Link Text: Revisited - Internal Linkage and Link Text
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Link text should not only be considered for incoming links, but also internal linkage as well. It is no coincidence that websites with many pages tend to rank above those with just a handful. The main reason isn't directly due to the number of pages, but rather the number of optimized links that contain keywords in the link text pointing to the homepage.
There is, however, a balance between keywords in link text and user friendliness. If I was to have 'Internet Marketing' instead of 'Home' on my left hand navigation, it would not be clear at all that the link is for my home page. Many would understandably think it's a deep link to some 'internet marketing' article. Common sense is required, and you shouldn't just add keywords to link text to everything automatically. There are however many examples where you can take the knowledge that link text is powerful and use it to your advantage. Eg. 'Car Insurance FAQ' instead of just 'FAQ'.
For 'Kostenlose Online Tools' (free online tools) my page ranks top worldwide. Sure, the page has been optimized for 'online tools,' however the main ranking boost for this page is due to the literally thousands of internal links with 'online tools' in the link text. The thousands of links come from my forum which in the footer of every page links to my tools page with the link text 'online tools.'
Clearly, the more pages you have, the more links with optimized link text can point to your main pages. Here are a few ideas for creating more content.
- Many sites fail to provide a sitemap. It is not only a good web design practice, but it is also a page that can be indexed and therefore a page where link text could most definitely be used to boost your internal pages.
- Create a FAQ (frequently asked questions) page for your theme. It is work, but it's worth it. It also gives your website more standing and stature.
- Create additional pages for products, perhaps detailed technical info. A main product summary page with a link to a 'specific detail' page is a known and legitimate SEO tactic to create more highly optimized pages and also of course adds pages for the inclusion of more link text.
- Articles & Newsletters. If you feel you could write an article on your theme ("Car Insurance Claim Do's and Don'ts"), or you have a newsletter, then you have an opportunity there to add content on a regular basis. I archive on the web all my newsletters. It's not just for those that haven't subscribed, but for the good of my own ranking as well!
- 'About us,' 'Terms and conditions' 'Contact' sub pages, are all pages that will be indexed and the links on them will be followed and carry weight. You don't have an 'about us' page' Create one!
Of course, a forum is ideal for adding content pages which can contain text links. I firmly recommend you don't go down the doorway page spam route. If the pages are visible, don't have an automatic redirect, contain readable text, and are not just designed for search engines, then that's fine; you can sleep at night knowing that a competitor filling out a Google spam report will not get them anywhere. Product/Service detailed description pages are a good example of how to create many additional pages. It's more work than hitting a doorway page generator button, but definitely worth it.
Also, Be consistent in your internal linking. Don't change keywords throughout the site in order to try and get a boost for many keywords. Use the same internal link text as you solicit from external sites linking to you, particularly for competitive terms.
Next: Finally, a Few Considerations >>
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