While it is very important for the search engines to see outside links coming into your blog, you might also consider building an effective internal linking strategy also. Why is this important? It encourages visitors to stay on your blog longer, thus increasing page views, thus improving your search engine rankings. And if you have any products you are promoting, you will more likely to get some interested clicks.
Creating A User Friendly Blog
Have a Sitemap
This is not just a suggestion, it is a requirement. Google will downgrade your site if you don't have a sitemap.
While most of your visitors won't bother with going through your sitemap, they can help people find the specific information what they are looking for if it's not readily apparent and they do show the search engines the internal linking strategy for your blog postings
Include Links To Related Posts
By including links to related posts- in your posts - you can help your readers to easily locate similar content that may interest them. It will also help to increase the number of internal links within your blog.
Now you can do this manually, but if you have quite a bit of posts this can take some time, or, here are two plugins for you to play around with.
Free Plugins
Here are two highly recommended site map plugins for WordPress.
1. XML sitemaps created specifically for the search engines: wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-sitemap-generator/
2. The Dagon Design Sitemap, created more for your visitors: dagondesign.com/articles/sitemap-generator-plugin-for-wordpress/
Related Posts Plugins
1. Related Entries Plugin: wasabi.pbworks.com/RelatedEntries
2. The alinks plugin: headzoo.com/alinks. (this is also a very good plugin if you are using affiliate links)
Include Links To Your Most Popular Posts
On many blogs you will see a list of their most popular posts in the sidebar. You can do this manually or try using this free plug in. Most Wanted Plugin: boakes.org/most-wanted/.
The advantages to using the plugin is that it will change the popular posts automatically , otherwise you will have to do updates manually.
Other Quick Tips For an Internal Linking Strategy
Create a Series Of Articles
This works quite well if you are writing an in depth article. Simply break it down into small readable bites, and then link the series together
Place links on your 404 pages.
Your visitor will feel less frustrated and you can redirect them easily
Include Links in your Footer
Get Creative here. If a visitor has taken the time to scroll all the way to the bottom of your blog, why not offer them something. Kinda like the 'easter egg' placed in many dvd's.
Have a FAQ
A Frequently Asked Questions pages can help you to get internal links to your pages while also providing information for your visitors. Consider using your targeted keyword phrases here.
Put Together a Monthly Summary Of Your Blog.
If you are posting many stories daily maybe provide a weekly summary. Just a line having a brief teaser description and the link
Hot Tip:
Try including a link or two in the first paragraphs of your post. Some bloggers have reported a higher click through rate. See if this works for you.
When working on the internal linking strategy for your blog, think creatively, and be sure that it does not seem to your reader that you are forcing them to make clicks.
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