Internal linking | Fervor Coding

Internal Links in WP

Alright, let’s dive into the magical world of internal linking in WordPress, where we make different parts of our website magically connect like a network of secret passages! Here’s a step-by-step guide to create those invisible threads that tie your content together, making it both user-friendly and SEO-happy. 🌐✨

1. What’s an Internal Link? 🤔

Imagine your website is a big, bustling city. Internal links are the roads that connect different places (pages or posts) within this city. They help visitors explore and search engines understand what your site is all about.

2. Why Bother? 🤷

Because Google likes it, and it makes your website a nicer place for visitors! It boosts SEO, improves usability, and reduces the dreaded bounce rate.

3. Let’s Get Linking! 🚀

Step 1: Choose Your Destination

First, decide where you want your readers to go next. It could be a related article, a contact form, or your cat’s biography—anything on your site.

Step 2: Editing Mode Activate!

Open the WordPress post or page where you want to add the link. You’ll be working in the Gutenberg editor, WordPress’s block-based editor that’s like playing with the coolest LEGO set ever.

Step 3: Highlight & Hyperlink

Find the Text: Scroll through your content and highlight the text you want to turn into a link. This could be a single word, a phrase, or even a sentence. Choose something that gives a hint about where the link will take them, like “learn more about my cat’s adventures.”
Click the Link Icon: With your text highlighted, click the little chain link icon (🔗) in the toolbar that pops up. It’s like saying “abra-cadabra” and turning your text into a magical portal.
Enter the Destination: Now, you’ll see a field where you can paste the URL of the destination page or start typing the title of the page/post within your site. As you type, WordPress will suggest pages or posts from your site—a bit like your site is whispering its secrets to you. Click on the suggestion that matches your destination.

Step 4: Options Galore!

After you paste the URL or select the suggestion, you’ll see a few options:

Open link in a new tab: Toggle this on if you want the link to open in a new browser tab. It’s like opening a door without closing the one you came through.
Enter: Press the Enter key on your keyboard to cement your link into the digital stone.

Step 5: The Test Drive

After adding the link, it’s wise to take it for a test drive. Click on “Preview” to see your post/page as your visitors will. Click on your new link to make sure it leads where you expected. If it does, congratulations! You’ve successfully created an internal link.

4. Pat Yourself on the Back! 🎉

You’ve just made your site more navigable and SEO-friendly. Go ahead and add more links, making your website an interconnected city of information that Google loves to visit and your readers love to explore.

5. Keep It Natural 🌿

As you sprinkle your content with internal links, keep it natural. Links should feel like part of the conversation, not like you’re trying too hard to sell something.

And that’s it! You’re now an internal linking wizard in the world of WordPress. Remember, the key is to make your site a treasure map, with links as clues that guide your visitors through your content, uncovering value at every turn. Happy linking! 🧙‍♂️🔗

Bonus Making Coded Internal Links

Ah, venturing into the mystical realm of HTML to craft internal links by hand, are we? Fear not, for I shall guide you through this ancient art with the ease of spreading butter on warm toast. 🍞✨ Let’s get our hands digitally dirty with some coding magic!

The Scroll of Knowledge: HTML Basics 📜

In the mystical land of HTML (HyperText Markup Language), an internal link is forged with the <a> tag, short for “anchor.” This magical tag, when combined with the href attribute (which stands for hyperlink reference), creates a portal from one part of your website to another.

The Ingredients of the Spell 🧙‍♂️📖

The <a> Tag: The beginning and end of your magical incantation.
The href Attribute: The specific spell that determines where the portal leads.
The Link Text: The words that will be enchanted and clickable.

The Incantation: Coding the Internal Link 🔮

Let’s say we wish to create a portal from one page to another within the same mystical domain. Here’s how you’d conjure this spell:

<a href="/path-to-destination/">Enchanted Link Text</a>

Breaking Down the Spell Components 🧐✨

<a>: The summoning circle for your link.
href="/path-to-destination/": The destination path. This path is relative to your site’s root. For example, if your site is https://www.magicalworld.com and you want to link to https://www.magicalworld.com/explore, the path would be /explore.
Enchanted Link Text: The visible text that users click on. This should be compelling and give a hint about where the portal leads, like “Discover the Magic!”

Example Spell 🌟

Imagine we have a page dedicated to the ancient art of potion making at https://www.magicalworld.com/potions. To create a link to this page from another page on the same site, the spell would look like this:

<a href="/potions">Learn About Potion Making</a>

When the unsuspecting visitor clicks on “Learn About Potion Making,” they are instantly teleported to the potions page. Magic, indeed!

The Final Touch: Testing the Portal 🌈

Once you’ve embedded the spell into your text module, it’s crucial to test the portal to ensure it leads to the right part of your magical kingdom. Simply click the link and observe if it takes you to the expected destination.

And there you have it, a simple yet powerful spell to create internal links in the mystical language of HTML. Use this power wisely, young wizard, to guide the travelers of your website through its many wonders. Happy linking! 🧙‍♂️✨