Discuss how internal and external linking strategies should be implemented within WordPress content to improve site navigation and SEO?

Implementing effective internal and external linking strategies within your WordPress content is crucial for enhancing both site navigation and search engine optimization (SEO). These linking strategies help users discover more content, increase engagement, and signal to search engines the relevance and authority of your website.

Internal linking involves adding hyperlinks within your website that point to other pages or posts on the same domain. It’s all about connecting different parts of your website to create a network of related content. This improves user navigation and helps search engines discover and understand the structure of your site. Here are the key aspects of internal linking strategy:

1. Contextual Links: Integrate internal links naturally within the body of your content. When mentioning a topic that is covered in more detail on another page or post, link to that specific content. For example, if you’re writing a blog post about “The Basics of Gardening” and you previously wrote a post about “Best Flowers for Beginners”, then include a link within the text “If you want to know what flowers are best for beginners, read more on our page about Best Flowers for Beginners”. Do not just add links without context. They should be very relevant to the text content they are in.
2. Anchor Text: Use relevant and descriptive anchor text for your internal links. Anchor text is the visible text of the link. Avoid generic anchor text like "click here." Instead, use keywords that are relevant to the linked page’s topic. For example, instead of “Click here for more information,” use “Read our comprehensive guide on SEO best practices,” which uses relevant keywords. The anchor text should ideally match the linked page or post's title or primary keywords.
3. Linking to High-Priority Pages: Strategically link to your most important pages, such as your main services or product pages, from various other posts or pages throughout your site. These links will improve the discoverability of these pages and direct users towards your most important content and conversion goals.
4. Linking to Related Content: When writing a blog post, look for opportunities to link to other related posts on your blog. This can be done when mentioning a related topic or at the end of the post in a “related posts” section. This practice keeps users on your site longer, which reduces bounce rates and improves dwell time.
5. Avoiding Over-Linking: While internal linking is beneficial, avoid overdoing it. Too many internal links can be confusing to users and might be seen as manipulative by search engines. Focus on adding only relevant links where they naturally improve navigation and provide value to users.
6. Menu and Sidebar Navigation: While technically not internal links within content, ensure your website has a well-structured navigation menu and sidebar that guide users to important pages. This can reduce the dependence on internal linking only and improves the overall navigation flow of the website.
7. Using Breadcrumbs: Implement breadcrumbs which show the user's location on the website, and will help them navigate up and down the site structure easily.
8. Using a Link Analyzer: You can use a link analyzer to see which pages have no internal links pointing to them, then include those pages in the posts or pages that are most relevant to those.

External linking involves adding hyperlinks within your content that point to other websites that are not on your own domain. This can increase your credibility and authority by demonstrating that you are engaging with external resources and that you’re providing well-researched information. Here are the best practices for external linking:

1. Linking to Authoritative Sources: Only link to external websites that are credible, reputable, and trustworthy, ideally from industry leaders, established news sources or well known organizations in their respective fields. Linking to low-quality sites can damage your own credibility and hurt your SEO.
2. Anchor Text: Like internal links, use descriptive and relevant anchor text for your external links. Avoid using generic text or the linked website's domain name directly. The anchor text should accurately describe what the user will find when they click on the link.
3. Do-follow vs. No-follow Links: By default, all links are "do-follow," meaning that they pass on SEO authority. When linking to external sites, using "no-follow" for certain situations prevents this. The primary usage of “no-follow” links are when you don't endorse the content on the website or you are linking to untrusted sources, or paid and sponsored links. Do-follow links should be used for links you want to give SEO authority to. You can use the "rel" attribute in your HTML code, or use plugins that automatically add a "no-follow" attribute to certain types of links.
4. Opening in New Tabs: Configure external links to open in a new tab or window. This keeps users on your site while allowing them to view the external content without fully leaving your website, which is helpful for user navigation. However this is not required, and in many situations you will want to not open a new tab.
5. Relevance: Ensure that the external links you add are relevant to the context of your content. Linking to unrelated websites may be confusing and may not provide value to the user.
6. Balancing Internal and External Links: While adding links, always consider the balance between internal and external links. A large number of external links might distract users away from your own content. The primary focus should always be on your content.

By implementing a well-structured internal and external linking strategy, you can enhance your website’s navigation, improve user experience, boost your search engine rankings, and ultimately make your content more discoverable and useful. Internal linking provides better website usability, and external linking improves credibility. This combined approach is the key to a successful linking strategy.