Types Of Website Links: Internal Links, External Links, And Backlinks
Links are a way for people and search engines to find your business services. They’re like a tour guide for visitors. They also help Google discover web pages..
Navigation Links: The Street Signs Of A Website
Your home page should have a main menu. The main menu usually can be found in the header of a website. The main menu often includes links to pages such as:.
* Home
* Services
* About page
* Reviews
* Service areas
* Contact page
These links make your most important pages easy to find.
Internal Links: The Roads Inside Your Website
Internal links help visitors move from one page of your website to another.
When someone is on your homepage, they can decide which link has information they are looking for. Once they click on a particular link, they can then be directed to more specific information about the service. When they decide they will use that service, another link can take them to a contact page.
Internal links also help Google discover other pages on your website.
Internal link examples:
A St. George house cleaning business probably has pages about move-out and move-in cleanings. Each of these articles can link to each other. Someone reading each page now has a quick way to learn more about moving-type cleanings.
Another example of internal linking is how I’ve set up a page here that shows all of the articles on this site including links to those pages.
Contextual Links: The Helpful “By the Way” Links
Contextual links are placed naturally within the text of a paragraph. They connect something you’re already talking about to another page with more information. Like the second example above.
The link should make sense with what the visitor is already reading. This can help visitors understand more of what they are researching.
Contextual links can also help Google understand related pages on your website.
Image, Button, and Phone Links: Links That Help People Take Action
A button that says “Get a Free Estimate” is a link. Your logo usually links back to the homepage. A clickable phone number is a link. A map button is a link. These links help visitors navigate your website.
When potential customers are using a cellphone, make it easy for them to call, text, request an estimate, or get directions.
Important thought: Click your website buttons once in a while to make sure they still work.
External Links (Outbound Links): Showing That You Did Your Homework
An external link is a link from your website to another website.
Links to useful information can help customers understand your services and what you have to offer.
A couple of examples are: If you write an article about preparing for a move-out inspection, linking to an official tenant resource or local government information page may help the reader.
If you write about home maintenance, linking to a manufacturer’s care instructions can make your advice more useful.
Only link to sources that are genuinely useful and reliable.
Important Thought: Check the website’s external links occasionally. The page you linked to three years ago might not be there anymore.
Backlinks: Recommendations From Other Websites Owners
A backlink is a link from another website to yours. If you’ve heard the term, “building links,” this is what it’s referring to.
A link from another legitimate website can also help Google discover and understand your website.
A link from a respected local news site, a local chamber of commerce, a supplier, a nonprofit you support, or a well-known industry organization can be valuable because it makes sense. Your business has a real relationship with that organization..
Check Google spam policies. You check to be sure the links are legitimate. You don’t want any spammy blog comments, low-quality directories, paid link networks, and websites full of junk..
There are plenty of legitimate ways to get backlinks. You might sponsor a local event, join a business organization, or provide information to a local publication. You may already work with other local businesses that have a reason to mention your local business..
Additional Information: What Are Backlinks in SEO? Everything You Need to Know – Ahrefs – By Mateusz Makosiewicz
Local Citation Links: Signs Pointing to Your Business
A local citation is an online mention of your business name, address, phone number, website, or some combination of those details.
A citation link example: I have a membership to the St. George Chamber of Commerce. They link from their website to mine.
Citations links can be placed on your Google Business Profile, Chamber of Commerce websites, business directories, map services, and other websites.
Some citation listings include a clickable link to your website.
When there is no clickable link, an accurate citation can still help establish that your business exists and operates where it says it does. For a local business, consistency matters.
It’s important your business name, address, phone number, website address, hours, and main category are the same from one listing to the next.
If one listing says “First Impressions Cleaning,” another says “First Impressions Home Cleaning LLC,” and a third has an old phone number, it creates unnecessary confusion.
Accurate local listings support credibility and make it easier for people to find the right business.
Broken Links: Roads That Lead Nowhere
Broken links happen when a page is deleted, a page address changes, or someone types the wrong URL into a link. They are common, especially on older websites that have been updated many times.
Check your website regularly. Click your menu links, service links, contact buttons, and links in older articles. If you click a link and get an error page, there’s a pretty good chance your customers are getting it too. It’s important to correct any issues.
You can have your website checked for broken links using websites like this one: Free Broken Link Checker
Linkedin Post: 50 Different Types of Links in SEO / Backlinking By Munazza Batool
- Content-Based Links
- Resource Page Links – Inclusion in curated resource lists.
- Listicle Links – Being featured in “Top 10” or “Best Of” posts.
- Case Study Links – Links earned by publishing detailed success stories.
- Whitepaper/Guide Links – Long-form research that earns citations.
- Infographic Links – When others embed your infographic with a link back.
To see the rest of link types mentioned in this article, tap here.
Webpage Title Analyzer
Ask the SEO Magic 8-Ball
Have an SEO question? Ask the all-knowing SEO Magic 8-Ball. Its advice is questionable. Its confidence is not.
ME
For entertainment purposes only. Google is considerably less predictable than a Magic 8-Ball.
Need a less magical SEO answer? Ask Don.
Types of Website Links
