What Is the Difference Between Internal, Inbound, And Outbound Links

One of the most confusing topics that many people struggle to understand is inbound, internal, and outbound linking. Even those who have been creating websites for years find themselves a little puzzled over the subject. Some people even think that they are the same thing but they’re not.

If you are going to be a successful webmaster, you must learn the difference between the two. They are both crucial to your SEO campaign however; they both play very different roles.

Understanding Internal, Inbound, and Outbound Linking​

Internal Linking​

Simply put, an internal link is nothing more than what its name suggests. It is a link from one internal page of your site to another. If you have a drop menu on your page for categories or past posts, these are prime examples of internal links.

These types of links are there to assist you in creating a flatter structure. SEO experts will agree that it should never take a viewer more than three clicks to get back to your homepage no matter where they are on your site. Keep in mind that the easier your site is to navigate, the more time a visitor is likely to spend on it.

When you create related links so your readers can obtain more information on additional pages, they will typically continue to read through your site to find more information that they are looking for rather than leave the site to go elsewhere.

Inbound Linking​

One-way linking is another common term used for inbound links. This is the link that points to a main website from an external source like another website, a forum, an author bio, or a blog, whether you own them or not. Inbound links can direct traffic to any page on a site, not just the home page.

These types of links are important because the more quality one-way links that you have pointing at your site, the higher you will rank with search engines. One site passes link juice to the next; this is why you want to use only quality sites to create links. Having an inbound link from a garbage site makes you look back and search engines will penalize you for it. You are much better to have 100 quality links than 10,000 links from untrusted sites.

One of the most important rules in linking is to not trick the reader. No one wants to click on a link for more information only to be directed to a non-related topic nor does anyone want to have to click five times to end up at the information they were looking for. An inbound link should simply direct traffic to further information that they may need**. If your link suggests that they will find a coupon for a certain product, you better have that coupon on the page you link to or you lose all credibility.

To have a successful campaign, you will use both inbound and internal linking opportunities. The goal is to make you and your site trustworthy by creating a powerful and respectful online presence.

Outbound Linking​

An outbound link, also known as an outgoing link, is a hyperlink on a webpage that points to a different domain or website. In other words, when you click on an outbound link, it takes you to a different website.

Including outbound links to reputable sources can enhance the credibility of your content. It shows that you've done your research and are providing additional resources for your audience.

Outbound links play a role in SEO. When search engines see that your content includes relevant and high-quality outbound links, it can contribute to your page's authority and trustworthiness. However, it's essential to link to reputable and relevant sites.

Outbound links can enhance the user experience by providing additional information or resources. They allow users to explore related topics or find more in-depth information on a particular subject.

Linking to other websites can foster positive relationships within your industry or community. It can also increase the likelihood that other websites may link back to your content, which is beneficial for SEO.

If you're referencing information or data from another source, it's important to provide proper attribution through outbound links. This helps you avoid plagiarism and gives credit to the original creator of the content.

It's crucial to use outbound links judiciously and ensure they are relevant and add value to your content. Overloading a page with irrelevant links or linking to low-quality sites can have negative effects on user trust and SEO. Always prioritize the needs and interests of your audience when incorporating outbound links into your content.
 

About us

  • oDiscuss Community provides a forum platform for discussing, sharing resources and ideas, and finding answers on various topics, including technology, IT, IT systems, networking systems, computers, servers, blogging, digital marketing, SEO, web design, web development, and more.

Quick Navigation

User Menu