No definitive answer exists, but some believe that having multiple links can improve your site’s ranking with search engines. This is because links are one factor that search engines use to determine a site’s PageRank. In theory, the more links you have pointing to your site, the higher your PageRank will be. However, it’s important to keep in mind that not all links are created equal. Search engines place more value on certain types of links, such as those from high-quality websites. So while multiple links may help your SEO efforts, it’s still important to focus on quality over quantity.
What Are Multiple Links?
Multiple links are simply two or more links that point to the same page on a website. For example, if you have a blog post that’s been shared on social media, there may be multiple links pointing to that page. This is different from a backlink, which is a link from another website to your own..
Using Multiple Links for SEO
A common SEO question is: how does link juice flow when multiple links point to a single target? We can’t see Google’s algorithm, but we can use available data and metrics to make an educated guess. Studies show that multiple links have a positive impact on PageRank.
When working for Google, Matt Cutts was asked the following question about multiple links
“Hi Matt. If we add more than one links from page A to page B, do we pass more PageRank juice and additional anchor text info? Also can you tell us if links from A to A count? WebSEOAnalytics”
You can check out his answer in the video.
Although the video is from 2011, a lot of what Matt says still stands true today with Google and it’s current algorithm. For this reason, many sites that show up first in a Google search have multiple links in their backlink portfolio.
So the concerns some SEOs have about Google perceiving multiple links as unnatural and leading to banned domains are unfounded. Multiple links are part of the internet, and it makes sense that websites would want to link to popular content more than once.
Benefits of Multiple Links
There are a few potential benefits of having multiple links pointing to your website:
1. Increased PageRank: As mentioned above, links are one of the factors that search engines use to determine a site’s PageRank. In theory, the more links you have pointing to your site, the higher your PageRank will be.
2. More traffic: If your content is being shared on multiple websites, it’s likely to get more views and clicks. This can lead to more traffic for your website.
3. Improved discoverability: When people are searching for information online, they’re more likely to find your content if it’s been shared by multiple sources. This can help increase your visibility and improve your SEO efforts.
Drawbacks of Multiple Links
There are also a few potential drawbacks to having multiple links pointing to your website:
1. Link dilution: If you have too many links pointing to your website, it can dilute the value of each individual link. This is because search engines place more value on links from high-quality websites. So if you have a lot of low-quality links, it could actually hurt your SEO efforts.
2. Spam links: Having multiple links can also make your site more susceptible to spam links. These are low-quality or irrelevant links that are added in an attempt to improve a website’s ranking. If you get too many spam links, it could hurt your reputation with search engines and have a negative impact on your SEO.
3. Linking to the same page: If you have multiple links pointing to the same page on your website, it’s possible that search engines will only count the first link. This means that all of the other links are essentially wasted effort.
Multiple Links Best Practices
If you’re going to have multiple links pointing to your website, there are a few best practices to keep in mind:
1. Make sure the links are from high-quality websites: As mentioned above, links from high-quality websites are more valuable than links from low-quality websites. So if you’re going to have multiple links, make sure they’re coming from reputable sources.
2. Use keyword-rich anchor text: When people are linking to your website, they’ll often use anchor text. This is the text that’s clickable and leads to your website. Using keywords in your anchor text can help improve your SEO efforts by making it easier for people to find your website.
3. Don’t link to the same page: As mentioned above, linking to the same page over and over again can be a wasted effort. So if you’re going to have multiple links pointing to your website, make sure they’re all pointing to different pages.
4. Use nofollow tags: If you’re worried about link dilution or spam links, you can use nofollow tags. These are HTML tags that tell search engines not to follow a particular link. This means that the link won’t help improve your website’s ranking but it also won’t hurt your reputation.
5. Monitor your backlinks: It’s important to keep an eye on your backlinks and make sure they’re from high-quality websites. You can use a tool like Google Search Console to see who’s linking to your website. If you notice any low-quality or spammy links, you can disavow them using the disavow tool.
Conclusion
Multiple links can be a valuable asset for your website but there are also a few potential drawbacks. Make sure you’re aware of the pros and cons before you start link building. And if you do decide to have multiple links, use best practices like using keyword-rich anchor text and monitoring your backlinks.
