How to Use Contextual Links Correctly in 2023: Best Practices for Internal Linking and SEO

  
 Glossary of Terms for Contextual Links 
  

    

      
 Word 
      
 Definition 
    
  
  

    

      
 Contextual Link 
      
 A hyperlink that is embedded within the content of a page and is relevant to the surrounding text. 
    
    

      
 Internal Link 
      
 A hyperlink within your website that points to other pages on your site. 
    
    

      
 External Link 
      
 A hyperlink that points to another website. 
    
    

      
 Anchor Text 
      
 The visible, clickable text in a hyperlink that provides context about the linked page. 
    
    

      
 Link Juice 
      
 The value that is passed from one page to another through hyperlinks, which can help to improve search engine rankings. 
    
    

      
 No-Follow Link 
      
 A hyperlink that includes the "rel=no-follow" attribute, which tells search engines not to follow the link and not to pass link juice. 
    
    

      
 Do-Follow Link 
      
 A hyperlink that does not include the "rel=no-follow" attribute, which tells search engines to follow the link and pass link juice. 
    
    

      
 Broken Link 
      
 A hyperlink that leads to a page that no longer exists or has been moved, resulting in a 404 error. 
    
    

      
 Redirect 
      
 A technique used to forward visitors and search engines from one URL to another, often used to redirect broken links. 
    
    

      
 Anchor Tag 
      
 The HTML element used to create hyperlinks, which begins with "" and ends with "". 
    
  

Contextual links are an essential aspect of SEO in 2023. They are links within a piece of content that point to other relevant and authoritative content on the same website or external site. According to Kyle Roof, founder of High Voltage SEO, “Contextual links are the most powerful links you can get. They carry the most weight in search engines and have the highest click-through rate.” Contextual links are important for several reasons. From a reader’s perspective, they provide an easy way to access additional information on a topic without having to perform a separate search. From a search engine’s perspective, contextual links help to establish the relevance and authority of a webpage by indicating that it is connected to other relevant and authoritative content. 

Furthermore, contextual links can boost SEO and visibility on search engines. According to Postaga, contextual links are the most effective way to boost SEO. They can help improve search traffic and increase visibility on search engines. 

In addition to improving the user experience and search engine optimization (SEO) of a website, contextual links can also be used as a marketing tool. By strategically placing links to their own products or services within the context of their content, businesses can drive traffic and increase sales. 

Overall, contextual links are a must-do strategy in 2023 for driving targeted traffic and boosting rankings. They can benefit your website immensely as long as you use them correctly. 

What are contextual links?

Contextual links are links within a piece of content that point to other relevant and authoritative content on the same website or external site. According to Social Media Today, contextual links are any links within a body of text that point to a relevant site. There are essentially three types of contextual links: external links, internal links, and inbound links. 

External links are links inside a piece of content on your site that are pointing to another website. Internal links refer to links inside a piece of content on your site that is pointing to another piece of content on your site. Inbound links are links from other websites that point to your content. 

From a reader’s perspective, contextual links provide an easy way to access additional information on a topic without having to perform a separate search. According to Respona, contextual links provide a way for businesses to drive traffic and increase sales by strategically placing links to their own products or services within the context of their content. 

From a search engine’s perspective, contextual links help to establish the relevance and authority of a webpage by indicating that it is connected to other relevant and authoritative content. According to Search Engine Journal, contextual links are said to be a Google ranking factor, with claims that they’re weighted higher by the search engine than other types of links. Contextual links can take different forms, including:

• In-text links: text links within the body of the content that point to other relevant content.
• Image links: links that are attached to images, which when clicked, take the user to the relevant content.
• Infographic links: links that are attached to infographics, which when clicked, take the user to the relevant content.
• Video links: links that are attached to videos, which when clicked, take the user to the relevant content. 

In conclusion, contextual links are an essential aspect of SEO in 2023. They help readers to access additional information on a topic without having to perform a separate search and help search engines to establish the relevance and authority of a webpage by indicating that it is connected to other relevant and authoritative content. There are different types of contextual links, and businesses can use them to drive traffic and increase sales.

How to Create Effective Contextual Links

Here are some best practices for creating effective contextual links:

1. Understand the importance of contextual links: From a reader’s perspective, contextual links provide an easy way to access additional information on a topic without having to perform a separate search. From a search engine’s perspective, contextual links help to establish the relevance and authority of a webpage by indicating that it is connected to other relevant and authoritative content. 
2. Do keyword research: Before creating contextual links, conduct keyword research to identify the most relevant and effective keywords to target. This will help ensure that the links are placed within content that is relevant to both the target keyword and the overall topic of the content. 
3. Use descriptive anchor text: When creating contextual links, use descriptive anchor text that accurately describes the content being linked to. This helps readers understand what they are clicking on and also helps search engines to understand the context of the link. 
4. Place links within the main content: Place contextual links within the main content of the webpage or blog post, rather than in the footer or sidebar. This will give them a higher SEO value and make them more effective at establishing relevance and authority. 
5. Use related content: Place contextual links within content that is related to both the target keyword and the overall topic of the content. This will help ensure that the links are relevant and useful to readers. 
6. Pay attention to the text and keywords surrounding the link: The text and keywords surrounding the link are also important. Ensure that they are relevant to both the target keyword and the overall topic of the content. This will help search engines to understand the context of the link and give it more weight in terms of relevance and authority. 

In conclusion, creating effective contextual links requires careful planning and attention to detail. By following these best practices, businesses can drive traffic and increase sales, improve the user experience and search engine optimization (SEO) of their website, and establish themselves as relevant and authoritative sources of information.

Internal Linking Strategies

Internal linking is a crucial part of SEO, and here are some tips and best practices for creating an effective internal linking strategy:

1. Understand the importance of internal linking: Internal linking is essential because it helps Google understand and rank your website better. By giving Google links to follow along with descriptive anchor text, you can indicate to Google which pages of your site are important, as well as what they are about. 
2. Use descriptive anchor text: Use descriptive keywords in anchor text that give a sense of the topic or keywords the source page is trying to target. This helps readers and search engines to understand the context of the link. 
3. Place links within the main content: Place internal links within the main content of the webpage or blog post, rather than in the footer or sidebar. This will give them a higher SEO value and make them more effective at establishing relevance and authority. 
4. Use mid-search-volume keywords: Use mid-search-volume keywords to target specific search queries and make your content more discoverable. These keywords are typically three-word phrases that are more specific than broader terms. 
5. Create lots of content: In order to create effective internal links, you need to have a lot of content. The more content you have, the more opportunities you have to link between pages and establish relevance and authority. 
6. Follow the hierarchy of your website: Use internal links to define the architecture and hierarchy of your website. This will help users and search engines to understand how your site is organized and what content is most important. 
7. Use internal links for navigation: Internal links help users to navigate through your website, going back and forth between the categories and sub-categories of your site. This makes it easier for users to find the information they’re looking for and keeps them engaged with your site. 

In conclusion, an effective internal linking strategy is crucial for SEO success. By following these best practices, businesses can improve their website’s discoverability, establish relevance and authority, and create a better user experience.

  

    

      
Tip Number
      
Tip Description
      
Benefits
      
Examples
      
Keyword Research
      
Internal Linking Tools
    
  
  

    

      
1
      
Use descriptive anchor text
      
Establish relevance and authority, improve user experience
      
Linking to a product page with anchor text that describes the product
      
Identify most relevant and effective keywords to target
      
Google Search Console, Ahrefs
    
    

      
2
      
Place links within the main content
      
Higher SEO value, more effective at establishing relevance and authority
      
Linking to a blog post within a sentence or paragraph
      
Identify mid-search-volume keywords to target
      
Google Analytics, Moz
    
    

      
3
      
Use mid-search-volume keywords
      
Target specific search queries, improve discoverability
      
Linking to a category page with a three-word phrase
      
Identify three-word phrases that are more specific than broader terms
      
SEMrush, SpyFu
    
    

      
4
      
Create lots of content
      
More opportunities to link between pages, establish relevance and authority
      
Linking to a related blog post within a sentence or paragraph
      
Identify topics and subtopics to cover in content creation
      
HubSpot, Yoast
    
    

      
5
      
Follow the hierarchy of your website
      
Help users and search engines understand how your site is organized and what content is most important
      
Linking to a subcategory page from a category page
      
Identify categories and subcategories to organize content
      
Google Analytics, Screaming Frog
    
    

      
6
      
Use internal links for navigation
      
Help users navigate through your website, keep them engaged
      
Linking to a related blog post from within a blog post
      
Identify common paths users take through your website
      
Hotjar, Crazy Egg
    
  

Contextual Link Building

Contextual link building is an SEO strategy that involves building links within relevant content on other websites. Contextual links help establish the relevance and authority of a webpage by indicating that it is connected to other relevant and authoritative content. Here are some ways contextual link building can boost SEO:

• Establish relevance and authority: Contextual links help establish the relevance and authority of a webpage by indicating that it is connected to other relevant and authoritative content. 
• Drive targeted traffic: By placing links to their own products or services within the context of their content, businesses can drive traffic and increase sales. 
• Improve user experience: From a reader’s perspective, contextual links provide an easy way to access additional information on a topic without having to perform a separate search. 
• Strengthen backlink profiles: Contextual links help strengthen backlink profiles and create connections between related websites that your target audience likely visits. 

Here are some best strategies for contextual link-building:

• Identify relevant websites: Identify websites that are relevant to your industry and have an audience that matches your target audience. 
• Create high-quality content: Create high-quality content that is informative and engaging. This will make it more likely that other websites will want to link to your content. 
• Reach out to website owners: Reach out to website owners and ask if they would be willing to link to your content. Be sure to provide them with a reason why your content would be useful to their audience. 
• Use social media: Use social media to promote your content and encourage others to link to it. 
• Monitor your backlink profile: Monitor your backlink profile and remove any links that are low-quality or irrelevant. 

Businesses can use contextual links as a marketing tool by placing links to their own products or services within the context of their content. This can help drive traffic and increase sales. For example, a company that sells social media marketing software could place a contextual link to their product within an article about social media marketing trends.

  

    

      
Best Strategies for Contextual Link-Building
      
Benefits
      
Examples
      
Recommended Tools for Keyword Research
      
Recommended Tools for Internal Linking
    
  
  

    

      
Identify relevant websites
      
Find websites that are relevant to your industry and have an audience that matches your target audience.
      
Identifying websites that publish content related to your industry and have a similar target audience.
      
SEMrush, Ahrefs
      
Google Search Console, Ahrefs
    
    

      
Create high-quality content
      
Increase the likelihood that other websites will want to link to your content.
      
Creating informative and engaging content that provides value to your target audience.
      
Google Keyword Planner, Moz Keyword Explorer
      
Google Analytics, Moz
    
    

      
Reach out to website owners
      
Get other websites to link to your content.
      
Sending outreach emails to website owners and asking them to link to your content.
      
Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush
      
Google Search Console, Screaming Frog
    
    

      
Use social media
      
Promote your content and encourage others to link to it.
      
Sharing your content on social media platforms and engaging with your audience.
      
Google Keyword Planner, Moz Keyword Explorer
      
Google Analytics, Moz
    
    

      
Monitor your backlink profile
      
Remove any links that are low-quality or irrelevant.
      
Using backlink analysis tools to monitor your backlink profile and identify any low-quality or irrelevant links.
      
Ahrefs, SEMrush
      
Google Search Console, Screaming Frog
    
  

Contextual link building is a must-do SEO strategy in 2023 for driving targeted traffic, improving user experience, and boosting rankings. Contextual links help establish the relevance and authority of a webpage by indicating that it is connected to other relevant and authoritative content. By strategically placing links to their own products or services within the context of their content, businesses can also drive traffic and increase sales. Here are some important reasons why you should implement contextual link building strategies:

• Contextual links improve the user experience by providing an easy way to access additional information on a topic without having to perform a separate search.
• Contextual links help establish the relevance and authority of a webpage, which is important for SEO.
• Contextual links can be used as a marketing tool to drive traffic and increase sales.
• Contextual links are the most effective way to boost SEO and visibility on search engines.
• Contextual links help strengthen backlink profiles and create connections between related websites that your target audience likely visits.

To boost your website’s rankings, it is important to implement contextual link building strategies. Some effective strategies include identifying relevant websites, creating high-quality content, reaching out to website owners, using social media, and monitoring your backlink profile. By fully optimizing contextual links, you can make your website thrive and get the most out of your SEO strategy.