Explanation of Cross-Linking Implementation by John Mueller

Have you, as a webmaster, ever doubted cross-linking different languages in your content? Many people are concerned about this practice, assuming that it will affect rankings, especially for English-language pages. But what is the truth? Read on for a further explanation.

Is Linking Different Language Links Allowed?

In a conversation on Mastodon SEO Chat, John Mueller, a senior analyst at Google, stated that links from sites written in different languages are not harmful as long as the URLs are valid and relevant. He debunked the myth that these links can have a negative impact on search engine rankings.

Mueller explained that providing links to other language versions is a good idea without having to worry too much about ranking. It helps users find the content they are looking for, regardless of the language they use.

What about Paid Links?

In that conversation, John Mueller stated that regardless of their form, paid links are considered link spam and violate search spam policies. This is different from cross-linking internal links with different languages.

However, Mueller also emphasized that if a website naturally receives links from websites in different languages, it is not a problem. Therefore, webmasters do not need to disavow those links.

Overall, Mueller's comments are good news for website owners with content in multiple languages. It shows that Google will not penalize links from non-English sites.

How to Implement Cross-Linking and Its Impact?

Quoting Sergey Brin and Larry Page's statement in "The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine,"

From the above statement, it can be concluded that the use of cross-linking is important.

Implementing cross-linking should be done carefully and accurately. Here are some best practices for implementing cross-linking:

• Links should remain relevant between the target page, source page, and anchor text.
• Outbound links can use the <rel="nofollow"> attribute to prevent Google from following them and not counting them in page rank.
• Ensure that the quantity of links is not spammy or excessive within a single piece of content.
• Use internal links to direct users to products, enhancing user experience and leads.
• Ensure that links are formatted in a different font to increase their visibility.

Impact of Cross-Linking

This activity has an impact on web pages. Here is a list of its effects:

• Increases Domain Authority and Google Pagerank.
• Boosts page visits from users through relevant internal linking.
• Improves page discovery, making it easier for search engines to index.
• Enhances credibility by using external links from trusted sources, increasing trust in the presented information.

Case Study

Based on the image above, there are links leading to Google's patent page as outbound links. Although these links are in different languages, they can still provide "credibility" to the statements in that content.

In some cases, cross-linking can also direct users to product pages to generate leads and conversions.

Conclusion

This is good news for website owners with content in multiple languages, as they can use URLs in different languages for the respective language versions without worrying about negative impacts on search engine rankings.