Hyperlinks and Links

Hyperlinks are the highlighted captions or graphics that we click to navigate a website. They are vital for the visitors ability to find their way around a website, but they also play an important role to search engines when registering your website. This extract discusses the different types of hyperlinks and how to use them successfully in search engine optimization.

What are Hyperlinks And Links?

Any graphic or text that you can "click" upon to be taken to another page or website is called a hyperlink, and they are the "juice" of search engine optimisation.

The most common form of hyperlinks are the index links normally placed in the top or side menu and/or the base of your website. A number of Search Engines will include your hyperlinks information when indexing your site. Some search engines will use your hyperlinks "name" and "description" to establish your pages key words and phrases, whereas others will compare the frequency of your nominated META tag keywords to how often they appear as hyperlinks and in general text throughout your entire website. Effective SEO is to make them all happy.

The Essential Page Index

The best way to legitimately incorporate keyword hyperlinks is a to create a keyword specific index within the menu or at the bottom of each web page. Keyword Hyperlinks should ideally link through to a web page that features the same key words upon it.

Both the forwarding and reciprocal pages are awarded "brownie" points by search engines for this action, but it will be the reciprocal page that is most affected.

Another important way is to incorporate as many hyperlinks as possible within the normal text of your pages. These should also preferably link to another page within your website with the same keywords, or back to itself.

Note: Before you set out to create your hyperlinks, it is important to carefully consider how you want the search engines to list your website in browser searches.

If you desire only the front page of your website to be found in browser sessions, then you must focus your SEO towards your home page. (1) Ensure that every keyword of your website is contained at least once in the general text of your front page, and (2) that every keyword hyperlink within your website points to your home page, at a greater frequency than will be found upon any other individual web page within your site.  Using a keyword rich footer on all website pages that point to the home page, is a good way to guide the search engines.

If you require one single web page to compete as a sole entity upon the web, then you must (1) Ensure that this page contains the highest number of the targetted keywords and phrases with the text and (2) that at least 5 keyword hyperlinks of the targetted keywords are scattered around other web pages of your website and link to the keyword specific page, including the ones contained on the page itself.

Types Of Hyperlinks

There are a number of different ways to establish links on our websites. Unfortunately some are not compatible with Search Engines and they cannot read them at all. Other hyperlink uses can border on SPAM. I have listed the most common types below.

A Graphical Hyperlink
Any graphic on your page can be used as a graphical hyperlink, (another hugely powerful search engine optimisation technique that not all web designers know about)! You have the option to put your keywords and phrases in the Graphic Description (image title and/or "alt tags") in your code, but ideally these should not contain more than 5 words in each, and as they are viewable by visitors to your site when they run their mouse over them, they should say something intelligible, and link somewhere that makes sense. Note: even the graphic should use a keyword in its name if possible e.g. hyperlink.jpg . Caution: Remember the Golden Rule of <Alt> Tags = A maximum of 78 words for all alt tags on one page!

Text Hyperlinks
Text Hyperlinks that use keywords and phrases benefit both the originating and reciprocating web pages, i.e. if they are optimized with the same keywords/phrases. Putting them in "strong" , "bold" text and adding a title description greatly enhances the effectiveness of the link. <H1> tags are the most powerful, but you should only use one <H1> link per. (CSS is used dictate the font size and type used) Caution: Remember the Golden Rule of Headlines = A maximum of 70 words using bold, strong or <h1><h2><h3> text on one page.

Javascript and Flash Hyperlinks
Links and indexes that rely on javascript to operate look great, but are useless for Search Engine Optimisation, because Search Engines cannot follow the links to your ensuing pages. Caution: When using a Flash or other javascript menu, it is mandatory to include a keyword text index at the bottom of your template, or text links strategically located throughout your website, to allow the bots to travel through from page to page.

Form Hyperlinks
I have found form based menu table indexes are a convenient way to list web pages and incorporate keywords and phrases, and because they are inserted between <form> tags, it is considered that they receive an additional boost in search engines. Caution About Spamming: Search Engines will still drop websites with form hyperlinks that contain more than 50 links.

PHP Hyperlinks
PHP Content Management Systems like Joomla or Mambo have made it possible for Search Engines to read and record websites, and to automatically incorporate known SEO tactics. There are still php some products around that don't. The way developers get around SEO for database driven sites is by developing xml sitemaps and "feeds" for the search engines, and incorporating text links that provide the title and description of each page. Suggestion: Keep php links for shopping carts unless you are using a content system that takes seo linking into consideration when creating new pages.

Information Hyperlinks
Information hyperlinks (or anchor text links) are linked back to themselves or somewhere else on the page using a bookmark. They are more effective if you name the book mark and link using key words and phrases. Again placing them in <h1> Links gives them more power. Caution: Remember the Golden Rule of Headlines = A maximum of 70 words using bold, strong or <h1> (only one per page) <h2><h3> text on one page.

That concludes the importance of Hyperlinks and Linking, let's now move to the next vital part of Search Engine Optimisation, Keywords and Key Phrases.

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