Draft:Maillage interne et externe - Liens contextuels

Internal and External Linking of Websites

Internal and external linking, also known as interlinking, is a search engine optimization technique that involves establishing hyperlinks between different web pages, either within the same site ([| (internal linking)]) or between different sites (external linking). This concept, which dates back to the early encyclopedias of the 18th century, lies at the heart of how the internet functions.

Internal Linking

Internal linking involves creating contextual links between pages within the same website, based on their content. This serves several purposes; Structuring information and facilitating navigation for users. Creating thematic silos to optimize the crawling of indexing robots. Transferring " (link juice) " (authority) between pages of the site Internal links should be relevant and natural, avoiding any attempts to manipulate search engines. They can point to category pages, related articles, or conversion pages.

External Linking

External linking entails creating inbound links (backlinks) from other websites to one's own. This serves several purposes: Diversifying the sources of traffic and authority for the site; Establishing a network of thematically related sites Sending quality signals to search engines. It's worth noting that not all inbound links are of equal value. Links from relevant, reliable, and popular sites are the most valuable. Therefore, targeting high-quality sites is essential to obtain valuable backlinks. Importance of Internal and External Linking for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Linking, which involves establishing hyperlinks between different web pages, is a key element of a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. It comprises two complementary aspects: internal linking within the same site and external linking between multiple sites.

External Linking and Site Authority

External linking, or backlinks, involves obtaining inbound links from other websites to one's own. This is an important factor for improving because search engines assess a site's authority based on the quality and quantity of its inbound links. The more a site is cited by high-quality sites, the more it will be perceived as reliable and relevant. SEO tools can estimate this authority on a scale of 100, helping to benchmark against competitors. Anchor texts, or the text on which the link is inserted, also help search engines understand the theme of the linked page. This is a factor that can strengthen the page's positioning for certain keywords.

Internal Linking and Site Architecture

Internal linking, which involves creating links between pages within the same site, offers several SEO benefits: Improving user navigation and reducing bounce rate Structuring information according to methods such as semantic cocoons or pillar pages Optimizing the crawl budget of indexing robots, allowing them to visit and index more pages A coherent internal linking structure helps search engines better understand the architecture and hierarchy of the site. This enables them to better identify the most important pages and index them more efficiently.