Is this a question you sometimes ask yourself? The guidelines sometimes change as to how many is too many and whether having too few links will penalise your pages but it\u2019s good to have a general idea on the \u2018for\u2019s and against\u2019s\u2019 for links.<\/p>\n

In the past there was a limitation of 100 links per page as anything over that might not get indexed. That rule of thumb has since changed and while it\u2019s not set in stone, you can exceed that amount of links as long as it\u2019s reasonable. Unfortunately, reasonable isn\u2019t clearly defined by the likes of Google, namely Matt Cutts, but applying a degree of common sense to the amount of links you implement, without being excessive, should reduce the risk of being penalised.<\/p>\n

How do you avoid being penalised? Don\u2019t use spammy links is a straight-forward answer, but the ratio of links to actual content should be significant. Endless paragraphs filled with links will not only jeopardise your pages in terms of indexing, but it will put off your readers. If you do find that you need to include a lot of links, then that\u2019s fine – just as long as the rest of your page complements the links with rich content that appeals to your audience and not aimed at search bots.<\/p>\n

Keep the links relevant to your content and the context of your site. It isn\u2019t necessary to link to a home page for every company you mention, but if you are targeting a specific product or service for an outside source, then it\u2019s safe to link to it. Your audience want to find answers fast and efficiently. Although searching for an article mentioned on your page isn\u2019t entirely strenuous, make it easy for your users and put in the appropriate link so they don\u2019t have to search for it themselves.<\/p>\n

While on the subject of how many links your pages have, ensure you pay attention to any broken links you may have. Not only is it entirely frustrating for someone to click on a link only to see a 404 page, but it\u2019s bad practice for your website to have broken links; if a link doesn\u2019t work, chances are your audience will go elsewhere – especially if you are selling a product or service.<\/p>\n

If you regularly link to external sites, consider setting up a schedule of sorts by checking the quality of links on your site. It isn\u2019t uncommon for URL\u2019s to change through redesigns, deletion or general maintenance from webmasters that decide on renaming their pages. There are many tools out there to check for broken links. One such source could be the W3C\u2019s own Link Checker<\/a>. It\u2019s free to use and with a reasonable amount of options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is this a question you sometimes ask yourself? The guidelines sometimes change as to how many is too many and whether having too few links will penalise your pages but it’s good to have a general idea on the ‘for’s and against’s’ for links. In the past there was a limitation of 100 links per […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[343],"tags":[377,378,376,380,379],"yoast_head":"\n