Internal Linking - SEO

[usingh2212]

I wanted to know if there is a definitive guide on how to do internal linking for service area businesses. I want to focus on 1 service and 5 locations to rank higher.

 

[keyserholiday]

I wanted to know if there is a definitive guide on how to do internal linking for service area businesses. I want to focus on 1 service and 5 locations to rank higher.

There is no definitive guide on internal linking. Do whatever feels natural.

 

[fisicx]

As @keyserholiday said there is no definitive guide but you can gain a lot of understanding from the Google SEO guidelines and in particular the Quality Rater Guidelines.

https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/11/search-quality-rater-guidelines-update

180 pages long so it's not a quick read but essential to understanding the philosophy behind how Google rates and ranks webpages.

But there are some basics you can put into place:

1. Keep the number of links low in the main menu. Try to avoid dropdowns. Instead link your top level links to content rich pages and from there to deeper and lower level pages.

2. Repeat the key links from the main menu in your footer. In the footer include links to the 'about us', legal, privacy and terms pages.

3. Fill your homepage with links to the important parts of the site. But include explanatory content to give a reason for the links to exist. Never use 'read more'.

4. Link between pages where this fits the information flow. For example, if your page is about cleaning patios a link to a page about the chemical you use is useful but only if it fits in the narrative. Links to examples of patios you have cleaned is even better as it provides evidence.

5. Create location pages and from there links to examples of the service you provided at that location.

6. Link from your case study pages back to the locations pages, other categories, testimonials and reviews. Make it so someone who reached a page deep in the site can easily find their way back. Not via the menu but using links within the content.

Internal linking is all about adding value, information flows and providing logical pathways.

Look at how wikipedia takes you on a journey of discovery.