True or False: You want every page of your website to rank well for a specific keyword phrase relevant to that individual page.
True, of course! The more top rankings you have, the more traffic you can funnel into your website. A quick search shows that (today) Google sees about 1100 pages on ClickNewz.com. It only makes sense to optimize each individual page to multiply your website traffic potential - instead of relying on one single page: your home page. Wouldn't you rather have hundreds - or thousands - of top rankings, than just one? Yes, of course!
Okay, so you realized that (great!). But did you know that the best way to get top rankings for internal web pages on your site is to...
Get Inbound Links
You knew that too, I imagine. Then WHY do you keep linking to your home page? Wait, let me stop there and just say that if you dont understand "SEO" (ie Search Engine Optimization) then you should download the Free SEO Guide by Dan Thies. Even if you think you know SEO... download it anyway 😉
Or if you need a super-quick reference, see my Keyword Placement post.
I'm getting to the point, I promise.
In order for a web page to rank well in the major search engines, it needs links pointing to it. These links - called backlinks, or inbound links - define your page. They should come from two places: other pages on your own website (called internal linking), and pages on other websites.
Obviously if you want every internal page of your website to rank well for its own specific keyword phrase, then you'll need to get inbound links to those individual web pages. This is called "deep linking".
It's not just about search engines either - your website visitors will thank you! Think about it: when you are searching for something specific do you want to be dropped off at the main page and told "go find it yourself"... or do you want to be pointed to the exact information you are looking for? Exactly.
7 Practical Deep Linking Tips
Every time you link to your website, consider the absolute best (most relevant) page on your site to link to. To give you some ideas, here are just a few practical deep-linking ideas:
1. If you are referring to or introducing yourself, particularly when networking or building relationships, include a link to your About Me page instead of your main page.
2. When leaving a blog comment, use the URL field to link to something on your own site or blog that specifically relates to the topic of the post you are commenting on. Keep the related discussions connected!
3. Set up hub pages and squidoo lenses about micro-topics on your site, and link back to specific articles or pages in those categories of your site. You can have dozens, or even hundreds, so dont limit yourself.
4. Create your forum signatures manually each time you post on a discussion forum, and link to a page on your site that is relevant to the thread topic.
5. When submitting articles to directories or for syndication, choose the most relevant link back to your site for the byline of each article. Submitting a how-to on planting rose bushes? Link to the roses category, not the main page of your general gardening site!
6. Include reference links to specific web pages and blog posts when you participate on social sites such as: Yahoo! Answers, Twitter, Askville, MyLot, WikiHow etc.
7. When exchanging links with another site owner in your niche, interlink related pages on your sites with contextual text links. One-way links are best, so link out to their site from one page and let them link in to your site from/to another page.
Stop being general, and start being super specific with your links. Of course, you'll want to make sure that your website has good navigation, and that each individual web page contains a strong Call To Action. Remember: what makes visitors happy, usually makes search engines happy too 😉
Best,
Keep these tips in mind, and help the web become a better-connected place, where we can all find people and information more efficiently!
About Lynn Terry
OK.
I meant to change the website URL.
Embarrassing for sure.
LOL
Lynn, these are great tips! Thank you for all of the ideas for building deep links. This is something I haven't done enough of over the years 🙂
It gives me some ideas for hubpages right now...
Awesome ideas Lynn!
and I'm guilty of not using every one of them. Time to get busy!
Lynn -
This is absolutely super! Comprehensive and absolutely the truth with rankings...
Passing this on to my entire reader base!
Thanks for a great post!
Maria 🙂
Lynn,
Another great post about something I still do without thinking about it.
I think a lot of us do this because we're in a hurry or haven't taken the time to map out what's going on when we use the home page.
Thanks for setting us straight on getting the most benefit from our linking and helping the web to be an easier place to find stuff.
Jeff
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing something I had never, ever thought of!
Hi Lynn,
Great tips as always. I have a question for you.
A couple of months ago I had an opportunity to test a new tool developed by Martin Avis that provides information on the internal and external links for a given website as well as those for competitors.
I have LOTS of internal links yet Google for some reason was not "seeing" my internal links (according to Martin's software.) My external links, on the other hand, seem to be showing up fine.
Is there something I may not be doing correctly with my wordpress configuration and/or plugins that is preventing Google from seeing my internal links? How would I know? Is there another way to test?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have!
Lori
Hi Lori,
I'm not familiar with the software you are referring to, but for years now Google has been known to give less than accurate data - including correct number of inbound links through the toolbar option.
Instead, use Yahoo Site Explorer and type in your URL (main domain.com or the URL to a specific page on your site): http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com
As I said, I am not familiar with the software you mentioned, but if its relying on Google's link command... the data is inaccurate (on purpose from G's end).
Thanks Lynn,
At least Yahoo can locate the internal links without any problem! I guess I'll just have to accept that Google will choose to count what it feels like counting according to the algorithm of the day.
Its the same with Toolbar PageRank - they are vanity tools. Google knows that giving out "accurate" information to the general public will enable people to manipulate their results.
Always use Yahoo to research backlinks 😉
Awesome tips - concise and to the point. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Good reminder Lynn and I can't agree less with you.
But what do you say to the SEO experts who posited that Home Page must have more links to it than the rest of the pages?
Can you point me to an SEO expert that said that?
Ooops! Lynn that will be a big work for me to do. I did not specifically read it in a book written by any one.
But I remember when I was asking around, I came across several post by established guys, some I can actually verify as highly successful guys using SEO, who advised this way.
The problem is, there is tons of misinformation out there - even from self assumed experts on the topic. That is the reason I recommend Dan Thies and Aaron Wall, and to otherwise filter out the "seo noise".
Its important to know that search engines rank PAGES, not sites. That said, the overall theme of the site and other variables do come into play. I would advise you read the free seo guide and follow the blueprint - period.
... because I am not an SEO expert 😉 😀
You're right I always link to my blog home page! Thanks for the advice - I have just discovered Hubs and seems like a great application to link back to related articles and get links to other pages
Great job Lynn, as usual.
Internal linking is so important that I will stop in the middle of a comment and create a post that works with the content I am reading so that I have a more relevant link.
I have been working on the Squidoo lenses and linking about. I don't do nearly as much lens creation as I should. I get side tracked pretty easy, too easy....
... oh man, where am I?
LOL James: "You Are HERE" 😀
I love the strategy of responding via a blog post when relevant - vs simply leaving a comment. That leaves a trackback link instead, which is just as effective 😉
Excellent post, this is a keeper for sure! Two points/observations I'd like to make:
1 - Re:#2...if you leave a comment on a blog using utilising the commentluv plugin (spreading like a wildfire), it will pick up the post you link to and NOT your "latest post" as is intended.
2 - Re#4...excellent suggestion, but what could be a serious time sucker for those of us all over different forums.....considerably more then 1 or 2 post a day 🙂
Wow Lynn. Such a simple thing but I'm doing this far too often. I'm reading this twice. Thanks for the tips!
YES! Now I hope that everyone takes this advice to heart because it's SO TRUE. I have been working for quite some time to get incoming links to every page of my site (all 200+ pages plus blog). I've done articles for more than half the pages, then "main page" link exchanges focusing on specific pages and sections. I am VERY big on the "links for all pages of your site" thing, and use the home page if nothing more specific fits (like linking to a general parenting site or something).
KUDOS Lynn for this EXCELLENT post!
Hi Lynn
This is really useful information.
I've heard of lenses but could you tell me what hubs are?
Thank you very much
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
They are similar to squidoo lenses, see:
http://www.hubpages.com 🙂
Awesome information! I can't wait to start putting this info into practice.
I will be returning to read your site daily.
Thanks again!
Thank you EJ - Welcome to ClickNewz 😀
Without much thinking, It's been a habit only to point to the home page while participating in forums. Thanks Lynn.
Good stuff.... but funny how 90% of the people saying "Great advice" are not following it HERE on their OWN post! 🙂
Really opened my eyes on the subject, thanks a lot!
Great advice. Simple advice but it's always good to be reminded and given a fresh perspective (love the comment about your users being dropped off at the home page and being told to get on with it!).
Hello Lynn, I have been a fan of yours for some time now and I wanted to thank you for all of the helpful hints that you have posted here. I have always added the main link to the website whenever I have left a comment, etc., but I can see how it will be more powerful for me to link to another page to create depth. Thank you for the info and the great work!
Wowww, great tips you got there. I'll try using some of it. By the way, i'm new in this blogging world. Nice to meet you all. Just call me Unkn84. 🙂
Welcome to ClickNewz, and to blogging 😀
If you have questions along the way, visit the blogging category at the SSWT Forum: http://www.selfstartersweeklytips.com/forum/
You may want to be careful NOT to link to inner pages while commenting on blogs using the CommentLuv plugin.
Your CL link will look funny, and it will follow the link you leave in the URL box.....so it will not link to your latest post as it should.
Unless this makes no difference to you 🙂
Thanks for the tip, Dennis! I'll have to test that out to see what you mean. I am not super fond of that particular plugin. If the blog owner is using the dofollow plugin as well, they are double-leaking PR which doesnt make sense. IMO, one link will suffice. And if people would link correctly when given the one option, there would be no need for the CL plugin lol.
This is what I don't get. I have heard that do follow also follows the CL link, but have never seen it.
My blog is DF & CL enabled. When someone leaves a comment, I get it in my inbox.....their CL link HAS the no-follow attribute attached every time.....this really confuses me.
I personally like CL, not just because I strongly believe in link0love karma (obviously lol) but I along with many others have found some really cool blogs that we may not have otherwise. 🙂
Interesting - and good to know, since I havent tested it out myself. Thank you for the follow-up 😉
I thought of something recently in regards to #2.
When responding to comments on YOUR OWN Blog would a deep link in your URL box work the same way with the SE's?
I use a link to my About Me page so that readers can learn more about me by clicking my name.
While working with my blog, I've come across 2 questions that fit well here...
1. Does interlinking to whole categories have the same (or any) effect as linking to individual posts while deep linking.
Ex. I link the word Traffic to my Promotion & Traffic category, instead of an individual post within it.
2. Even when linking to a page or post on my own site I like it to open in a separate window so they don't lose their place.....does this have any negative effect on the SE's finding those inner links?
Thanks!
No, opening links in a new window doesnt have any SEO value either way.
When it comes to your blog, the category you are linking to IS a page, so yes - that counts as a page and linking to it is a valid backlink. You should have text links to each category in your sidebar (ie navigation) and what you name those categories becomes the Anchor Text. So you want to choose the category names wisely.
Oh whoa hold the phone, I may be in twouble here...I'm confused by "either way"; perhaps I phrased my question badly.
Does opening inner linking pages in a new window negate the backlink effect I go for with interlinking? In other words, is it BAD to do it lol.
Sorry for my confusion. 🙂
Thanks for the clarification 🙂
I was curious as to the annoyance factor as well. I just know for myself that i tend to get "lost" on sites, especially when each linked page leads to another.....easily done with massive internal linking.
I try as I can to make everything as user-friendly as possible; perhaps this one is backfiring?
Hmm, perhaps I should just ask...I think I see todays blog post! 😉
Thanks again.
No, it doesnt have a negative effect on your backlinks if they open in the same window, or if they open in a new window. You're fine.
I have actually stopped using that code myself, generally having all links open in the same window. I find it annoying to click links on a page and end up with multiple windows open - so I'm making it a point to stop doing that on my own sites too.
But as far as SEO, no worries 😉
Why do you suppose IM readers would differ from others? I guess we shall see...mine is an IM blog, I suppose but targeted toward direct sellers; if that makes a difference lol.
My post is up and I thank you for the inspiration 😉
I asked awhile back - on my forum actually - and the majority said that they get annoyed with new windows opening. Of course, that was specifically an "internet marketing" readership...
Well... if you used me as a guinea pig, my response would be this: working online, I have my own quirky way of surfing the web. I rarely click directly on a link because I never know if it opens in a new window or not. So I either right-click and choose "open in new window", or I right click and "copy URL" and then paste it into my address bar (to avoid the new window, if there is one). I do this automatically, without even knowing how the link is tagged.
Call it quirky, but I am in complete control of which window opens when and where - or not. 🙂
LOL@ guinea pig. I did give some linkback's.
That seems like a bit of work, but I guess anything can become normal routine 🙂
With your permission, I'd like to paste that last comment into MY comment section under the post...I think it would be a cool way to start it off 🙂
If you wish to read it, it's in the URL field.
Thanks a lot for the information, I have been linking to my home page all the time.
Great info..thanks