What is a link and what do they do?
Similar to how it is used in everyday vocabulary, a link is the relationship between two things. In this case, a link is the relationship between one web page to another or one domain to the other.
On the web, there are two types of links: internal links and external links.
An internal link is a hyperlink that points at, or targets, another page on the same domain where the link will be placed. An internal link shows the relationship between one page on your domain to another on the same domain.
An external link is a hyperlink that directs users to a totally different website, opposed to a page that exists on the website a user is visiting. An external link shows the relationship between one website to another website.
Why do links matter?
More than just simply showing a relationship between two websites, links matter for a few reasons:
- Connecting Sites: Links help connect sites to one another and allow people, and search engine bots, to move around the web and find what they need. By making these connections, people are able to find additional information on topics that are important to them. The example below shows a food blogger making the connection between her recipe for a green smoothie and her previous blog posts about the benefits of green smoothies – an element that her visitors may be interested in reading about:
- Link = Vote: When a website includes a hyperlink to your domain as a relevant resource, search engines see that as a “vote” for your site. When one website links to another website, there is a level of trust that the latter site is relevant and useful to readers. The more “votes” your website has, the more search engines will want to display you for relevant searches. The example below shows a website discussing how to decorate a cookie and is linking to another website that provides additional information on that topic. Search engines will see this link, associate that domain with this topic, and possibly show it as a result for a relevant search.
- It’s really just a popularity contest: The more external links you have to your site, the more search engines will think your site is cool. Now, that doesn’t mean you can get links from spammy, untrustworthy places because those aren’t the cool kids. The cool kids are the ones who provide relevant and unique content to their readers and have a lot of engagement. If they say you are cool, then the search engines will most likely agree with them.
- Authority: Once you get in with the cool kids, your site will be seen as authoritative and influential (because all the cool kids keep talking about you) and search engines will be more likely to show your site when users search for topics relevant to you. That’s why you don’t want to get caught up in the wrong crowd. You can’t hang out with everyone so stick to forming relationships with sites that are relevant to you and the content that you provide. If you try to be in too many places, nobody will be able to label you.
How do I start linking?
The easiest thing to do is start with some internal linking. You can find relevant posts on your own domain and reference them as something your readers might want to read about as well. This will allow your readers to better navigate your site and find content that might interest them.
I want to be popular! How do I get people to link to me?
It’s actually much easier than you’d think. You want links? Then create great content. In an age where everyone says, “content is king (or queen),” it is important that your content bring value to readers. If it does, people will link to it. Since it is a popularity contest, you could always try being a little more social. If you share your post through social platforms and with other bloggers, chances are the right person will stumble upon it, read it, and share it. But the key here is to create something that people will want to link to and share – be the cool kid that everyone wanted to hang out with.
For even more detailed information about how you can build links, visit our “Process of Building Links” post!
