So, if you have a website, how do you make sure your content gets seen and used by this AI? It comes down to something called internal linking. This is simply how you connect different pages on your own website.
For a long time, we’ve used internal links to help people move around our sites and to tell search engines what our pages are about. But now, with AI, it’s even more important. It’s not just about getting found; it’s about getting understood and chosen by AI.
The good news? It’s not about complex tech tricks. It’s mostly about going back to basics: making your website easy to navigate, covering your topics thoroughly, and making sure everything flows logically for both people and smart computers.
Beyond Just Keywords: Linking for What Things Mean
Before, when you linked pages, you might have just focused on putting a keyword in the link’s text. For example, if you had a page about “dog training,” you’d link to it using “dog training.”
But AI is smarter now. It doesn’t just see individual words; it understands the meaning behind them and how different ideas connect.
This means your internal links should act like a clear map for AI. They should guide the AI through all the related information on your site. Imagine your website is a huge book. Each link is like a “see also” note that helps AI (and your readers) get the full picture of what you know about a topic.
Simple Tip: Don’t just use one or two words for your links. Use a few words that clearly describe what’s on the page you’re linking to. Instead of just “learn more,” try “our guide on how to potty train puppies” or “the surprising history of social media marketing.”
Building Your Expertise with “Topic Hubs”
One of the best ways to get your site ready for AI is to build what we call topic hubs (or topic clusters). Think of it like this:
- You have one main, big page about a general topic (that’s your pillar page).
- Also, you have many in-depth pages which go into detail about different aspects of that main topic.
For instance, if you run the site “All About Coffee”, you may have pages like “How to Brew the Perfect Espresso, “The History of Coffee Beans, and “Understanding Different Coffee Roasts.
When you link all these related pages together, it tells AI that you’re an expert on “coffee.” The AI sees that you have a lot of detailed information, all connected logically. This makes your site a strong candidate for AI Overviews because it shows you can give a complete and reliable answer.
Simple Tip: Look at your website. Do you have a main page about a topic? Do you have other pages that dive deeper into parts of that topic? Make sure your main page links to all those detailed pages, and those detailed pages link back to the main page (and to each other if they’re related). It’s like building a strong, interconnected network of knowledge.
Think Like a Person: AI Follows Your Logic
It’s easy to get lost in technical stuff, but remember this: AI Overviews try to act like a person searching for information. If your links make sense to a human visitor, they’ll likely make sense to AI too.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Does this link really help someone who’s reading this page learn more or find something related?
- Is it easy for a visitor to find their way around my website?
- Do my links naturally guide people to more detailed information if they want it?
When your website is easy for people to use because of good linking, it helps AI understand how your pages are connected and which parts of your content are important. This makes it more likely that your content will be picked for an AI Overview summary.
Simple Tip: Pretend you’re a new visitor to your site. Click around. Do the links make sense? Do they take you where you expect to go? If you get lost or confused, AI might too.
Clear Words and Easy Reading
AI Overviews love information that’s clear, to the point, and well-organised. Your internal links and the words around them help make this clear. Don’t just stick a link anywhere. Put it where it naturally fits in your writing, so the person (and the AI) knows what to expect on the other side.
Also, focus on making your whole page easy to read. Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points. When content is easy to read, it’s easier for AI to pull out the main points and understand what it’s all about. This makes your pages better candidates for those AI summaries.
Simple Tip: Break up big blocks of text with headings. Use bullet points for lists. Before you put a link, make sure the sentence or paragraph explains why that link is there and what it’s about.
Sharing the Love: Don’t Just Link to Your Homepage
Historically, websites often linked mostly to their homepage or main sections. While those are still important, AI Overviews can dig deep to find super-specific answers.
This means you should link to your most important and relevant pages, even if they’re buried a few clicks deep in your site. By linking to these detailed, high-quality pages from other relevant pages, you show AI that they are important and valuable sources of information. This helps your specialised content get noticed by AI for very specific questions.
Simple Tip: Go through your site. Do you have some great, detailed articles that don’t get many links from other parts of your site? Find relevant places to link to them from your more popular pages. Spread the linking love around!
Conclusion
Changing how you link for AI Overviews isn’t about throwing out everything you know and starting fresh. It is about creating smart, thought-provoking links which also put your human readers first. By means of these human-centred concepts, clear navigation, in-depth looks at topics, logical flow, and relevant links — you are not only adapting to AI; you are improving your website for all.
The AI might be clever, but its goal is still to give people the best, most helpful information. And a website that’s well-linked and easy to understand will always be a winner. Contact us at Rankingeek Marketing Agency to learn more about SEO.
