The Art of Linking: Know Your Strategy, Dominate Your Blog Content
- Janette Beier
- Mar 27
- 5 min read
A good linking strategy is a critical skill for freelance writers. Regardless of where you are on your writing side-hustle journey, expect a client to ask if you understand internal and external linking. And every client will likely have their own definition of “best practices” to follow. Because search engine algorithms are dynamic, there’s never going to be a “set” strategy to follow for linking. What is considered a best practice today might be obsolete tomorrow. However, as a freelance writer, it’s important to know how links work and why they’re important for your writing. Today, we’ll discuss the basics of linking for blog content. These are the details to know, so you can quickly adapt to your clients’ linking preferences. If you’re brand-new to high value linking strategies, this is the must-read introduction you need to bookmark.
Internal vs. External Links and Why They’re Important
Linking boosts your blog’s credibility and improves search engine optimization (SEO). The quasi-obvious difference between internal and external linking is, quite simply, in their names: internal links connect the reader to other related pages within a website; external links send readers to outside web pages from other sources. Each serves a unique (and high value) purpose and comes with its own set of best practices for improved SEO.
Why Internal Linking is Important
Internal links reign supreme as they keep your reader in-house by linking to other related pages or blog posts on the website. Internal links function as a cross-referencing tool that points readers to additional and more detailed information found throughout the site.
Internal links are a writing power tool as they also continually promote the brand each time the user clicks on a new page. Within those pages, more internal links will connect the user to related content, supplying an endless web of information and user engagement.
Why External Linking is Important
External links work differently and can demonstrate your cited sources in your writing. This will add credibility to your content. Supporting your claims with quality, authoritative sources demonstrate accuracy and trustworthiness. Well-cited professional sources linked within your page also make the blog post way more appealing to search engines.
When to Use Internal and External Links
Now that you understand the what and the why, let’s dig into the when. Too few links and your blog won’t be as credible. Too many links and your blog might feel spammy. Again, your assignment will outline when and when not to link. But, in general, here are some of the “Goldilocks” sweet spot examples to shoot for with your writing.
INTERNAL LINKS
Connect Readers to Related Content Across Your Website.
Use internal links to connect information in your blog to other relevant or more deeply explained information on another page or post. When contract writing for new websites, it’s imperative to familiarize yourself with posts and pages across the website so you know when and where to add internal links to the most pertinent content.
Provide Calls to Action (CTAs)
Use internal links in your CTAs to connect users to your actionable pages. CTAs are essentially the closing statement of your blog that tells the reader what to do next. Use an internal link to encourage users to make a purchase, contact us, sign up for a newsletter, etc. By linking to these next-step pages, your blog can move a potential prospect further down the lead funnel – and one step closer to making a purchasing decision. And THAT is the ultimate goal for any writing client.
EXTERNAL LINKS
Support Your Claims with Credible Sources
Users and search engines expect blog content to be well-researched and accurate. Even when writing light-hearted blogs, expound on your writing with at least one impressive fact or case study. Ensure your external links are credible, current (within two years,) and non-competing. Take the time to explore the source’s website to determine that there is no competing content with your website.
Connecting to Relevant Tools or Resources
You can also use external links within your blog to provide additional context to your position. For example, cite a more in-depth article that supports what you’re writing. You can also external link directly to resources or tools the reader might find useful. Case in point, if you’re writing about refrigerator warranties, it might be helpful to link to a few in your blog, specific to brands you’re discussing.
How Many Links to Use
Excessive internal links can appear pushy, while too few links are a missed opportunity for boosting SEO and reader retention. If your writing client doesn’t specify a linking ratio for you, for now, the best practice is two internal links for every 700 words, and up to five for longer word count blogs.
As for external links, it’s usually a good idea to not have more external than internal within a single blog. And many agencies follow the 3:1 ratio of internal to external links. If you’re not sure with a current assignment you’re working on, it’s always great to just ask your client.
What is Anchor Text and How to Use It
We can’t talk about links without also talking about the anchor text. Anchor text is the highlighted text embedded with a hyperlink that connects to another website. In other words, it’s the series of
word(s) you “anchor” your link on within your blog.
Here are a few insights to consider when choosing where to place your link and which anchor text to highlight:
Keep It Descriptive and Relevant: Use concise, keyword-rich text that clearly describes the linked content.
Example: Learn more about the best practices for automotive marketing to grow your shop.
Prioritize Natural Language: Integrate anchor text seamlessly into your writing so it reads naturally.
Example: If you’re struggling with customer retention, check out these proven strategies for building loyalty.
Diversify Anchor Text Types: Balance exact-match keywords, partial matches, and branded phrases for effective SEO.
Example: Visit ABC Company for expert tips on digital marketing for small businesses.
Keep Anchor Text Between Two and Five Words: Don’t be linking entire sentences. Instead, aim to link shorter phrases that have direct meaning to the link you’re using. Shorter will work better and still provides enough context for search engines.
Know your anchor types: Partial-match anchors, exact-match anchors, branded anchors, URL anchors, and generic anchors. Here are examples of each:
o Generic: Click here
o Branded: The Pajama Writer
o Exact-match: Start Earning
o Partial-match: Mistakes to Avoid
NOTE: Yoast SEO suggests not to link to the keywords you’re trying to rank for within a blog. Other SEO software solutions and agencies suggest keyword linking boosts SEO. If you’re not sure, ask your client for clarification on their formatting preferences. If you really want to deep-dive into the latest, check out these SEO masters:
Successful Linking Strategies Set You Apart as a Writer
Whether it’s crafting the perfect anchor text, integrating internal links to boost site structure, or sourcing reputable external links to support claims, mastering these basic linking skills ensures your writing drives traffic and delivers results for your clients. As a freelance writer, having a solid grasp of linking strategies sets you apart as a writer who understands how to deliver true value in today’s digital landscape. And when you understand how linking works, you’re more valuable to those businesses willing to pay to outsource their content.
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