Deep Linking Gets More Targeted Traffic

by John Dow

Many web sites have more than one product or service to sell. So the front page of the web site may have multiple products or services displayed. If you want to better target your web page content and product, it's a good idea to create a separate page for each one (or for all variations).

That allows you to create the name, title, description, and content for that exact product or service. So when you create an inbound anchor link, it matches exactly with that product and page content. This is called deep linking. That means you are linking to internal pages that highlight very specific information or products.

It's always a good idea to limit the number of keywords or phrases for any given page. That allows more depth and information on the subject matter. It also makes it easy for the search engines to properly rank the web page on the right keyword or phrase. Deep links to very specific pages can get you more targeted traffic.

If you sell kitchen appliances, you would want to separate stoves from refrigerators most times. Although there could be exceptions for a package deal on both, most times you are far better off by separating products. This would allow for a much better set of target keywords or phrase that specifically apply to each item.

A good example is that the user may know the model number of a specific refrigerator they would like to buy. If they search on brand, model, and even color; and you have a page dedicated to that brand and model (with a list of available colors), you would most likely outrank a page with multiple models.

The more detailed the search, usually means they have done their research and are now in the buying mode. The tighter they make the search, the more they know exactly what they want and that's where you want to be in the search engines. Targeted traffic will increase your conversion rate since they are looking to buy, not just research.

One of the most often overlooked factors in search engine optimization is to make sure your web pages have enough detail to catch the searcher that knows what they want. Having one page with 5 models may be easier to create, but may not rank well for any one model search. Where as one page dedicated to a particular product can attract the detailed search.

It's OK to have category pages with links to individual model pages, that helps a user navigate through the web site. But also make sure you have detailed web pages on each item with all the specific data that someone might use in their search phrase. 

Acquiring deep links to those pages using very specific anchor text helps increase the rankings based on that anchor text. If a user does a search for a red, model 404, craftsman rotary saw, and you have anchor text links to your page with the same words, bingo! You get the top position in the search results.

So when you plan your linking campaign, always include some deep links to specific pages that use anchor text that reflects the content. Just linking to your front page will get some traffic, but if you add some deep linking strategies you will also get some buyers!