Internal links are simply links on a webpage to other web pages on the same website. Anchor text is the words, phrases, or images that contain internal links. A good anchor text linked to a valuable webpage can do wonders for your SEO strategy. 

Google’s main job is to help users find the correct information online. For example, if you google “10 best restaurants in London”, the search engine shows you the exact matches for the “best restaurants in London.” But how does Google find relevant web pages? By crawling index pages. 

The only downside about Google crawling your website is that it takes a while for the webpage to get indexed due to the enormous amounts of web pages being published every minute. You can accelerate the process using internal links and the correct anchor text. With internal linking, you’re helping Google navigate through your site. It also helps Google understand your website. The key is to ensure the web pages you link to are relevant and high-quality. If you do it right, rest assured you’ll get better rankings on the search engine results pages.

To get the best SEO results with internal linking and anchor text, it’s important to publish high-quality content. Make sure to use keywords appropriately too. Write for your audience, not just for Google. Be consistent with posting great content, and Google will reward you with a good ranking. 

An internal link structure can help visitors get content that interests them and help you increase conversions. How do you build a good internal link structure? Don’t link to the same type of content; mix them up. 

Types of links you can include:

Informative Links – If you’re writing about content marketing, include informative links about content marketing topics your users might be interested in. Informative links increase users’ knowledge of specific topics, and it’s an effective strategy for building authority in one particular industry. You can also include links to helpful surveys or studies that support your point. Linking to informative content is also essential for SEO.

Links to Products and Services – Don’t be afraid to include links to your selling products or services. However, your intention shouldn’t just be to sell a product or a service. As much as possible, provide relevant and valuable information to your target audience. Show them you care about your problems by providing a solution to their issues. And these solutions shouldn’t just be in the form of a product or service you’re selling. 

When linking to products or services, describe the benefits to entice customers. It should answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” Also, craft a good CTA for this. You might want to create urgency, especially if you want them to sign up right away. You can compel them to buy by giving them discounts or a free item when they decide to sign up or purchase. 

Topic Clusters – Similar to informative links, you must direct your visitors to a pillar page that covers the topic in depth. 

Having an effective internal link structure doesn’t just keep your visitors glued to your website; it also helps increase conversions. According to a survey in the US, about 46% of consumers say they would buy from brands they trust. Internal linking can help you build good relationships with your target audience and confers trust in your brand. It drives conversions as a result. 

Internal Linking Also Helps You Retain Visitors and Increase Conversions

Being on the first page of the SERPS is just one of your goals. Ultimately, you want to build traffic and increase conversions. You can achieve this through internal linking. 

Let me show you how. 

It’s not enough to grab a visitor’s attention; you must hold their attention so that they stay on your website and explore other pages. By placing internal links with great anchor texts, you can keep them glued up to the screen, endlessly exploring what else your site has to offer. 

As they discover different types of content, these users will think of you as an authority site. It helps build your credibility as an industry leader. As a result, you gain more followers. 

What are the Types of Anchor Text You Can Use?

Anchors are important because they tell readers what to expect when they click on the link and tell the Google algorithm what the content is. However, make sure the connection is relevant. Otherwise, Google may think you’re only spamming visitors.

Generic Anchor Text – While generic anchor texts don’t include anything that references a keyword, they are powerful because they usually have a straightforward CTA to compel visitors to click the link. 

Some examples:

  • Read more
  • Download this
  • Click here
  • More info

Branded Anchor Text – Branded anchors are used to build brand recognition. They include your brand name, Semrush, The New York Times, or Washington Post. 

Exact Match Anchor Text – Exact matches include the precise keyword you’re targeting or ranking for.

For example:

  • Business books
  • Content marketing
  • Link building

Partial Match Anchor Text – These anchor words include the keyword phrase, random observations, or generic words. 

For example: 

  • Download a free ebook on content marketing here targeting “content marketing.”
  • Buy used books targeting “used books.”

Random Anchor Text – Random words don’t give the user any content on the page he’s going to.

For example: Click for more info. 

Related Anchor Text – This uses a variation of the target keywords but doesn’t include the exact keyword phrase. 

For example, Social media marketing targets the “Instagram content strategy.”

Image Anchor Text – Use images as anchor text if you want to diversify your anchor text profile. Make sure to add Alt Text to the image description for SEO purposes. 

Brand Name Plus Keyword Anchor Text – You’re hitting two birds with one stone with this type of anchor text. You build brand recognition and optimize a keyword too. 

For example:

  • Semrush for content marketing
  • iPhones at Apple

Naked Anchor Text – A naked anchor text is just a URL pasted to the article. Don’t use this if you’re concerned about how the copy looks. 

Want to Learn More About Internal Linking and SEO?

Today, websites compete to get to the first page of the SERPs. I can help you do this — as an SEO expert, I’ve helped startups and established businesses improve their rankings. Book a Call so we can talk about your goals and how I can help you achieve them.