Internal linking; what is it and why is it important for dental SEO?
In mid-2023, having a strong online presence is vital for any dental surgery team that is looking to attract and retain patients.
SEO plays a critical role in enhancing a dental practice’s visibility and accessibility on search engines. Among the various SEO strategies, internal linking emerges as a tool that can impact a dental surgery’s website rankings and overall online success.
If you need help with any part of your dental SEO, from internal linking to website makeovers, feel free to contact our team at Dental Focus. We know all there is to know about bringing websites, marketing plans, and SEO up to code, so if you need some help, give us a call!
In this article, our SEO team at Dental Focus will explore 5 compelling reasons why internal linking is indispensable for dental SEO.
Enhanced website navigation and user experience
Internal linking is the practice of linking one page of a website to another page within the same domain. When properly implemented, internal links create a logical and organised website structure, allowing users to navigate smoothly between different pages. For dental surgeries, this means that patients can easily access essential information, such as services, treatment details, and contact information, leading to improved user experience. Search engines favour websites that offer a seamless experience to visitors, and by providing a well-structured site with internal links, we can boost your dental SEO rankings.
Spreading link authority and PageRank
Search engines utilise algorithms that analyse the quality and relevance of links to determine a website’s authority and credibility. When a well-established page on a dental surgery’s website links to another internal page, it passes on some of its authority and PageRank. This means that important pages, like the homepage or service pages, can help strengthen other pages within the site.
Keyword optimisation and ranking
Internal linking allows dental surgeries to strategically use keywords and anchor text to optimise
their pages for specific search terms. By linking relevant anchor text to targeted pages, engines like Google can gain a better understanding of the content and context of the linked pages. Consequently, this practice can increase the chances of ranking higher for specific keywords related to dental services or treatments. However, it’s essential to maintain a natural and user-friendly approach to internal linking, avoiding keyword stuffing or practices that could harm SEO efforts.
Lower bounce rates and longer website visits
Bounce rate refers to the number of visitors who leave your dental website after viewing only one page. With internal linking, dental surgeries can lead visitors to relevant and related pages, encouraging them to explore more content. As a result, bounce rates decrease, and the average time spent on the website increases. Search engines interpret more extended visits as a sign of valuable and engaging content, thus rewarding your website with improved rankings.
Facilitating crawling and indexing
Search engines deploy bots, also known as crawlers, to navigate through websites and index their content for search results. Internal links act as a guide for these crawlers, helping them discover and index all the important pages on a dental surgery’s website. When search engines can efficiently crawl and index a website, it becomes more accessible to potential patients searching for dental services. Regularly updating and optimising internal links ensure that new and valuable content gets indexed promptly, positively affecting SEO visibility.