One way or another, you might have heard all about outbound links, inbound links, internal links, and backlinks. A lot of professionals have discussed the importance and non-importance of these links for your Search Engine Optimization campaign. A coin has two sides, and so does the controversy regarding links and SEO.
So, here’s the million-dollar question: “Do links really matter for your SEO campaign?” The short answer is a resounding YES. But in this article, we’ll give you more than just a simple answer. We’ll give you the details on why links are essential elements of an effective SEO campaign. First, let’s differentiate among the various types of links. Let’s get started.
Different Types Of Links From An SEO Perspective
When it comes to SEO and related services, there are three types of links: internal links, inbound links, and outbound links. Internal links refer to links within your website that point to other pages on your website. For instance, you have an article on your blog that points back to your contact page. This is an internal link.
Inbound links refer to links from other websites that point back to your site. Inbound links are usually referred to as backlinks. On the other hand, outbound links refer to those that lead away from your site externally towards another one. So, if Site A points back to Site B, the said link is an inbound link (or backlink) for Site B. But, it is referred to as an outbound link of Site A.
Why Are Links Important For SEO?
1. First And Foremost, Inbound Links Affect Your PageRank
Google explicitly states that inbound links are factored into your overall PageRank. Although the search engine giant doesn’t say the actual weight given to these backlinks, they still have a bearing on your rank for particular search terms.
Let’s say you have, for example, five different websites pointing back to your page. Two of these links are from spammy websites. Google is only concerned with the three inbound links coming from non-spammy sites.
Spammy sites are not factored into the equation, but since SEO is a game wherein pages want to get to the top, competitors with malicious intent can actually create spammy backlinks towards their rivals. That’s one of the key reasons why Google is neutral towards inbound links coming from spammy sites.
2. Links Help Search Engines Index Your Site
Google crawls sites by following all types of links. This is done by something that has an interesting term: a Google bot. By creating an excellent internal linking structure, you help search engines make sense of your entire site architecture.
Through following various links, Google can find out the relationships among various posts, pages, and other content types. Thus, it is able to locate pages that cover similar topics. Internal linking also gives you the ability to indicate to search engines which pages are the most important and relevant. In this way, you can push important pages (e.g., product or sales page for an ecommerce site and most important articles for a blog) higher on search engine page results.
3. Inbound Links (Or Backlinks) Add Relevance To Your Page
Both inbound and outbound links tell search engines more about your niche. For instance, if you own a real estate blog, linking to an authoritative “.gov” or “.edu” page about real estate in a particular locality will help search engines know about your page’s subject matter and geographical attribute.
The key here is to get inbound and outbound links from sites and pages that are “relevant” to yours. Thus, if you’re a company selling plumbing services, you can get links from a page about maintaining your house. But you shouldn’t obtain links from a page that instructs you on how to become a licensed accountant. See the big difference?
4. Inbound Links Add Authority To Your Page And Overall Site
Most websites dream of having a relevant backlink from sites like Forbes.com. The said authoritative site seems to be the holy grail. So, what’s the concept behind it? Once a huge amount of authoritative sites point back to your site, it’s a sign that they trust you.
It takes a lot to get backlinks from top-notch sites out there. And once you’ve garnered them, it is a vote telling Google that you are also an authoritative site on that particular topic. Thus, to sum up this point, links from authoritative sites is a sign that you have authority on the subject matter as well.
5. Links Attract Traffic And Redirect Visitors To Important Pages Within Your Site
The point of SEO is to get on top of search engines to get more traffic to your site. Backlinks help with redirecting traffic back to your site. Thus, if a lot of websites point to your page, it can help you attract traffic from that site to yours.
In addition, internal links help users navigate their way to the most important pages (e.g., money pages for affiliate marketing sites). Another example would be for professionals who provide services. You would most likely want your visitors to get to the contact page and ask you a query. Or you would like them to subscribe to your mailing list in exchange for something free. Internal links can help you achieve your goals by directing website visitors to pages that matter the most.
Wrapping It Up: A Quick Note On SEO Best Practices For Links
The most important thing to remember when getting inbound and outbound links is to have one that points to or comes from a relevant AND authoritative site. If it’s not related to your subject matter, don’t link back to it. Moreover, don’t try too hard to get backlinks from authoritative sites that are not associated with your topic. It will confuse search engines as to the real nature of the page or site.
For internal links, try to create a site architecture that is meaningful both to website visitors and search engines. Don’t just point from one place to another without having a valid reason to do so. It will just mess up your internal linking structure. Plus, you wouldn’t want visitors to get confused about where to go.
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