Internal linking is a critical component to any legal marketing strategy. An internal link is a hyperlink from one page of your site to another page of content on the same domain. Unfortunately, it can be hard to decide where to link pages to, or how you should set up a link on a page. Here are some tips your firm can keep in mind when adding content and linking your pages from one another.

Tip #1: Make Sure the Anchor Text Makes Sense

Anchor text is the blue text that’s actually clickable in a link. You’ll want anchor text to clearly indicate where it directs a user. For example, let’s say that you have an article on qualifying for disability with cancer and you want to link to a page that’s on medical documents needed to qualify with cancer. Here are two examples of anchor text you may use:

• The SSA requires a variety of medical documents before approving someone for Social Security with cancer.
• The SSA requires extensive paperwork before it will approve your disability claim for cancer.

In this example, the first anchor text would be a more suitable option. It’s more descriptive than “paperwork” alone. Paperwork could refer to medical documentation, or it could refer to personal documents like a birth certificate or SSN.

Tip #2: Don’t Use “Click Here” Or a Plain URL

It can be really tempting to simply paste a URL to a related page or to say “to learn more about filing a personal injury claim in Georgia, click here.” Neither of these methods of internal linking follow SEO best practices. You’ll want your anchor text to be within a paragraph and flow naturally with the article. A randomly-inserted link is jarring for a reader, and Google wants users to have a great online experience.

Tip #3: Link to Pages You Want to Rank Well on SERPs

Linking is an important component to an SEO strategy. While a link to one of your pages from an external domain is extremely valuable for ranking purposes, internal links within your firm’s website make a difference as well. For example, you’ll want to avoid adding links to pages that don’t convert well, such as a glossary term on ALJs. While an ALJ is likely something a Social Security disability attorney will mention often, your internal links are likely more valuable when placed on your “money” pages, such as content on why you need to work with a Social Security attorney or your “Contact Us” form.

Tip #4: Link Deep

Another mistake you want to avoid is linking to pages that are already easily accessible on every page of content. For example, let’s say that your “Free Case Evaluation” page is accessible on the top right-hand side of every page of content on your site, and is simply one click away for the user. Linking to that page would be redundant because you’re already linking to that page on every piece of content on your site! You’ll want to dig around and find another related page of content that hasn’t been linked to as often.

Google also doesn’t like to see the same page linked to over and over again, so you’ll want to keep your deep links varied. While you’ll of course want to keep promoting those same “money” pages, be sure to have your internal links make sense for the user instead of trying to force them in the direction of contacting your firm. In the end you should see a higher conversion rate because your site will be more user friendly.

Tip #5: Don’t Link Too Many Times

Finally, you’ll want to be careful with how many links you have on a single page of content. Too many links will make your firm’s site seem spammy, so competing firms in the area may outrank you just based on your internal links alone. A good rule of thumb is to have no more than 100 links on a single page of content. This may seem easy to avoid, but keep in mind that any top or sidebar navigation will count towards this number.

By keeping internal linking best practices in mind, you’ll be able to increase your site’s visibility in search engine results as well as make your website easier to navigate for users!