Internal Linking
Internal linking is important for both user experience and search engine crawlers, to help them find relevant and important pages. Our SEO Office Hours recaps on internal linking topics cover queries including the importance of internal links for SEO, how anchor text is used as a ranking signal, and how Google handles internally linked parameter URLs for indexing.
For more on internal linking, check out: 5 Internal Linking Strategies to Boost SEO and Drive Organic Traffic
Google Do Not Have a Preference for Absolute or Relative Internal Links
When linking internally, it doesn’t matter to Google if you use absolute or relative URLs. John recommends using which ever is easier for each individual site. However, using absolute URLs pointed to the canonical version can make it easier to ensure both users and bots are able to find the preferred version of the URL.
Links Don’t Depreciate in Value Over Time, But Pages They’re Found on Can
The signals that a link has won’t depreciate in value over time. However, the pages that the links are found on and link to externally may become less important over time as they are hidden deeper within a site’s architecture, especially if it is a site that is changed and updated often.
Links in Footnotes Are Seen Differently Than Links Included Within Text
There is a difference in the way Google views links in footnotes compared to links within content. Links within the content of a page provide extra context which makes it easier for Google to understand what the link is about. In comparison, links within footnotes, with no set anchor text, are considered completely separate. John recommends using links within the content, where users will be able to easily access and use them.
Main Change With New Nofollow Attributes is For Outbound Links
The plan for the update to rel=nofollow links becoming a hint is to make it so that minimal changes are required when using nofollow links internally on a site. John believes they will continue to see internal nofollow pages as not as important to be crawled or indexed. We asked a number of top SEO experts for their opinion on these changes and the impact they anticipate, you can find out more in our post here.
Different Sections of a Site Can Rank Quicker Depending on Internal Linking Structure
Some sections of a site are structured more optimally for URL discovery and can be indexed and ranked more quickly. For example, the blog section on a WordPress site that has good internal linking and an RSS feed all set up might perform better than other parts of the site.
Internally Link Pages Together to Increase Discoverability & Reduce Reliance on XML Sitemap
Internally linking pages together helps Googlebot to discover the pages on your site more easily, and reduces the reliance on using XML sitemaps for URL discovery.
Google Has No Preference Between Text Links & Image Links
Google has adapted to handle all sorts of different organic links, and doesn’t see text links as better than image links.
Google Has an Upper Limit of Around 5,000 Internal Links Per Page For Crawling
Sites don’t normally exceed Google’s upper crawl limit for links on a page as it is quite high at around 5,000 links per page. However, John recommends only having necessary internal links so PageRank isn’t diluted too much.
Focus on Internal Linking Rather Than URL Structure For Passing Signals
John recommends focusing more on how pages are connected within a website through site architecture and internal linking and how easy it is for Google to find and pass signals through them, rather than worrying about the URL structure.
Cross-link Pages to Help Ensure Google Can Discover Them to Decrease Reliance on Pagination
Focusing on improving internal linking across product and blog post pages is a good strategy for ensuring Google is able to find these pages on your site rather than relying on pagination.