Sick of manually interlinking?
Promoting Your Other Posts
So y’all know the importance of a “Recent Posts” widget and having a plugin like “LinkWithin” or “Recent Post Thumbnails” installed, right?
If not, the short of it is, having these elements available gives your readers instant access to other posts you’ve written. It gives older posts exposure. And on the seo side, the plugins mentioned above (amongst many others), help the search engine spiders index posts that may have been missed before.
But what about within your actual posts and pages?
Not all plugins offer the option to convert to RSS feed, so your older posts aren’t listed in rss readers or when someone subscribes by email. Those older posts are losing exposure opportunity. This is why interlinking your posts, within your post is important.
On any blogging platform, creating a link to anywhere, including internally, is as simple as highlighting the text and clicking a link icon. WordPress takes it a bit further and make internal linking even easier by offering a list of your internal pages to link to. No need to load that post in a new window, copy the url and then return to your current post and past the url.
Awesome isn’t it? Accept when I don’t remember to do it. Which tends to happen often.
Interlinking Posts the Smart/Busy Momma/Easy/Slacker (whichever applies) Way
Guess what WordPress users, awesome developers have made it even easier to interlink your posts (and pages).
Head on over to your WordPress Dashboard > Plugins > Add New and go searching for SEO Smart Links Version 2.7.4 | By Vladimir Prelovac.
Anyone, ANYONE can set up this plugin in a matter of minutes. And every link you find in this post was created automatically using SEO Smart Links.
The Custom Keywords setting kicks ass and keeps me from forgetting to interlink my posts and pages. I added this screenshot as a thumbnail so you’ll have a better view by clicking on it. The plugin setting are pretty self explanatory with examples. Add your keywords for a particular post or page, separate each keyword or keyword phrase with a comma (not space), add the last comma, a space, and the full url that you want the keyword to link to.
That simple! Also? Don’t forget to set your Limits in the next settings section. Though you use the same word multiple times in your post, you don’t want to add that many links to a single post.
Now I only learned of this plugin by accident a few days ago. I didn’t even realize such a plugin would exist. Ha! Silly me. Isn’t there like a plugin for everything WordPress these days? LOL
And? This plugin will interlink your old posts too! So as long as your chosen keyword exists in an old post, it will be linked to the url you choose. No need to manually edit old posts to link to new posts (unless your keyword doesn’t exist in that post).
What have you been using to interlink your posts?
If you haven’t been interlinking your posts, will you try so today? Please? Pretty please? Very important to your Blog Promotion health! 
By the way, speaking of blog promotion health, before you head off in your blog reading journey to another awesome blog, why not leave a comment with your url? This blog uses the CommentLuv commenting system and you’ll be able to share your recent post with other visitors and build yourself a backlink!
Thanks for stopping by and don’t be shy about using the Tweet and Stumble Buttons!
Photo Credit: © visualhunter – Fotolia.com
Thank you for your sharing, the LinkWithin definitely is a great tool for sharing your blog more. Also the commentluv and keywordluv are useful.
Sophia recently posted..Forex Robots Are Dangerous
Great post, thanks for providing simple solution to my problem. I really learn a lot on you and keep up the good work.
Twitter: twitter
says:
very nice post, i certainly love http://www.afterbedtimeblog.com, keep on it !!!!!
Twitter: JanBierens
says:
Awesome post. But WP only, for now.
For now I’m doing it by hand because that gives me some more control. That and I’m using LinkedWithin. I like to work with manual tagging and labeling. And yes… I studied both screenshots carefully before posting this. 
aww thanks Jan. Kudos to my peeps that can remember to do it. or don’t slack off like i do
this works for me and my schedule. so have you decided to stay on Blogger?
Vanita recently posted..10 To-Dos Bloggers Should Focus On For Search Engine Ranking
Twitter: waningwoman
says:
Can somebody hijack my blog and take it over to WordPress. Please, kidnap both me AND my blog and take us to the promised land.
Waning Woman recently posted..Tell Me About Yourself Award
you just hush your mouth now. the only thing standing between you and WordPress, is YOU. go find a header image. i left you a link in the clubhouse i don’t know how many weeks ago. @VSGMom’s blog is done and I’m working on a design for @PattiPonders. We’re all leaving your butt behind in Blogger land if you don’t haul ass honey.
Twitter: valselby
says:
I looked at it, I just didn’t expand it to a larger view so I could read it. lol I still think I’d prefer to hand do it for now. BUT that’s just because there are times I have a ton of links in a post so what’s one more and other times 1 is too many. Just me. Although it could be because I’m seeing an increase in pageviews from using the thumbnail plugin, once I’m used to those numbers I may be looking for more options to keep it going
Val recently posted..Uber Busy Day, But So Thankful
woman, i have no clue where you find the time, but Go sistah Go!
Well Liane you can assist with many bloggers seeing this post if you would be so kind as to stumble and tweet it.
vanita recently posted..Organize Your Blog for Better Business
Twitter: valselby
says:
Hey, did you just call me Easy and a Slacker woman?!!!
I have the recent post thumbnail on most sites, if it’s not on a site it’s because I really need a checklist. Over the years I’ve found the plugins and still see that they aren’t all on all of my sites. MY BAD! But internally, I link by hand. I like the general idea of having keywords linked up, but i am kind of anal about how many links go on each post. No stats to back anything up, just a personal thing where I hate to see a ton of links in an article when I visit it.
Val recently posted..Uber Busy Day, But So Thankful
Eh? Val, you did not look at my screenshot, did you darling? I’m so brokenhearted. After entering your keywords, you can set limits. Limit how many links within a post, how many times that specific keyword is linked. I would never suggest anything that would make you look spammy dear.
vanita recently posted..10 To-Dos Bloggers Should Focus On For Search Engine Ranking
Twitter: bbrian017
says:
I love finding new plugins. And thanks for exposing us to some great tech! There are SO many interlinking plugins out there, it’s very hard to choose the right one! I’ve noticed LinkWithin is a very popular one. I haven’t used it myself but linking within is definitely something worth looking into. Generally I submit the blog posts (or others guest posting) to the main platform, which helps with promotion, and wouldn’t the search box also help with this. Lol! The oldest methods would probably be the ‘related posts’ plugin, but we’ve all moved on, I think.
bbrian017 recently posted..15 Amazing Bloggers, Only One $1000 USD Prize
eh, Brian, I don’t mind old tactics as long as they work
vanita recently posted..10 To-Dos Bloggers Should Focus On For Search Engine Ranking
Twitter: Christal_L
says:
Chrissy recently posted..Pimpin’ For Pounds
lol Chrissy you always know what to say. i forgot to mention, once installed, and your keywords are chosen, the plugin affects all of your old posts too! so no need to ever go through old posts and link to new posts (yes some ppl do this and its a good tactic for those old posts found via search engines)