Hey Reader,

This week's tip is inspired by a Facebook post question I saw, responded to, and thought 💭 ... Someone else needs to know this.

So here we are!

I know you've been (or at some point have been) working hard on the content of your website. But there's one thing that might be hurting your SEO and user experience without you even realizing it.

I'm talking about how you set up your links.

You know that moment when you're adding a page or post to your site, and you see all those confusing options? "Open in new tab?" "Nofollow?" "Sponsored?"

It's enough to make anyone's head spin!

Here's the quick version if you're short on time:

• Internal links (to your own site) should open in the SAME tab
• External links (to other websites) should open in a NEW tab
• Affiliate/paid links need both "nofollow" AND "sponsored" attributes (it's an FTC thing!)
• A good linking strategy helps both your readers AND your SEO

The thing about links is that they're like the doorways of your website.

Internal links are doorways between rooms in your house, while external links are doors leading to outside your house.

Here's what actually happens when you set up your links correctly:

Internal Links (Same Tab, Please!)

When visitors click links to other pages on YOUR site, keep them in the same tab.

This creates a smoother reading experience and prevents tab overload.

Plus, these internal connections help Google understand your site structure better!

External Links (New Tab is Best)

When sending readers to OTHER websites, always open these in a new tab.

This keeps your site open in the background so they can easily return after checking out that resource.

I'll be straight with you... one of the biggest mistakes I see is website owners opening EVERYTHING in new tabs.

This creates a frustrating user experience with dozens of tabs to the same website!

What About Nofollow and Sponsored?

These settings tell Google whether you're "endorsing" a link with your site's authority:

• Regular links (the default) pass your SEO "juice" to the other site
• Nofollow links don't pass SEO value (use for sites you don't necessarily endorse)
• Sponsored links (must be nofollow too) are for affiliate or paid content

What most people don't tell you is that using the right attributes for affiliate links isn't just good practice – the FTC requires it!

Always mark affiliate links as both nofollow AND sponsored to stay compliant.

Here's why this matters for your business:

Good linking practices helps your:

• SEO performance (distributing your site authority effectively)
• User experience (making your site intuitive to navigate)
• Legal compliance (following FTC guidelines)
• Relationship with other site owners (sharing authority appropriately)

Want to dive deeper into this topic?

I just published a comprehensive guide on my blog that walks through every aspect of link strategy with screenshots and examples!

​Read the full blog post here​

Got questions about your linking strategy? Hit reply – that's literally what I do!