Link building in e-commerce is as important as linking is for websites. Internal as well as external links are important aspects for SEO.
The importance of links starts with navigation and thus usability for your visitors. In this post we will try to explain Internal Linking clearly.
What are internal links?
Internal links are links within a web page. When a visitor to a website clicks on such a link, he is redirected to another subpage. You can link words, sentences and of course pictures. Such links help visitors find more information about a topic or area.
In turn, the links help the search engine to understand the hierarchy of a web page and to recognize the structure.
But why is link building so important in e-commerce?
E-commerce website usually consist of category pages, product pages as well as information pages. This way a visitor can find the way to his destination exactly where he wants to go without having to search for a long time, because he would not do that. The competition may have exactly the same offer and for the visitor may also find the same. The search engine also honors good, meaningful linking here.
Good internal linking can lead to more sales as products or even offers are highlighted more. Attention is drawn to the offer.
What is the difference between internal links in navigation and links in content?
Internal linking within content includes links within the content of a complete web page. Usually, this links to a blog post or important further information on the website.
Internal links in the navigation means that you will be directed to the right areas by the menu navigation incl dropdown or mega menu. This should be well thought out from the start.
Cross-page navigation
If the navigation goes through all subpages, the search engine knows that this is important. But make sure that especially the menu is not crowded and has a good structure. A prime example of a good linking strategy.
Here, main categories and subcategories are linked in such a way that the visitor as well as Google recognizes the organization of the website and the semantic relationships.
Another possibility are category images, for example. on the home page. The images should be labeled with the respective category and of course linked. You can do the same with special offers.
The integration of content in the respective navigation can strongly contribute to more results such as e.g. sales are achieved. If you will, the visitor’s problem solution lies in the particular category.
They bring the visitor into the funnel, especially for products that have a longer sales cycle. You can link directly to the category in which the content/product is located in the navigation bar.
There is a connection between the respective link and the benefit. If there is no linking, you are giving away a lot of potential for your success.
Supporting internal linking
Sinnvolle interne Verlinkungen im E–Commerce sind Verbindungen zwischen verschiedenen Seiten, die es dem Benutzer ermöglichen, sich problemlos und intuitiv durch den Shop zu navigieren.
Diese Verlinkungen sind besonders wichtig, um Benutzern zu helfen, relevante Produkte zu finden und zu kaufen. Hier sind einige Beispiele für sinnvolle interne Verlinkungen im E–Commerce:
1. Verknüpfung zu Produktkategorien: Diese Verknüpfung sollte in einem Bereich platziert werden, in dem sie leicht zu finden ist, z. B. im Hauptmenü. Sie ermöglicht es Benutzern, schnell auf eine Liste der Kategorien zuzugreifen, die sie durchsuchen können.
2. Link to similar products: Diese Verknüpfung sollte neben jedem Produkt platziert werden, um Benutzern die Möglichkeit zu geben, weitere ähnliche Produkte zu finden.
3. Verknüpfung zu bestimmten Produktseiten: Diese Verknüpfung sollte in einem Bereich platziert werden, in dem sie leicht zu finden ist, z. B. im Hauptmenü. Sie ermöglicht es Benutzern, schnell auf eine Liste der Produkte zuzugreifen, die sie durchsuchen können.
4. Link to guides or other helpful content: Diese Verknüpfung sollte in einem Bereich platziert werden, in dem sie leicht zu finden ist, z. B. im Footer. Sie ermöglicht es Benutzern, schnell auf hilfreiche Informationen zuzugreifen, die ihnen bei der Kaufentscheidung helfen.
Breadcrumb Navigation
HTML breadcrumbs are usually displayed at the top of category pages and product pages. They show the path the visitor has taken to get to the page he is currently on.
A breadcrumb makes navigation easier for the visitor because he can switch to the main category at any time.
Also, a simplified crawlability is created and search engines find their way around more easily and can also find orphaned pages. A search engine recognizes the structure of the website much easier which can increase the ranking of your webshop.
HTML Sitemap
You can set up a sitemap on your website that lists all the subpages of the website. You could place these in the footer.
This can be useful for visitors as well as search engines to discover all your pages. However, this should be maintained, i.e. updated again and again.
Opportunities for supporting content and links for web stores
As a rule, each store system has the possibility to add category text. These appear either above or below the product overview. Content can be placed here and also links to other categories or also information related to the respective category. Linking to blog articles is also possible here. What is important, as with all linking, is value and meaningful links.
Another option for internal linking for stores are those of related products. For visitors the opportunity to discover other interesting products. At the same time a good strategy to build internal links.
These may be as follows:
– Others have also seen this product
– Others have also bought this product
– This fits well
– Customers also bought
– You might also like
– etc.
Other options include product attributes, reviews, testimonials and FAQs.
There are a number of very informative articles on the subject of internal links. One of them is the Semrush.
If you follow these tips you can assume that your web store is easy to navigate for the user and also optimized for the search engine.