WHAT ARE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL LINKS?

INTERNAL LINKS:

An internal link is any link from one page on your website to another page on your website. Users and search engines use links to find content on your website. Users use links to navigate through your site and to find the content they want to find. Search engines also use links to navigate your site.Also called inbound links.

internal Links:

  • Internal links are hyperlinks that direct readers to a target page within the same website or domain.
  • These links connect one page to another page on the same domain.
  • Examples of internal links include website navigation menus, links within blog posts, or links in the footer.
  • Advantages of good internal linking:
    • Improved usability: Internal links enhance user experience by allowing visitors to navigate easily within your website.
    • Page rank improvement: Internal linking contributes to better search engine optimization (SEO) by distributing authority across pages.
    • Reduced bounce rate: Relevant internal links encourage users to explore more content, reducing the likelihood of them leaving the site quickly.
    • Enhanced Indexing:Search Engines can discover and index your site more effectively through internal links.

WHY INTERNAL LINKS ARE IMPORTANT FOR SEO:

Internal links are a crucial part of SEO for three main reasons:

  • They help search engines understand your site’s structure
  • They pass authority
  • They help users navigate your site

EXTERNAL LINKS:

External links also known as an outbound link, an external link is a hyperlink that leads to a page or resource outside a particular website. It is the opposite of an internal link, which links to URLs within the same domain. Backlinks or inbound links are sometimes called external incoming links.

  1. External Links:
    • External links, also known as outbound links, direct users away from your website to other external domains.
    • These links point to pages on different websites.
    • Examples of external links include references to other authoritative sources, citations, or linking to related content on external sites.
    • Advantages of good external linking:
      • Credibility enhancement: Linking to reputable external sources improves your website’s credibility.
      • Authority improvement: External links contribute to your site’s overall authority and trustworthiness.
      • Resource sharing: By providing external links, you offer additional resources for readers to explore.
      • Doesn’t Hurt Page Rank:contrary to a common misconception, linking to external sites does not negatively import your own page rank.

WHY EXTERNAL LINKS ARE IMPORTANT FOR SEO:

Using external links helps:show Google how your content relates to other pages. Provide value to your readers by offering more information and resources.Build relationships with other sites, which can lead to exposure, traffic,and backlinks.

WRAPPING UP:

External links can help to improve a website’s domain ranking, while internal links can help to improve the ranking of individual pages or posts.Internal linking can help to distribute authority and ranking power throughout the website, which can improve the visibility of all pages and posts.

In summary, internal links keep visitors within your site, while external links contribute to credibility and authority by connecting to external resources. Both types of links play essential roles in optimising your website and enhancing user experience.