The Missing Link – How to link your content
Hello All. As I have explained in my previous training blogs and Kyle has explained in his training videos, Google likes it more when you have links that link to other content pages and posts on your website. Google likes this way more than if you link to content off of your website.
So with that in mind I want to explain to you today how you should handle the linking. This will make your website more attractive to not just your readers but to Google as well. And I know we all want to please Google, right? So here is a simple rule to follow…
SAME WINDOW – ON & NEW WINDOW – OFF
When you are linking to other content on your own website you should always open the link within the same browser window (Same Window – On Same Website). This makes it a more enjoyable experience for your reader because you are not opening up another browser window each time. Google also likes this because when their spiders crawl your website during indexing, they will remain on your website linking from page to page.
When you are linking to another website like an affiliate link to Wealthy Affiliate, you want to open that link in a new browser window (New Window – Off to a New Website). You do this because you don't want your readers to lose touch with your website while they go off to explore where ever you are sending them “off” of your website.
HOW TO DO THIS LINKING THING
So you know how to create a text link, right? By highlighting a word or words and clicking on the “Link” icon button in the top menu of the WordPress editor. When that happens the “Insert/Edit Link” box appears.
TO LINK TO ANOTHER PAGE ON YOUR WEBSITE = Paste the URL in the URL field and DO NOT check mark the “Open link in a new window/tab” box. (See picture below)
TO LINK TO ANOTHER WEBSITE (AFFILIATE LINK) = Paste the URL in the URL field and YOU MUST check mark the “Open link in a new window/tab” box. (See picture below)
NOTE: It is also a good idea to fill in the “Title” field with a brief description as to what the link is about. This also leads to a better reader experience so that when the reader places the mouse pointer on your link, they will see what it is all about.
STEP 1: TO LINK AN IMAGE OR CUSTOM URL IMAGE (LIKE A WA VIDEO) = Click on the image to bring up the edit icons and click the left edit icon. (See picture below)
STEP 2: TO LINK AN IMAGE OR CUSTOM URL IMAGE (LIKE A WA VIDEO) = Click on the “Advanced Settings” tab at the top of the Edit Image screen. (See picture below)
STEP 3: TO LINK AN IMAGE OR CUSTOM URL IMAGE (LIKE A WA VIDEO) = Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on the “Open link in a new window” check box. Then click on the “Update” button. (See picture below)
That’s the short and simple way to remember how to make your links between pages ON your website and OFF your website a more user and Google friendly experience. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.
Recent Comments
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Robert, did not know that links within your website should not be on. Thanks for the information. I will go back to my site and redo my links. Thanks for sharing. Debbie
You're welcome Debbie. Just remember, you want your readers and the Google spiders to crawl your website via connecting links, like a spider web. So by keeping them all within the same browser window the process is seamless because they never leave your website.
Thanks Robert, it's always good to know what Google is thinking ;)
I always use the "open new window" concept because I don't want to lose the connection to my site by sending someone somewhere else, but I never thought about the internal connection.
You're welcome Marcel. You did it correctly and for the right reason. But as far as internally, you should always open the link within the same browser window.
Thanks for your comment. :-)
Thanks for this great blog post. It's a powerful stuff that makes your pages in your website get interlinked each other which Google loves. This type of linking creates what we call "link juice" to those pages. This is also a technique used in many websites, especially authority ones that we just don't recognize.
Thanks again for this short useful information.
You're welcome Vuong. Yes...I'm familiar with "Link Juice" and I love that type of juice to. :-)
Hey Thanks for giving the heads up on linking. I was sending them to a new window I will fix that.
That's for the great guide! I've bookmarked it for future reference, because it's bound to be useful.
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Thanks Robert! Concise and helpful, as always!
Hey Jody! How are you? Enjoying this brief warm up in the weather before it gets cold again by tomorrow night? - I can't wait until Spring.
Thanks for the comment.