue to work properly. But the scheme assumes the participation of at least four pages.

Star

Classic scheme. All pages in it are linked to each other.

This scheme is perfect if the promoted page simply does not exist or if several are promoted at once. With this method of linking, all pages of the site will be 100% independent from each other, and indexing (of high-quality content, of course) will significantly accelerate.

Hierarchical diagram

It is this linking scheme that operates on most of the Runet resources. On the one hand, it is more complicated than those described above, and on the other hand, it is very logical. For example, one page of the resource links to 2 others, which link to 2. As a result, these 4 pages link to the very first page. Thus, the page being promoted receives the maximum possible link weight, plus a sufficient number of links with the required anchors.

The hierarchical scheme of internal site linking is a reliable method. However, there were some difficulties. The main annoying problem: if any page fell out of the top of the hierarchy, this can significantly reduce the effectiveness of the scheme.

But there are still more advantages. For example, this technique allows you to promote any number of pages.

Relinking for a specific type of site

Corporate small page resource

On such sites, it is customary to focus the link weight on the main one. Pages of the second and third levels should link to the main page, which, in turn, will be inserted links to them. The second way: the main page of the site is promoted + the page of the second level. All third-level pages in such a scheme will link to second-level pages and to the main page. The method is relevant for sites selling services and corporate resources.

In the case of online stores, product pages are most often promoted. These are usually third-level pages. All pages of the first and second levels link to pages of the third level. At the same time, all pages of the third level are linked to each other along the ring.

Second option: both product pages and sections in which the product is located are promoted. In this case, the link weight is distributed between the promoted sections and pages with the presented product.

In conclusion, we can only summarize that for competent linking with maximum benefit for promotion, three rules must be observed:

  • Well-tuned website navigation
  • Using a suitable linking scheme
  • Accurately selected link anchors

Promote your site correctly and do it comprehensively!

Internal linking is the placement of links within the site that will redirect visitors from one page to another. The use of the correct linking schemes allows the site to get to the top for a specific key request, and the user becomes available exactly the page that he needs, and not the one that the search engine chooses. Internal links allow you to evenly distribute the link weight within the project. Each page of the resource has its own level of authority in the eyes of search engines. Under the link weight, it is customary to understand the same level of authority of the page, which can be transferred to another acceptor page from the donor page by placing a link to the latter on it. The link weight is called Pagerank.

Number of links per page

As a result of prolonged testing by site optimizers by placing internal links on them, the internal linking of pages has acquired a large number of formats. Regardless of the scheme of redirecting users, there should not be more than 50 links on one page. The weight is distributed evenly across links, both external and internal. As their number increases, the Pagerank of each of them decreases. By limiting the number of redirects, the optimizer redistributes the transferred weight, directing it to the necessary pages. It is recommended to close unnecessary links using the tag or the "nofollow" attribute. Tags and attributes do not transfer link weight to the acceptor, but neither do they take it away from the donor.

Appearance and redirection

Internal site linking will be more effective if you try to avoid links with pictures or animation. Text redirects, unlike the latter, are easily recognized by search engines with the determination of the redirection ownership. The link ranks correctly, which is not the case for pictures and animations. Only one redirect to another page is allowed on one page. If we take a catalog with goods as an example, then you only need to leave the redirect with a keyword. If the picture with the product is also supplemented with a link, it is recommended to close it with the rel = "nofollow" attribute. The "More details" tag at the end of almost every text, or any other similar text, should be closed with a tag, which will preserve the link weight of the redirect. The URL of the pages is necessarily supplemented with keywords on the basis of which key queries are formed. This is required by effective and competent internal linking of the site.

Main menu design

Re-linking of pages can be carried out not only through placing the redirection in the text content of the project, but also at the expense of the main menu and in the submenu of the site. For internal linking to have a positive effect on the promotion of the resource, links in the menu should be formatted with keywords or promoted queries. It is not worth making a lot of effort to ensure that the project menu redirects to all available pages. The texts of the menu links for the internal linking of the site should be drawn up using a key request or a key request with a near-link text. These can be formative words. It is allowed to use forming words with a part of the key request.

Submenu decoration

The design of the submenu is limited to working with the following structural components of the project:

  • Navigation line. It should contain a redirect to the main page, mainly with a competitive keyword. The current page in the line should not contain links.
  • HTML map. It should contain links only to the main sections of the project and to the most important pages. Search engines benefit from a single-level map with no more than 30 links.
  • Hints that direct project visitors to the right pages. This internal linking of pages is effective for promoting a project for low-frequency queries. The following text redirects are used: "Related Products", "Related Materials", "Promotions" and other attention-grabbing labels.
  • Anchors. These are text links located on pages with a large amount of text material. Navigation will be more convenient if you use several anchors like "<а name=...».

Universal linking scheme

The simplest and most accessible internal linking of pages is carried out according to a universal scheme. Its effectiveness determines the frequency of its application. The essence of the scheme is to concentrate the main link weight on the main page of the project with a parallel reduction in weight as the level of nesting. Internal linking of this type is suitable for promoting a project for high, medium and low frequency requests. The principle of constructing a circuit is reduced to the implementation of the basic rules:

  • Each page of the project redirects to the main or to one of the main sections.
  • The main page contains links leading only to the main sections of the project.
  • Pages can only link to each other within a section.

How to make internal linking for low-frequency queries?

The linking scheme provides for the elimination of bilateral ties. The navigation bar and navigation menu is closed with a tag. To build a diagram, all links that do not lead to the main sections of the project are closed on the main page. On the section pages, only those redirects that lead to the content tabs are left indexed. Within each section, all links to subpages are closed in a ring. Only those links that lead to other pages in the section remain indexed.

Re-linking to promote the project for high-frequency requests

Correct internal linking of software begins with the formation of a two-way link between the main page and the section pages. Links from the section page redirect to nested content pages. Pages with content are redirected to the main page. The maximum weight in accordance with the keyword can be obtained when links are placed from the pages corresponding to this request. The optimizer must select 8 input pages, which are divided into two categories, 4 pages each. Fours are closed in a ring and are connected according to the scheme: 1 page - 6 pages - 3 pages - 8 pages - 1 page and, accordingly, 5 pages - 2 pages - 7 pages - 4 pages - 5 pages. Regardless of what scheme will be used to promote the project, it should be adapted not only for search engines, it should simplify the movement of the project visitor around the site.

Scheme "Star" and scheme "Ring"

The scheme is based on total and mutual linking of internal pages. The principle of building the latter is the presence of links on pages to other pages. The scheme is effective for small resources and for business card projects, as it allows you to evenly distribute the weight between all pages. The "ring" redirection can also be referred to the category of classic linking. The essence of the technique is that all pages redirect to each other in a circle, in parallel referring to the main page, in particular to the main page of the project, which are promoted by the dominant request. The "ring" scheme can be easily upgraded to redirect the main link mass to a specific page. The overall average weight is retained for each of the project pages, even if some of them simply fall out of the structure.

"Hierarchical" model and not only

The idea of ​​the scheme is based on the formation of a linking structure, which, in terms of external factors, has a certain similarity to the progression. The branch has been repeatedly tested and showed good results, however, it is not without its drawbacks. If even one of the pages falls out of the search engine, the entire project sags significantly in the eyes of search engines. The structure of redirects in the inner part of the resource involves the distribution of the main link weight of the site simultaneously among several pages. In addition to the three most common project linking structures described above, there are specialized types of schemes adapted for large-scale services, such as video hosting or news resources with a large number of pages. Internal linking of wordpress sites, in fact, as well as projects working on other engines, which have no more than 50 pages, can be carried out manually. Automatic linking programs and special scripts are used for linking for low-frequency requests in large-scale projects.

Specialized programs to help the optimizer

Internal linking schemes can be built both manually and automatically. There are programs that are able to analyze the resource and point out the necessary directions for improving indexing. Let's pay attention to the following software:

  • Linkoscop. The program has basic linking functions. This includes checking the quality of both incoming and outgoing links, setting in the aspect of weight distribution, checking for the main search engines, forming and linking the project map. The program is effective for the analysis of competing resources.
  • Pageweight. This is a program for internal linking, showing the main parameters of weight distribution within the resource, both for the whole project and for its individual pages. Compared to the previous program, the software is aimed at slowly collecting initial information, which results in both external pages and broken links.

Two programs are able to fully satisfy the needs of the optimizer in promoting the project in the domestic virtual market, although the menu for internal linking will have to be formed independently. The automated type of linking is used mainly by professionals who understand the essence of the procedure.

Scripts

Many SEOs consider HTracer to be the most effective script. Not only is it completely free, but it also works great on the most popular site management systems, in particular Joomla, Drupal and WordPress. Its advantage over its counterparts is its wide range of functions. At the moment, there is no worthy analogue of the script in the CIS. The main drawback is the heavy load on the server of the project itself. To maintain the optimal response speed when using the script, it is worth buying a hosting plan or a dedicated VPS, which will have a performance headroom. Optimization of the source code of the pages is mandatory.

Today I propose to talk about such an important process as internal linking of site pages, what it is and why it is so important.To begin with, it involves placing links on pages within the site, which users will follow from one page to another. Correctly thought out and implemented linking of pages will allow you to evenly distribute the link mass within the site.All this will make the site more authoritative in the eyes of search robots. Thanks to this, the resource will take place in the first positions of the search results. Note! The link weight of a page or Pagerank depends on how many links to a particular page are placed on other pages of the site.It is relatively easy to achieve a good result in website promotion due to the correct placement of internal links. The main thing is to know the basic principles of linking, which I will discuss below.

Re-linking site pages what it is - I have already briefly told above. But let's take a closer look at what it is for and what results it will achieve.

  • Improving the usability of the site - that is, usability. The presence of internal links allows the user to better navigate the resource, see articles and materials that are similar in subject matter.

Note! The presence of links motivates the user to click on them. He embarks on a kind of journey around the site. As a result, the visitor "hangs" on it and spends a lot of time. Which is positively evaluated by the search engines.

  • Re-linking of pages can significantly improve the structure of the site, which will be positively appreciated by search robots. Note that when evaluating a resource, search robots necessarily evaluate the Nesting Level (HC). That is, how many clicks you need to make to get to a specific page. For the main page, this indicator is 1. If you need to make one click to go to a specific page, the HC equals 2. The higher the HC, the longer the page will be indexed by the robots. Competent linking will allow you to lower the HC.
  • Rational distribution of dynamic and static page weight. I think you understand that each page of the site has its own static weight. If there is a link to another page, it transfers part of its static weight. It also allows some of the dynamic weight to be transferred. All this has a direct impact on the final position of the page in the search engines.

Note! Thus, you can bring to the TOP of the search a specific page that is most important to you.

  • Fast indexing. Internal linking of site pages speeds up the work of search robots. That has a positive effect on the speed of getting your resource pages into the index of search engines.
  • Reduced promotion costs. Placing links is a free and quite effective way to significantly increase the position of a site in search engines. That will make it possible to significantly reduce the cost of promotion.

Correct and Incorrect Linking: Examples

When creating an internal linking, the main thing is to do everything right. Especially in terms of site navigation. In particular, the main page must contain links to all available sections of the second and third level. But don't link to regular pages.

An example of competent placement of links

  1. Links to all sections of the site are available on the home page.
  2. Each individual section has links to other sections.
  3. Each page within a section is linked to other pages in the same section.

Examples of illiterate linking

  1. There are no links to all created sections on the main page.
  2. The correct structure is not provided.
  3. No section cohesion.
  4. In a separate section, there are links to pages that are not related to it.
  5. There is no connection between the materials within the section.
  6. Some pages have no links at all.

Some points to mention: unique linking features

  1. Directly from the main page, you can put links to regular pages with articles, materials.
  2. Inside the section, it is allowed to put links to those materials that are not included in this section. For example, in one section you have recipes for cooking food, but you want to put a link in the article to a specific dish that is used in cooking and which is written about in the thematic section.
  3. From the second point it follows - it is allowed to link articles from different sections.

Note! It should be understood that these nuances are relevant only for certain cases.

Re-linking of pages and its types

There are several types of linking. I will describe each type in more detail below - they all have their own characteristics and certain advantages.

However, for successful website promotion, I recommend using not any specific variety, but all of the methods described.

1) Through view

We are talking about a specific block with links installed on all pages of the site. The most striking example is the menu - it may contain the following sections:

  • The main;
  • Articles;
  • About Us;
  • Contacts, etc.

Also, as an example, you can cite blocks in which are presented:

  • related materials;
  • most read articles;
  • the most commented articles.

It's pretty easy to make this look. You need to install a special extension that will generate blocks.

In addition, the weight transferred to other pages will be quite noticeable. However, if you need to achieve a more tangible weight for a particular page in order to bring it to the TOP, you should use the type of linking presented in the next section.

2) Contextual view

It is about placing links within an article. They should go well and directly into the text so as not to spoil it with incorrect declensions.

Note! Links should be evenly distributed throughout the text of the article, and not collected in one part of the material. This will significantly increase the transmitted weight. In addition, it will have a positive effect on the behavioral factor.

Naturally, it is not possible to automate this process. All links need to be added only manually, which takes a relatively long time.

Of course, there are special plugins that can do this for you, but their link quality is poor. You will immediately see the incorrect entry of links into the text of the article.

3) Variable end-to-end view

This method is similar in principle to the first described. The point is about using a special block, but unique links are used on each page. That is, the links on the pages are not repeated.

4) "Bread crumbs"

This view can be used as additional navigation. Links are placed:

  • above the title of the article;
  • above the page title;
  • etc.

In fact, moving along such "crumbs", the user can go from the main page of the site to the one on which he ended up.

It is interesting! The method got its name by analogy with the fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm. Remember how Hansel and Gretel walked out of the woods, looking for their way through the scattered crumbs?

This method allows you to increase the level of usability and make it easier for users to target your resource.

How page linking helps promote specific search queries

Properly using the principles of internal linking, you can ensure effective promotion of search queries, regardless of the level of their frequency.

Low frequency queries

Pages with the third level of nesting are ideal for them. The features of internal linking in this case will be as follows:

  • the home page of the site will contain links to some of the others;
  • there is necessarily a link between internal pages;
  • the main focus of linking is on internal pages.

Mid-frequency queries

  • headings;
  • categories.

Naturally, the emphasis is on them - links from ordinary pages will lead to these pages, and you can also put external links there when posting materials on third-party resources.

Note! There is no need to put links on the main page, which will lead to regular ones. As this will result in spraying. Better to use the weight of the home page to promote more meaningful ones.

High-frequency queries

To promote highly competitive queries, it is recommended that you use the pages with the highest CV. The main page of the site is best suited for this.

Effective page linking schemes

Using linking schemes will allow you to get unique links. And link all pages with links.

The work is painstaking, but it's worth it - the usability of your site will increase significantly. That will be appreciated not only by the user, but also by the search robots.

Star

It can be called the main method among all existing ones. Using it will allow you to ensure that all pages will link to each other.

This method will be appreciated by those who do not promote any specific page of their resource or promote all pages at once (the latter option is relevant for online stores), and therefore there is no need to transfer the weight to one specific page.

In addition, the Asterisk will allow you to achieve page independence, which will greatly simplify the overall indexing of your resource. Of course, if only high-quality and unique content is posted on it.

Ring

The main distinguishing feature of this scheme is that it allows you to direct the weight to a specific page.

It turns out that all pages are linking to each other, which increases the overall weight. In addition, all pages link to the selected one for promotion, which allows it to receive the maximum possible weight. After all, she gets a lot of links with the keywords necessary for promotion.

This scheme also has certain disadvantages:

  • when one of the pages falls out of the search engine index (or even the banal inaccessibility of the page for any reason), the whole scheme is immediately broken and it stops working;
  • the scheme increases the HC too much, which will negatively affect the weight of pages that are at a low level.

Hierarchy

This scheme is used by the vast majority of sites. Its popularity is well founded.

The essence of the diagram is that one page links to two, each of those pages links to two more, and the last four to the one that is used at the beginning of the diagram. Thus, you can achieve the highest possible weight for the page you are going to promote.

The Hierarchy scheme has shown itself to be excellent and works with the maximum possible effect. But, of course, it is also not ideal. Since one of the pages dropped from the index will entail a noticeable decrease in overall efficiency.

Re-linking pages in WordPress using plugins

Above I wrote that the use of special plugins will automate the creation of links. In particular, such extensions and add-ons generate blocks at the bottom or side of the page, depending on where you place them in the settings.

Smart Linker

One of the best extensions of this type. The plugin works on the principle of the end-to-end linking variable described above. But it is an optimized version.

If most extensions use the name of the material as the anchor of the link, then in this plugin the user can set the name of the link he needs. This allows you to significantly increase the effect and achieve a better result when promoting your site.

WordPress Related Posts

The extension creates end-to-end linking within the site. The plugin automatically analyzes the material on the page, taking into account such factors as:

  • topic of the article;
  • the category in which the article is located;
  • tags.

As a result of the received data, the plugin selects articles that are similar in topic and displays them in a block at the bottom of the page.

The site visitor will see articles that correspond to the topic of interest to him, which significantly optimizes behavioral factors - the user spends more time on the site, and the total number of refusals is reduced.

Cross-Linker

This plugin is designed to create contextual linking - it conducts it automatically. If you remember, it is contextual linking that takes a lot of time and effort - the extension can reduce your labor costs.

In the plugin settings, you need to register certain keywords, and the extension, when viewing pages, will analyze the text of the article. If the specified keywords are found in it, the plugin will link to them.

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