April 2025
Introduction
In the world of SEO, links are still one of the most critical ranking factors. Whether they’re pointing to your site from other domains (backlinks) or connecting your internal content (internal links), links are considered votes of confidence to Google. It makes sense. If other trusted websites value your site’s content enough to link to it without receiving a reciprocal link, it must be content worthy of ranking high in the search results. A strong link profile can mean the difference between ranking on page 1 or being buried on page 10.
If your SEOptimer score for Links was low, this article breaks down why that matters — and how to fix it with today’s best practices.
What Are SEO Links?
There are two primary types of links that impact your SEO performance:
Backlinks (external links): When other reputable websites link to your content.
Internal links: When you connect one page of your website to another.
Search engines use both to evaluate the authority, relevance, and navigability of your site.
Google’s latest guidelines continue to prioritize natural, relevant, and high-quality backlinks. Backlinks from trusted domains are signals of credibility.
Stat: Backlinks remain one of Google’s top 3 ranking signals.
A well-structured internal link strategy helps search engines understand your site’s structural hierarchy, distributes page authority, and improves crawlability.
Internal links guide users to explore more of your site — reducing pogo-sticking* and bounce rate, two behavioral signals Google increasingly considers.
* Pogo-sticking is a user behavior in search engine optimization (SEO) that occurs when a searcher clicks on a search result, lands on a website, and quickly returns to the search results page (Google), and clicks on another search result — often repeating this behavior multiple times.
Why It Matters:
Pogo-sticking signals to Google that the first page didn’t satisfy the user’s intent. In other words, it’s a red flag that your content didn’t answer the searcher’s question or wasn’t engaging enough to keep them.
Example:
Google interprets this as:
✅ Result 2 was more relevant or helpful
❌ Result 1 might not have matched search intent
Common Causes of Pogo-Sticking:
*Misleading page titles or meta descriptions
*Slow-loading pages
*Poor design or usability
*Thin or low-quality content
*Pop-ups or intrusive ads
*Content doesn’t match the searcher’s question
How to Prevent Pogo-Sticking:
*Match your content exactly to search intent
*Use clear headlines and engaging intros
*Optimize page speed and mobile-friendliness
*Improve content quality, visuals, and internal links
*Reduce distractions (fewer popups, cleaner design)
When credible sites link to yours, it acts like a public endorsement. This builds trust, boosts click-through rates (CTAs), and signals topical relevance* to Google.
*Topical Relevance (not to be confused with Search Intent)
This refers to how closely your content aligns with a specific subject or topic. It’s about how well your page fits within a theme.
Google evaluates the context of your content, the words you use, linked pages, and overall site structure to determine this.
Example:
A blog post about “trail running shoes” that discusses types of terrain, foot support, sizing, and links to related pages about running gear has strong topical relevance to “trail running.”
Searcher Intent (also called “User Intent”)
This is about what the user is trying to accomplish when they search.
There are generally 3 main types:
Informational (learn something)
Navigational (go to a site)
Transactional (buy or take action)
Example:
A user types “best trail running shoes for wet conditions” — they’re likely in the research/transactional phase. If your content only gives a definition of trail running shoes, you’ve missed the intent, even if the topic is relevant.
Topical Relevance helps your site rank in general for related keywords.
Searcher Intent helps your individual page satisfy the user’s needs.
You need both to rank and convert.
Real-World Analogy
Topical Relevance = You’re in the right neighborhood.
Searcher Intent = You’re in the right house with exactly what they came for.
Common Link Profile Issues (2025 Update)
These are the most frequent problems we see during link audits:
*Too few quality backlinks
*Backlinks from link farms or AI-generated spam blogs
*Orphaned pages (no links pointing to them)
*Over-optimized anchor text (e.g., keyword stuffing which Google penalizes)
*Poor use of anchor text (“click here” or “read more”)
Broken links or redirect chains
Backlink Strategies:
*Create unique, helpful content that naturally earns links
*Pitch stories to journalists via HARO, Qwoted, or Featured
*Reclaim unlinked brand mentions using tools like Ahrefs Alerts
*Build relationships with niche influencers & bloggers
*Get listed in industry-specific directories and professional associations
*Avoid buying links — Google’s Link Spam Update (2024) is stricter than ever
Internal Linking Tips:
*Use keyword-rich but natural-sounding anchor text
*Link to your most valuable/converting pages from blogs and guides
*Fix broken links, 404 errors, and unnecessary redirects
*Ensure every page has at least one internal link pointing to it
*Keep the structure shallow — ideally every page is reachable within 3 clicks
Tools to Audit & Improve Your Link Profile
|
Tool |
Purpose |
|
SEOptimer |
Snapshot of your current link strength |
|
Ahrefs / Semrush |
Full backlink audit, gap analysis, and toxic link finder |
|
Google Search Console |
Monitor who’s linking to you and top-linked pages |
|
Screaming Frog SEO Spider |
Find broken links, orphaned pages, redirect loops |
|
Link Whisper (WordPress plugin) |
Smart internal link suggestions for bloggers |
Take-Home Message
Your link profile is one of the most powerful and overlooked SEO levers. With a smart combination of backlink outreach and internal link optimization, you can improve your rankings, domain authority, user engagement, and overall online visibility.
That’s exactly what our $497 “Backlink Fix in 7 Days” service is built for.
We’ll handle everything — no contracts, no long timelines, no tech skills needed from you.
Not Sure Where to Start?
We help businesses build clean, natural, and high-performing link profiles — no spam, no shortcuts.
Book a Free Link Strategy Call
Sapient eCommerce www.sapientecommerce.com info@sapientecommerce.com
