Replacing the HTTP links with the HTTPS version seems to be more beneficial for the Google Search Engine. According to Google’s search advocate, John Mueller, the internal links pointing to HTTP URLs should be replaced by newer HTTP versions. Previously, replacing redirect links was not considered smart, but the norms seem to be changing. Internal linking is an additional way to rank your web pages faster. It helps crawl the architecture of the website easily.

Reasons to replace old internal links & common problems

Fixing internal links can be a real struggle. Replacing them with HTTP URLs just makes things cleaner. It may not have such a visible effect. Though the idea of completely replacing internal links can seem scary for websites, replacing some of them is worth it. Here are some common problems webmasters face while linking.

Delayed loading time:

Secondly, replacing HTTP URLs with HTTPS can significantly improve the redirecting time. Any time an internal link that goes to HTTPS has to go through the HTTP version first. So, converting the links to the HTTPS version improves the loading time.

Broken Links:

Rather than relying on redirects for internal, replacing with an HTTPS version is effective. In redirect loading time, redirection loops, redirection chains, and link breaks are a few common occurrences. The search engine will definitely crawl faster and easier with no redirects in place. Redirects have to be updated regularly while replacing them with HTTPS links omits this process.

Too much on-page linking:

When a page has more than 300 links it is flagged as inappropriate. Too much on-page linking makes navigation very difficult. And, it also hinders the crawling process. It is best to be careful about how many links you insert. Replacing internal links with the HTTPS version makes this easier.

Crawl Depth:

Many redirects and internal links take way too much time to reach the page. It indicates that the page is not important. Search engines analyze crawl depth. This redundancy can be reduced by replacing internal links with HTTP versions.

Redirect chains and loops:

Internal links that go through the redirect chain and loops are complicated. The search engine takes it as a sign of poor UX. Removing intermediate loops and replacing the links correctly with links to the live pages solves this problem.

How to replace an internal link

To replace internal links, you can use either mass link replacement or replacement tools. Mass link replacement can be done by putting in a find and replace query or using tools. Consult with your developer before making any changes. You can also change the internal link from the canonical. Mass link replacement will affect the site’s performance and hence is not always recommended.

How does internal linking work?

Internal linking is the single most important thing for search engines to navigate through a website. Internal links help you go from one web page to another web page in the same domain. Linking internally helps the search engine crawl faster and navigate better. A logical structure of interlinking along with a well-built sitemap helps to crawl better.

Do internal links work for SEO?

Internal links work for SEO well because they connect content and create a structure for the website. It highlights the hierarchy. Authority building pages are generally connected to topic clustered pages. SEO performance gets better when the search engine can crawl easily and understand the hierarchy of a website well. 

Can too many internal links harm the site’s performance?

Internal linking is good when done right. But too many internal links on a page can dilute its value. The purpose of internal linking is to build a proper structure and give authority and relevance to the content of the website. If there were too many links on one page and linking to all the pages, it would be chaos. If every page is linked to every other pages there will be no structure. By replacing the http version and linking correctly, you build an easy-to-crawl structure to the website. Have an easy loading time, and an easy-to-crawl hierarchy to succeed.

Strategies for Internal Linking

Where you place your internal links matters for SEO performance. This one thing, when often ignored, impacts the whole navigation process. The internal links can be of two different categories: navigational links and contextual links. Navigational links are implemented on the footer, or sidebars for the users and the search engine to go through the website easily. Basic internal linking strategy is divided into four steps.

1. Identify the site’s Hub Pages: Hub pages are highly performing pages that help to categories other pages into topic clusters. This will give you a better understanding of the architecture of the website. Hub pages often target broad keywords rather than specific long-tail keywords. That’s why they are indicators of topic clusters.
2. Break into the topic cluster: Linking pages depend on the topic clusters, and should not be based on keywords. Topic clusters of related pages explore narrow topics within a broad category. Linking them shows you great positive results.
3. Choosing authority pages:

 Authority pages are pages that are linked from the outside. Which pages are directed from the outside?  Authoritative pages have a lot of backlinks and distribute the links equally throughout the authoritative pages.

4. Link internally to rank better:

After analysis and clustering, use your human brain to do it better. If the pages are authoritative but not related, don’t link them. While linking them, try to link in a way that helps build the authority of other pages on the website as well. While working on internal linking strategies, keep in mind the relevance of content, sitemap, and proper analysis. Internal linking, when done strategically, makes the web page rating easier and helps to drive traffic. The replacement of HTTP versions with HTTPS versions is a powerful way to reduce common problems. Regular updates to reduce redirect loops, and chains and to fix broken links are important to add value to the website.