A broken link frustrates website visitors. It leaves them stuck with “Page Not Found” errors. This guide explores how to check and verify internal links in WordPress.
Your digital marketing and SEO agency should be going through this type of task if you have an agency handling your WordPress SEO.
Think of your website as a book. Each webpage is a chapter. Internal links connect these chapters, creating a roadmap for readers.
Why Internal Links Matter for Your WordPress Site
Internal links improve the visitor experience. They are also good for search engines, an important consideration in how to check and verify internal links in WordPress. They also improve visitors navigate.
SEO Benefits of Internal Links
Search engines, like Google Search, use internal links to understand your website’s organization. A logical internal link structure helps search engines crawl and index your content. This improves your search engine rankings.
Internal links spread “link juice”. Link juice distributes ranking authority from high-authority pages, like your homepage, to other pages.
User Experience Improvements with Internal Links
Internal links improve navigation and allow visitors navigate your site with ease. Internal links also encourage visitors to explore more of your content. They are invitations to discover related topics.
How to Check and Verify Internal Links in WordPress
Several methods exist for checking your WordPress site’s internal links. These address how to check and verify internal links in WordPress, helping your linking opportunities.
Manual Methods for Checking Internal Links
A manual check is sometimes the best approach. This involves visually inspecting links in your WordPress editor.
Highlight linked text, click “Edit Link,” and double-check the URL. Click the link to test it. Another method involves your browser’s “Inspect Element” feature. Right-click any link and select “Inspect” to reveal the link’s destination.
Automated Tools for Checking and Verifying Links
Free automated link checkers exist, simplifying the process. Premium tools, like Ahrefs and Semrush, provide more extensive data on backlinks and site health. They also identify orphaned pages—pages without internal links.
Google Search Console offers valuable insights into how Google sees your site, including errors on internal links caused by bad links or incorrect internal link usage, and even allows the reporting of these errors.
Plugins like the Broken Link Checker help identify broken links. Paid SEO tools often provide a more in-depth analysis. These aid in ensuring internal links.
MonsterInsights, especially the pro version, combined with Google Analytics provides deep insights into link behavior. The free version or Google Analytics’ 404 notifications can also be useful. You can set up automated notifications in your Google Analytics dashboard to be alerted of broken internal links and other issues.
Best Practices for Internal Linking in WordPress
Effective internal linking is more than just adding links. Correct internal linking techniques go hand-in-hand with optimizing internal linking and using good anchor text.
Optimize Anchor Text for Relevance and Clarity
Avoid vague or click-baity anchor text. Descriptive anchor text tells readers what to expect. Descriptive text for internal linking improves site navigation and search engine optimization (SEO). Including internal links with appropriate anchor text will increase user experience, Google Search ranking potential, and will allow visitors to navigate throughout the pages easily.
Build a Logical Site Structure With Internal Links
A clear internal link structure connects relevant website resources. These connections facilitate easy navigation for visitors and are key to understanding how to check and verify internal links in WordPress. Well placed internal links to your cornerstone content from other blog posts helps guide search engines and users through your most important pages. Improving the user experience with relevant internal links ensures internal link value over time, avoids including broken links, and improves navigation.
Conclusion
Checking and verifying internal links in WordPress is crucial for SEO and user experience. A healthy internal link structure boosts search engine performance. It also allows users to find information easily.
Internal links play a crucial role in connecting related pages. Regular checks, including broken link checks, are important to avoid issues that dilute SEO. Use both manual checks and automated tools for optimal link maintenance. Good internal links play a vital role in helping Google Search crawls website pages so they can be included in search results pages (SERPS).
Consider both form and function in your linking practices. Regular site audits and checks, including broken link checks, ensure your internal links provide value and meet SEO standards. Understanding how Google Search console crawls website content helps you check internal links for any broken link problems or incorrect internal links and improves your understanding on how to check and verify internal links in WordPress, helping increase your ranking potential.
