Internal links are hyperlinks that take the user to a different page on the same website they are currently visiting. There are number of reasons why this is useful and can support your lead generation campaigns; they can take the user to relevant content without them having to hop back onto Google, for example, you may find it useful to read our post on 'How Keyword Research can Boost Your Lead Generation Campaigns', they can increase the average session duration on your site, and even improve your SEO ranking. While too many internal links on one page should be avoided, using some is more effective than none at all.
Outside of my Agency work, I write for a gaming blog. I enjoy reviewing games both new and old and try to write informative and entertaining articles as well as the up to date gamer news. Internal links on almost all of our posts I contribute to the site. I have two general rules when it comes to including these links:
- When I reference a relevant piece of content - I link to it...
- Keep the user focused on valued content... don't swarm the page with a confusing array of links.
Let's say I'm writing about the history of Nintendo, and in doing so I make reference to Super Mario Sunshine. I realise there are other related articles on the blog that have been written in the past, so I will then provide a link to that particular page by highlighting the relevant words and converting them into hyperlink format. Not only does this provide a good jumping off point when a user has finished reading up on the history of Nintendo, it also increases their engagement time on the website.
On the flip-side, let's say I have included internal links every time I mention the name of a game. Once I do this, my article will start to look more like a veritable checklist of hyperlinks as opposed to an informative piece of content. Too many links and the reader may feel discouraged to click even a single one. You know - thinking back to when you were ordered to tidy your room but you simply didn't know where to begin? The concept is largely the same. Too many internal links makes for a messy page - it's also not particularly easy on the eyes, and could negatively impact your SEO. In any case, your SEO tool of choice should warn you if it thinks you are using too many internal links.
Really, those two aforementioned rules will see you well on your way to successful usage of internal links and can help to boost any kind of lead generation campaigns you may be targeted through your content marketing strategy. They can be used to breathe life back into an older piece of content by capitalising on trends, or by introducing a newfound wave of traffic to your legacy. Also keep in mind that when choosing what items to link, it's not what you "should" link to, but what you "can" link to; essentially, the more content on your site, the more varied links you can provide and prevent your articles from growing stale from overuse.
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