What are some best practices and common mistakes to avoid when adding internal links in WordPress?

1 Why internal links matter

Internal links have many benefits for your website. They help search engines crawl and index your site, understand your site structure and relevance, and distribute your page authority. They also help users find more information, navigate your site easily, and stay longer on your site. Internal links can also boost your conversions, as they can guide users to your landing pages, offers, or calls to action.

2 How to add internal links in WordPress

There are two main ways to add internal links in WordPress: manually or automatically. Manually, you can use the built-in link tool in the WordPress editor, or copy and paste the URL of the page or post you want to link to. Automatically, you can use plugins that generate internal links based on keywords, categories, tags, or other criteria. Both methods have pros and cons, depending on your needs and preferences.

3 Best practices for internal links

To maximize the potential of your internal links, you should employ certain best practices that can improve both your SEO and user experience. Descriptive and relevant anchor text should be used to indicate the linked page or post. Additionally, linking to high-quality content that adds value to your users is essential. It is also beneficial to link to deep pages or posts, such as older posts, archives, or guides. Lastly, it is important to use a suitable number of internal links per page or post; too many links can be distracting and spammy, while too few links can limit your SEO and user engagement.

4 Common mistakes to avoid

Internal links can be beneficial for your website, but if you make some common mistakes, they can also be detrimental. Avoid using generic or vague anchor text, such as "click here", "read more", or "this page", that doesn't provide any context about the linked page or post. Additionally, make sure to link to relevant content that matches your users' intent and expectations, and avoid linking to the same page or post multiple times. Lastly, check for broken or outdated links that lead to 404 errors, redirects, or outdated content - these can have a negative effect on your SEO and user trust.

5 How to check and optimize your internal links

To ensure that your internal links are working properly and effectively, you should check and optimize them regularly. You can use tools such as Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Yoast SEO to audit your internal links and identify any issues, such as broken links, duplicate links, or missing links. You can also use these tools to analyze your internal link structure and distribution, and find opportunities to improve your internal linking strategy.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?