Most website owners wish to make their content easy to navigate and quickly consumed. However, this very common mistake – of setting internal links open in a new window – has some very disastrous fallouts both on the user experience and in the working of search engines. In this article, we shall see why the opening of links in new windows is bad for SEO and what is better for it: how to link internally.
The Role of Internal Links in SEO
Internal links connect pages within the same website, both assisting users and aiding in SEO crawling and indexing. When implemented correctly, they make a site more navigable, more likely to rank higher in search engines, and engage more visitors. Good internal linking can do all of the following:
- Help Users Navigate: These guide users through relevant content.
- Distribute Link Equity: Internal linking can distribute ranking power, often referred to as “link juice,” across your site.
- Organize Site Content: They help your search engine understand the structure of your site, hence making pages easier to get indexed.
However, the internal user flow is affected and can even negatively impact the SEO if the links open in new windows. This is why.
Why Opening Links in New Windows Ruin SEO and User Experience
It Shatters User Flow and Deteriorates Engagement
Users prefer to have an internal link open in the same window or tab. If a link opens up in a new window unexpectedly, this throws out the flow of the page; the user may become frustrated or confused by this situation. This small design choice can increase bounce rates and decrease time on-page—metrics that can harm your SEO.
Indeed, 78% of users prefer that the internal links open in the same tab, for a good reason. Unwanted new tabs lead to frustration among the users, who feel lost or out of control, and may suddenly abandon the page. If a user leaves quickly after clicking the internal link, the search engines would get a sign for that and lower your page’s ranking.
It Reduces Link Equity and Flow of Authority
Another significant role of internal linking is to disperse the link authority across pages on your website. Since it’s opened in the same window, it makes the users browse between pages; this allows more ranking power-flow of the link equity to flow towards the pages. This helps build the SEO potential for linked pages.
If visitors close the new tab without opening it again, then such flow of authority is interrupted. By default, links opening in new windows tend to reduce the chances that visitors would continue their journey along your website, and thus the effectiveness of your attempts to link them within.
Higher Bounce Rates Damage Your Rankings
A bounce rate measures the speed with which visitors disappear from a page after visiting it. Internal links that open in a new window and users don’t stay on the new tab contribute to an overall increased bounce rate—a metric search engines may interpret as a low-quality content or poor user experience.
Search Engine Journal found that bounce rates higher than 50% decrease rankings over time. From a UX perspective, keeping links in the same window may increase engagement and cause users to stay onsite longer – all positives for SEO.
Slower Mobile Page Load Times
A new window also adds some loads to the browser and slows it down significantly on mobile devices. Over half of all internet traffic is mobile users, so every time they have to open a new tab or window, it dims their precious limited data and processing power and makes them leave your site.
Since page load speed becomes a ranking factor, it can be interpreted as to why faster loads, smooth navigation of the page-thanks to Google’s Core Web Vitals update-are important. Apart from this, to reduce the extra load and to make mobile usability better, internal links should always open in the same tab.
Security Issues linked to target=”blank” Attribute
Many websites open a link in a new window using the target=”blank” attribute, which has a long-known security vulnerability known as tab-napping. Tab-napping uses a hacker replacing the new window with a malicious site, endangering users and lowering the credibility of your website. Google and other search engines promote safe, trusted sites, so reducing security risks aligns with practices recommended for SEOs.
Best Practices to Internal Link for SEO Enhancement
Opening links in new windows is worst for SEO, so here are best practices to keep users engaged and maximize the SEO value of internal links.
- Open Internal Links in the Same Window: The users expect opening an internal link in a separate tab of the same window. Respecting such expectations is integral toward creating a natural browsing experience.
- Use Descriptive Anchor Text: The anchor text should describe the link-to page. This does not only enhance user experience but also facilitates the search engine’s insight into your relevant links.
- Keep Links Mobile-Friendly: Ensure that links function well even in mobile phones, which is where most internet traffic will come from. Opening a new window or tab may be a bad user experience for mobile users, so limit your usage.
- Leverage Fewer Internal Links per Page: Do not overlink a page. Relevancy and quality superseded the dozen unnecessary links.
- Place Links Organically: Place them wherever they serve the cause of smooth flow of the content. The likelier the user spends more time on your website, the more time they stay there and the more pages they view; in all such SEO-related metrics.
When should links open in a new window?
Generally, opening links in new windows is bad for SEO practice. There are, though some exceptions like:
- External Links: It is practical and useful to open external links in a new window since users can go onto outside content without losing your site.
- Downloadable Files: PDFs or documents that users would reference could open in a new tab and not lose the original page.
- Login Pages: If you need a login page you would want to open in a new window so you wouldn’t lose the context of the user.
Limiting exceptions to this and keeping internal links on the same window will make it seem smoother and SEO-friendly for your experience.
Also read: https://www.asclique.com/blog/google-ads-competitor-analysis/
Conclusion
In general, opening links in new windows is quite bad for SEO because it impacts user engagement, bounce rate, link equity, and mobile experience. Therefore, if search engines highly prefer accessible, user-centered websites and keeping your links open in the same window follows the principles of SEO as well, you will improve the user experience and even increase the SERPs.
FAQ’s
Why do some websites open links in new windows?
To keep users on the original page longer and prevent them from navigating away.
Is there a safe way to use ‘target=_blank’ without hurting SEO?
Yes, adding rel="noopener noreferrer" with target=_blank enhances security and doesn’t impact SEO.
Does opening links in new tabs affect SEO rankings?
Not directly, but it can impact SEO if it harms user experience or increases bounce rates.
Should I open affiliate links in a new window?
Yes, it helps keep users on your site while they explore the affiliate page.