By the Market My Market content team, with insights from Kimberly Osborn, Tanner Mowery, and Katie McLoughlin
Most businesses understand content is important, but some miss a critical piece of the puzzle: strategic linking. Every link you place, whether pointing to your own pages or reputable external sources, either strengthens or weakens your credibility in the eyes of both readers and search engines. The difference between content that converts and content that gets lost in the algorithm often comes down to how well you connect the dots.
At Market My Market, we’ve spent years mastering the art and science of strategic linking for professional service firms. We know that internal links guide potential clients through your expertise while showing Google which pages matter most, and external links demonstrate you’ve done your homework by backing claims with credible sources. Our approach transforms scattered content into an interconnected web of authority, positioning your practice as the go-to resource in your market. Let’s explore how we use both types of links to build trust, improve rankings, and turn website visitors into clients.
Kimberly Osborn — Content Writer
At Market My Market, we think of internal links as the tour guide to your website; they constantly point readers to other great content we’ve created, so no one gets lost or left behind. When we’re writing content, we’re always thinking about how one piece connects to another. For example, when writing about email marketing best practices, we may link back to a blog post we wrote about understanding the basics of email marketing for dentists. Not only does this keep readers exploring your site longer, but it also helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your content. It’s like giving Google a map that says, “Hey, this page is super important, and here are five other pages that agree.”
External links probably seem counterintuitive at first. Why would you send readers away from your site? But here’s the thing: linking to high-quality, authoritative external sources is like name-dropping your smartest friends at a dinner party. When you back up your claims with links to reputable studies, industry leaders, or trusted publications, you’re showing both your readers and search engines that you’ve done your homework. At MMM, we always make sure our external links add real value and credibility to the conversation. If we are citing a statistic, we provide a link to the original research. This approach builds trust with your audience and signals to search engines that your content is well-researched and connected to the broader web ecosystem. It’s a win-win that makes everyone look good.
Tanner Mowery — Content Writer
As writers, we think of blog posts as the big, juicy worm on a hook: a way to bring people to your website. From there, once the reader has bitten, the goal is to keep them engaged and browsing a bit. Ideally, you want them to see what your company has to offer. By using internal links that bring viewers directly to your expertly written, researched content, you’re building authority in your field and keeping readers engaged within your site’s ecosystem. Each internal link is a pathway that simultaneously tells your reader to “stick around, we’ve got more helpful information right here!” while also increasing their session duration, reducing bounce rates, and guiding potential clients naturally toward your services without feeling pushy or sales-heavy.
Believe it or not, the same principle goes for external links. Linking out—in moderation, never more external links than internal links—to reputable, credible sources actually strengthens your own credibility rather than weakening it. When you cite reputable medical journals, industry organizations, or well-established experts, you’re giving your reader the assurance they need to know your information is valid. Search engines recognize this, too, so it ends up being a beneficial practice on all fronts.
Katie McLoughlin — Content Specialist
As a storybranding-certified writer, one aspect of the storybranding framework that my team and I incorporate into blogs and pages is establishing trust between readers and our clients. Internal links help us do so by creating blog topic clusters. These groups of interlinked web pages tell Google that our clients are experts in their respective fields and keep their websites easy to navigate. In addition to keeping readers engaged, internal links can help guide readers to get the information they need, creating an organized web of blogs and pages that further establish our clients as authoritative resources.
External links can also help build trust by demonstrating E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), which Google heavily factors into its algorithm. We only use credible sources from governmental, organizational, or educational websites, making the content we write appear well-researched. Readers can see these external sources and trust our clients’ content, while Google can use them to better understand the content. When Google thinks our clients are trustworthy sources, it’s more likely to rank their content higher. While you may assume external links to other websites aren’t the best idea, we use them strategically to enhance credibility without taking readers away from your website.
Partner With Market My Market for Trustworthy Content That Converts
Building real authority through content takes strategy, consistency, and a deep understanding of how search engines actually reward well-structured content. Our team has spent years mastering strategic linking for dental, legal, and medical practices, and we’ve seen firsthand how the right approach transforms online visibility into actual patient or client growth.
At Market My Market, we build intricate digital maps where every link, every citation, and every piece of content works together to establish your practice as the go-to authority in your area. We’ve helped hundreds of practices dominate their local markets by implementing effective content strategies that help readers and Google trust your business. Book a discovery call today to discuss how strategic content and SEO can transform your practice’s growth trajectory.