What Are Sitewide Links? Are They Good For SEO?
When it comes to search engine optimization, links are a hot topic. Linking can create a significant impact on the website’s presence. Sitewide links, one of the areas for linking, is also something to know about.
These are links that appear on every page of a website, often found in the footer, sidebar, or header. These can be beneficial for you if used correctly but can be harmful if not managed well.
Thus, in this blog, we will discuss sitewide links, what they are, their types, and how they can impact your SEO, and we will share tips on how to use them effectively. So, let us begin!
What is a Sitewide Link?
A sitewide link is a type of link that can be internal or external and created on every or most of the pages of a website. Internal means that this link would lead you to the other pages of the same website. On the other hand, external links will lead you to some new destination.
You can find these sitewide links mainly in the website’s footer, sidebar, or header, appearing consistently across the site. Some of the common examples of these sitewide links are:
- These can be links to privacy policies or terms of service
- Navigation links to main categories or important pages
- Links to external sites
- Links to social media profiles or others
These are the links that are attached to every single page of the website. However, it doesn’t feel straightforward how every page is linked to the same destination. That is why today, the relationship between SEO and these sitewide backlinks seems complicated. We will come to this later, but before that, have a look at the types of sitewide links.
Types of Sitewide Links
The type of sitewide link refers to the place where the link was created. Every kind of sitewide link has its benefits and serves a specific purpose. They are as follows:
Sidebar links: The links that appear on the sidebar of the website refer to sidebar links. These links typically direct users to different categories or sections within the website. They are common in blogs and e-commerce sites. These links are mainly used to highlight popular content or products.
Header Links: The links that appear at the top of the page in the header section of the website are header links. They help users navigate to key sections of the website, like Home, About, Services, Contact, and leading product categories.
Footer Links: These links always appear in the lowermost section of the website, called the footer. They mainly consist of privacy policy, terms and conditions, about us, terms of services, contact us, etc.
Relationship between Sitewide Links and SEO
Before the Penguin update of Google, website owners created a thousand links with the exact anchor text. But after the Penguin update, the game was completely changed.
Now, quality matters more than quantity in Google’s linking process. And if anybody does so, google penalizes it. As Google is now aware of these tactics, it matters that the quality of content and context are better than the number of links. That’s why there is confusion regarding the creation of sitewide backlinks.
But the game is not yet over. Yes, if you make good use of these sitewide links, they can be a game changer for you. They can significantly enhance your SEO efforts by improving navigation, distributing link equity, and aiding in efficient indexing of the website.
The thing that is important here to note is that you must appropriately use them by avoiding over-optimization. You might need clarification here, so let us clear you up regarding its harmful effect on your SEO.
Can sitewide links hurt your SEO?
Sitewide links are decent to use. The thing is that it depends on how you use them.
Google’s algorithms are intelligent and continue to improve. They are usually able to detect instances in which sitewide links are abused to manipulate the system. They can hurt your SEO if they appear manipulated, excessively optimized or if they come from unreliable or low-quality sources.
Because of this, it’s critical to be aware of the following things while creating sitewide links:
- Google looks for relevant links. So, if you are using links from the site that are irrelevant to your niche, it will be a red flag for Google.
- Another important thing is to look over the over-optimization of the links.
- Also, when it comes to linking, it is essential to create high-quality backlinks. Always try to avoid websites with low quality or spam.
To get a clearer picture, we will let you know about the advantages and disadvantages regarding sitewide links.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Sitewide Links
We are first coming to the advantages!
Advantages of sitewide links
When we talk about the advantages of the sitewide link, the first thing that comes to mind is enhancing the user experience; yes, due to these internal or external links, the user does not have to go back to search for specific things. Thus, this will help to reduce the bounce rate and enhance navigation.
When used internally, sitewide links help distribute link equity (also known as link juice) throughout the website. This can be beneficial for essential pages that need more authority.
Also, when you link your social media profiles or contact forums, it makes it easier for the user to get in touch with you. This can be beneficial for your business, too, for converting users into customers.
Disadvantages of sitewide links
While we have looked at the benefits of sitewide links, when not used properly, Google may view an excessive number of links to external sites as a manipulative tactic to boost the linked site’s rankings. If you do this, you may face some penalties.
Also, the repetition of the links with exact anchor text may dilute the value of the links. If the sitewide links are not relevant to the content of the website, they can confuse the users and search engines, which ultimately harms your SEO.
Is it worth using sitewide links now?
You may be wondering if using sitewide links is worthwhile, given the balance involved.
As a general guideline, use sitewide links only when there is a valid reason to do so. If not, don’t even try to compel them to adopt your plan. If you are willing to use sitewide links, then follow the given strategies in order to get the desired results.
Best Practices for Using Sitewide Links Responsibly
Sitewide means directly related to the responsibility to use. If you want to consider them, follow the given practices to ensure a safe game:
Always make relevant sitewide links.
The first significant thing is to make relevant backlinks. Always ensure that what you are linking is pertinent to your website and your users. Only include external sitewide links if they are highly relevant and add value to your users. For example, you are linking to a partner’s site that complements your services.
Use the no-follow attribute.
Always consider using the rel= “nofollow” attribute for external sitewide links. This attribute tells Google not to crawl that particular link in order to avoid passing link equity and to signal to search engines that you’re not trying to manipulate rankings.
Do not buy paid links.
It is never worthwhile to purchase links because, assuming they are scarce and relevant, the maximum SEO benefit they could provide is negligible.
You will likely get into problems with Google if you do this, which will reverse all of your previous hard work. Simply put, it’s not worth it, and you should only trust websites that provide this service.
Do not make a clutter.
You are advised not to build unnecessary links to your site. If you make a lot of sitewide links, it will ultimately signal Google to think of suspicious activity. So, making sure to build a handful of well-chosen links is more effective than a long list.
Diversify your profile
Don’t rely on links from across the website alone. A varied link profile will appear more authentic and be better for you. Your website may seem suspicious if it receives a sudden influx of links from a select few websites. For balance, try to have a range of links.
Conclusion
To conclude, sitewide links are like two faces of coins. It can be beneficial or dangerous to your SEO. But everything here depends upon you. Try to follow the right strategies as mentioned above to create sitewide links in order to get good results for your SEO.
Also, continuously monitor your linking practices and stay updated with the latest Google updates and SEO trends to ensure long-term success in search engine rankings.