Deep linking in SEO involves linking to specific pages “deep” within a website, or liking to a specific page in a mobile app. Whether you’re an e-commerce brand, a service-oriented business, or a local restaurant just barely getting your footing, deep linking can help draw new customers to your brand and keep them engaged throughout the purchasing journey. 

Deep Linking as an SEO Strategy

Most businesses understand the overall importance of link building, but what is deep linking in SEO? How does deep linking impact search results?

Deep linking helps SEO because the more unique pages and functioning links your website has, the more Google will see you as a reputable source online. Rather than directing users to your home page or a general service page for everything, you can use deep links to direct them to specialized pages on your website, like specific blog posts. 

Deep Linking for Mobile Apps

Most of the time, deep linking refers to a strategy that is specific to mobile apps, rather than website SEO. Deep linking for mobile apps is an increasingly popular strategy that attempts to improve user experience and increase app downloads. Google discusses deep links for mobile apps in its help documentation about paid advertising:

This use case for deep linking involves searching for a product or service on a web browser and selecting a link that redirects to a mobile app. If the app is already downloaded on your phone, mobile deep linking is fairly seamless. If the app has not yet been downloaded, the link will prompt you to do so, and the next time you select the link, it will open within the app. 

The Difference Between Deep Linking and Internal Linking

Deep linking and internal linking are similar, and both benefit SEO. The main difference is that deep linking refers to specialized links that are not as easily found or accessible from the home page. 

• Internal links

Internal links direct users from one page of a website to another—typically between the home page and another main page from the navigation menu. 

Internal Links Example: On the home page of Hair Studio 7, users can select “services” from the main menu and see a list of options. These service page links are considered internal links because they’re easily accessible from the home page.

• Deep links 

Deep links, as the name suggests, go deeper. These pages are found deeper within the website’s link structure, and extend the crawl depth of your site.

Deep Links Example: The Balayage service page (from the example above) includes a list of several related links like “Balayage for dark hair” or “Balayage for red hair.” These specific links within the service page are considered deep links. 

Start Deep Linking Today

Overall, deep linking in SEO is a helpful strategy for building out your website’s link structure. At Sixth Media, we incorporate deep linking to make it easier for Google to index your site, thus making them more likely to recommend you as a search result. 

Contact us for a free consultation, and find out how deep linking can boost your SEO today.