If you do a search for the phrase “internal links” or “external links,” you’ll find a multitude of articles about the importance of placing important keywords within those link targets. Some people go as far as to suggest that internal and external linking is the most important part of SEO.
That’s half true, at best. Ranking high in Google and other search engines is still about having good, relevant content.
But, internal link building and external link building are both still important.
Here’s what you need to know about both types of links:
Internal Linking Is Good for Your Patients
People always benefit from a site that has good internal linking. It makes it easier for them to navigate a site and provides them with logical places to click.
Internal links that are relevant to a patient’s search terms can also provide a small boost of relevancy to your website in the eyes of Google.
That doesn’t mean you should stuff keywords into internal links, but I would recommend doing what you can to make sure your internal linking makes sense, including using keywords when appropriate.
Internal Linking is Beneficial, But Not the Most Important Part of SEO
Internal linking will not make or break your website’s SEO. It helps users find their way around a site more easily, which provides some value to Google.
I always try and have 1-2 internal links per post to help make it easy for you, my readers, to find relevant content.
External Linking Provides Traffic and Rankings
The importance of backlinks should never be understated. Backlinks provide a ton of value to your site: they add authority (and relevancy), provide traffic, and will help you rank higher in search engines if they’re from a relevant site.
External links tell Google that your website is important and trustworthy, and link building can help you get that message across to search engines without any direct relationship or affiliation with the websites linking out to you.
Without effective external linking, you’ll have a tough time ranking high in search engines.