Linking Structure
Internal Links, Anchor Text, Navigation SEO

Linking Structure: The Web of Your Website

Links are the veins of the internet. They connect pages, guide users, and tell search engines how your content flows. A good linking structure isn’t just about navigation — it’s about meaning, discoverability, and SEO strength.

1. What Is Internal Linking?

Internal linking refers to links between pages on the same website. These links:

• Help users explore related content
• Assist search engines in crawling your site
• Distribute ranking power (PageRank) between pages

Example:

<a href="/apple-benefits">Health Benefits of Apples</a>

[ Clickable link that takes users to the Apple Benefits page on the same site ]

2. Anchor Text: Choose Words That Mean Something

The text inside a link — called anchor text — tells users and search engines what the destination is about. Avoid generic phrases like "click here."

Bad Example:

<a href="/banana-guide">Click here</a> to learn more.

Better Example:

Learn more in our <a href="/banana-guide">Complete Banana Guide</a>.

[ Link text includes relevant keywords and improves SEO ]

3. Navigation Structure Using Links

Your site’s navigation is built on links — menus, sidebars, footers, breadcrumbs. Use clear, consistent <a> tags inside a <nav> element for accessible, semantic structure.

<nav>
  <a href="/apple">Apples</a>
  <a href="/banana">Bananas</a>
  <a href="/cherry">Cherries</a>
</nav>

This helps:

• Users understand page structure
• Screen readers announce it as a navigation block
• Search engines prioritize linked pages

4. HTML Linking Syntax Refresher

| Element | Purpose | |--------|---------| | <a> | The anchor tag — used to create links | | href | Specifies the destination URL | | target="_blank" | Opens link in a new tab (for external links) |

Example: External Link

<a href="https://fruitfacts.org/berries" target="_blank">Learn about berries</a>

5. Deep Linking: Beyond the Homepage

Link to internal pages — not just the homepage — to spread relevance and improve discoverability.

Example:

<a href="/cherry/harvest-tips">Cherry Harvesting Tips</a>

[ Directs users and search engines to a specific cherry subtopic ]

6. Clean URLs and Consistency

Keep your URLs and link paths clean and predictable.

• /apple-benefits ✅
• /pages/fruit/apples?type=info ❌

Tip:

Use relative paths (e.g. /banana) for internal links unless necessary to use full URLs.

7. Putting It Together: Fruit Website Navigation

<nav>
  <a href="/apple-overview">Apple Overview</a>
  <a href="/banana-recipes">Banana Recipes</a>
  <a href="/cherry-facts">Cherry Facts</a>
</nav>

<p>
  Want to know when cherries are best picked? 
  <a href="/cherry/season">Check our seasonal cherry guide</a>.
</p>

[ This creates a linked structure that guides users and bots through fruit-related content ]

Summary

HTML links are more than navigation — they build meaning and momentum. You’ve now learned how to:

• Create internal links with clear anchor text
<nav> tag
• Use descriptive paths for SEO and usability
• Link deeply to enhance site architecture

What’s Next?

Next, we’ll apply this linking structure inside a multi-page website layout with header, footer, and sidebar — tying everything together for usability, accessibility, and SEO.