Links and their importance in SEO
Understanding how links work is one of the most important fundamentals of search engine optimization. For many beginners, links may initially seem like just clickable pieces of text leading to another page, but in the SEO world, they mean much more.
Search engines like Google use links to assess a website’s credibility and relevance. A good way to think about links is as votes or recommendations. When one page links to another, it’s essentially saying, “This page is worth visiting.”. The more credible votes a page receives, the higher the likelihood that it will rank well in search results.
In this section, you’ll learn the basics of links, understand the difference between internal and external links, get familiar with key concepts, and most importantly, learn how to work practically with link strategies to improve your own website.
Internal links and their role on your site
Internal links are those that connect different pages within the same website. They help both visitors and search engines navigate and understand the structure. Through internal links, you can highlight what’s important content on your site. For example, you can link from a homepage to a new article or from a popular post to a product page. This way, the authority your website has built—known as link equity—is distributed across your pages.
Have you thought about what your internal linking looks like today?
A common beginner’s mistake is not linking between your own pages at all or only doing it occasionally. Instead, aim to create a clear structure where every new page receives links from relevant subpages. This helps users stay longer and allows search engines to discover all your content more easily.
Example
If you run a fitness blog, your article on “strength training for beginners” can link to another post about “nutrition tips for strength training.” This guides readers forward and increases engagement with your content. It also spreads valuable link equity across your site. In essence, the more relevant internal links point to a page, the stronger the signal to Google that this page is important and deserves to rank well.
External links and why they are crucial
External links, also called “backlinks,” come from other websites and point to your own. These links often carry even greater weight than internal ones because they act as external endorsements. When another site chooses to link to your content, it signals to search engines that you have something valuable to offer.
However, quality should always come before quantity. A link from an established news outlet or a respected industry blog is far more valuable than ten links from small, irrelevant blogs. Still, smaller but relevant sites with natural link profiles can serve as hidden gems for your link-building efforts. Search engines analyze both who links to you and in what context the link appears.
🔍 Ask yourself:
What type of content on your site would others want to link to?
Often, it’s guides, unique studies, infographics, or in-depth articles that attract external links. If you can create such content, others will naturally want to reference you.
Key terms to understand
To work professionally with links, it’s essential to understand a few core concepts that frequently appear when analyzing your site or discussing SEO with others.
🔵 Anchor text: This is the clickable text in a link. For example, if you see a link that says “learn more about SEO,” the words between the quotes are the anchor text. Search engines use anchor text to understand what the linked page is about. Therefore, it’s important to use relevant and descriptive anchor texts. Simply writing “click here” doesn’t help either users or Google understand the context.
🔵 Dofollow and nofollow: Most links are dofollow, meaning they pass on link equity to the page being linked to. A nofollow link, on the other hand, signals to search engines not to transfer authority directly. Nofollow is often used in comment sections or for sponsored links to prevent manipulative links from influencing rankings. Google now treats nofollow links as “hints,” meaning they can still be used as indicators for passing authority.
As a beginner, aim to build a natural flow of dofollow links from trustworthy sources while being aware of when nofollow is appropriate.
It might be tempting to always link to your most important pages, but remember that relevance should come first. A strong overall site with a healthy link structure will have a much greater impact than irrelevant links pointing to your key pages.
Practical strategies for link building
Building links is a long-term process that requires patience. However, there are several ethical and effective strategies you can use. Here are a few examples:
Create high-quality content
The most fundamental strategy is to produce content that’s so useful and unique that others want to link to it. This could be guides, comparisons, case studies, or detailed analyses.
Guest blogging
By writing articles for other blogs or websites within your industry, you can reach a new audience and gain a link back to your own site. It’s important to collaborate with relevant and reputable sites.
Outreach
This means actively contacting other site owners and suggesting that they link to your content. It might feel intimidating at first, but if your material is genuinely valuable, it’s often appreciated. Here you can read more about outreach.
🔍 Consider this:
If you reached out to an industry peer today, which article or resource from your site would you want to showcase as link-worthy?
Risks and what to avoid
Because links are among the strongest SEO signals, it’s tempting to try to speed up the process. But there are methods that can harm rather than help your website. Search engines are now much better at detecting unethical tactics, and violating their guidelines could lead to decreased visibility—or, in the worst case, being removed from search results entirely. It’s risky to engage in link building without proper knowledge.
A common pitfall is over-optimized anchor text. It may seem logical to always use your main keyword as link text, but if every link to your site uses the exact same wording, it looks unnatural. Google can interpret this as an attempt to manipulate rankings. A better approach is to vary your anchor texts—sometimes use your brand name, sometimes descriptive phrases, and sometimes simple expressions like “read more here.” This makes your link profile look more natural and credible.
Another risk is ignoring the quality of the sites linking to you. Links from irrelevant or low-quality sites can weaken your overall impression. It’s therefore wise to focus on building relationships and creating content that reputable sources will want to link to.
In summary
Links are one of the most powerful tools in SEO. They act as pathways for users and as ranking signals for search engines. By understanding the difference between internal and external links, using anchor text wisely, and applying well-planned strategies, you can gradually improve your website’s visibility.
Remember, link building doesn’t happen overnight. It’s about building relationships, creating valuable content, and having patience. Reflect on how your internal links look today and identify opportunities to create material that others will genuinely want to link to. The next step is to experiment and find the methods that work best for your website and audience.