Anchor text for internal links

[member22]

When you create internal links within your site should you use as the linking anchor text the keyword the webpage you are linking too is optimized for or an anchor text that is related to what the page you are linking to is about ?

To summarize, let's say I have 2 pages :

1 that is optimized for "widgets" and the other for the word "blue."

I want to create a link from the page that is optimized for blue to the page that is optimized for widge. Should I create a link on the blue page that says widgets to link to the widget page or should I use the word item and link it to the widget page ?

[tedster]

Don't over-think it. Just use internal anchor text that tells your visitor what they'll find on the other end of the link if they click. Use natural language, not "SEO" keyword stuffing.

[johnblack]

I think your second page should be optimised for "blue widgets" rather than just "blue" (may be that was implied)

So on the "widgets" page I'd have a "blue widgets" link to the second.

But as Tedster says don't over think it, the phrases "Buy Blue Widgets Here", "Blue Widget Info" or "How to Build Blue Widgets" may be better suited and meet the users expectations rather than just a generic "Blue Widget" link.

[member22]

Let's say I talk about golf on 1 page ( and this page is optimized for the word golf ) and tennis on the other one ( same optimized for tennis ) and I want to create an internal link that goes from the tennis page to the golf page. From what what I understand the page that I want to create a link to ( golf ) from the tennis page must be optimized for the word I am linking too ( in other word the page that is talking about tennis must also talk about golf ? is that right ?

To me it doesn't seem that easy because a page is usually optimized for just one keyword ?
Did I get that right ?

[Planet13]

To me it doesn't seem that easy because a page is usually optimized for just one keyword ?

I think that if a page is truly optimized for the word "tennis" then it would be better to link to another page that is related to tennis (e.g., rackets, tennis balls, tennis tips) than it would be to link to a page that is optimized for golf.

Conversely, if you want the Golf page to do well, then it is probably a good idea to create pages that are related to golf and have those link to your golf page. Maybe that way google will see your site as an authority on golf, since you will have more than just one page on golf.

Just my two cents...

[member22]

Ok. How do I do it if all my page talk about something different ? it is very hard to create internal links. Let's say my main keyword and the concept of my site is traveling ( but that each page talks about a different country, one page is about Italy, the other about Austria, the next one about Ireland etc... )

I can't link from one to the other according to what you say.... because if I create a link from Italy to ireland it won't work ?

I need to have to link from Italy to a page about Florence or Rome ( optimized for those keywords ). Tjhen on the page about those cities talk about drinks, beer and then link to ireland ? is that right ?

[Planet13]

I think that you CAN link between them, but it is going to be more effective if there is a natural nexus between the two pages.

Maybe on the Rome page you can talk about the difference between beer in Rome and beer in Dublin and link between those two pages (assuming you will be talking about bars or drinks on your respective pages).

I think the main thing is that the links are not forced and you will get MAXIMUM benefit from them.

Anyway, those are just my thoughts and hopefully others will chime in here so that you get a diversity of opinions on this.

In the meantime, you should also be contacting people who have written blogs or articles about those cities and ask them to link to your pages. That is where you are going to get the MOST benefit from link building.

[Globetrotter]

You can also link between them if they are at the same continent or when its a logical step to visit next while traveling.

[Robert Charlton]

Sounds like you may be thinking of "breadcrumb navigation", which links back to the navigation trail by which you arrived at a page.

On this page, for example, up at the top you've got links up at the top linking back up the nav chain to...

Home / Forums Index / Google / Google SEO News and Discussion

For breadcrumbs to work, you've got to be fairly disciplined about how you structure your site.

I'm not sure that this is what you're asking about, but, if it is, there's a very recent discussion about it here....

Breadcrumb navigation by category - best practice
http://www.webmasterworld.com/google/4379531.htm [webmasterworld.com]

The discussion isn't exactly about what you're asking, but it may help answer your question.

[member22]

No I am talking about internal links and not breadcrumbs.