You may be wondering what is it all about deep linking for SEO. You may be well aware of backlinks, where one is able to direct link equity or users to the searched-for pages on your website.
In the real sense, without backlinks, you will hardly get desirable Google ranks about your pages, and you will not drive traffic as you compete with other websites. You’re going to have a hard time funneling users who could at the end of the day, translate to long-term consumers.
Though we are going to analyze some of the components of backlinking in this article, we will dwell on deep linking- where we find that deep links link specific pages on your website or within an app but not on your homepage.
So, why link to a specific page when it comes to link building? We will understand how to understand the business growth concept using the deep linking guide below.
What is Deep Linking?
Deep linking in SEO refers to the practice of creating hyperlinks to specific, valuable, and relevant pages rather than to homepages or top-level pages. Deep linking is an SEO strategy that aims to enhance the user experience, improve search engine rankings, and drive traffic to specified parts of your website.
In essence, deep linking is the process of linking specified pages using one’s mobile app. On the other hand, not all users have an app, but many of them have websites and therefore use backlinks. However, not all of them function properly, and therefore there a need to focus on a deep linking strategy.
Why is Deep Linking SEO Important?
Let’s navigate through and understand the advantages of deep linking in SEO:
Increased traffic – When deep links pinpoint specific pages, it helps increase traffic to your site through easy navigation, and users are well aware of what they want, such as a product page. One of the best examples that goes along with increased site navigation is the wordstream.com.
Drive Link Equity on Your Site or App – Link building should focus on acquiring links from authoritative sources within your niche. Link equity or link juice is one example that allows your site to rank high and increase traffic and conversions, whose result will generate revenue.
Link equity works in ways that the amount of link equity is equivalent to the sum and quality of both internal and external links. Let’s see this example to understand better how link juice is transferred.
In this example, Page A will have a higher chance of ranking than Page B because of off-page factors. If you are sitting on page B, to rank high, confirm the keyword you’re targeting and use the correct anchor text. If the anchor text is more accurate and relevant to what users are looking for, using more link equity on your page is also recommended.
Improved User Experience – If you’re looking for specific pages, use deep links to take you directly to particular pages or those relevant to the pages you’re looking for. It will, therefore, enhance the overall experience by reducing the need to navigate multiple pages, and as such, you’ll get a better ranking.
How do you improve User Experience?
One of the best ways is to create a lot of content to boost your SEO. But it’s important to note the content should only be relevant and quality. Let’s consider if you have a blog with evergreen content about your jewelry site. The content can say “The best Jewelry for women” or “Tips to select trending jewelry designs.” All you need to do is look at your audience’s interest and maximize your blogs to get options to link the same.
Reduced Bounce Rate and Drive Users to Convert – Deep linking helps to link to specific links and enhances the reduction of bouncing rate since users will mostly stay on sites where they find information on the web pages they are looking for quickly. The conversion rate optimization in this case scenario will increase. An added advantage to this is if you’re running campaigns and enticing people to understand more about your site.
This concept of deep linking through marketing campaigns, and referrals help create an efficient and cohesive experience, and users find the need to convert.
Correct Way to Implement Deep Linking on Your Website
Implementing deep linking involves a clear website structure approach to see to it that the user and the search engines are able to access and navigate the content on your site with ease.
Below is a step-by-step guide on how you can implement deep-linking:
- Understand the hierarchy of your website and navigate the page displaying your content.
- Create custom URLs for your site’s browser.
- Internal Links- Incorporate deep links within the website. If possible, use anchor texts that can link you to your guest posts and other content on your site. Your site size determines the number of links.
- At the top of your browser, you should view a custom link- copy the link, and you are good to go.
But most importantly, avoid broken links to keep any spammy content from blocking your site and reduce your search engine rankings.
Deep Linking for Mobile Apps
Mobile marketers especially use deep links in a bid to create a friendly user experience as well as measure the campaign performance. They also minimize spammy content since they link users directly to the specific content rather than any form of content or other action within the mobile app.
They enhance user engagement, drive conversions, and increase retention of the content you’re linking as well. Deep linking is, therefore, a powerful tool to make your mobile app more friendly and declare your web presence in your marketing strategies.
FAQ
Q. How do I find deep links for SEO?
Finding deep links for SEO involves identifying external websites or sources that link to specific websites. You can use backlink analysis tools such as ahrefs or SEMrush, Social media monitoring, Google search console, or even competitor analysis.
Q. Deep Link Ratio As A Ranking Factor?
At the time of writing this article, the concept of deep link SEO was not well established, hence no ability for ranking factor. But if you build links using deep links, then you will be directed to specific content rather than the homepage.
Q. Built vs. natural deep links?
Built deep links are the links that you actively create as part of your SEO strategy. The links are artificially made with the intention to point to specific pages.
Natural deep links, on the other hand, are links that are earned organically without any direct efforts to have them in place.
Q. What is the difference between an internal link and a deep link?
Internal links refer to the hyperlinks that connect one page to another within the website, whose aim is to help users in the navigation process.
Deep links, on the other hand, refer to the hyperlinks that point to specific pages within a website rather than a homepage. This means that you should focus on particular pages when dealing with deep links.
Conclusion
Deep linking in summary therefore is about ensuring that valuable and specific content is easily accessible on the website, and can lead to higher engagement, conversions, and increased organic traffic to your website.
