How to link to a web page in HTML: Basic guide and key SEO advice

Basic link syntax in HTML

To create a link in HTML<a>, we use the tag, which means “anchor”. This tag is used together with the href attribute (Hypertext reference), which indicates the direction the link points to.

Basic example:

<a href="https://www.ejemplo.com">Visit our site</a>

This code creates a visible link such as “Visit our site” that takes the user to https://www.ejemplo.com.

In this article we talk a little more about links ⬇️

What is a link in digital marketing? (link: https://www.makeit-tool.com/blog/que-es-un-enlace-en-marketing-digital)

Common types of links

👉 Internal links (within the same site)

They are used to navigate between pages on your own domain.

<a href="/sobre-nosotros">About us</a>

👉 External links (to another domain)

They lead to pages outside of your website.

<a href="https://twitter.com/ejemplo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Follow us on Twitter</a>

SEO Recommendation: Always use target="_blank” when the link opens another tab, and add rel="nofollow” if you don't want to pass authority or if the link is sponsored or from third parties.

👉 Email links

<a href="mailto:contacto@ejemplo.com">Send message</a>

👉 Links to files (PDFs, documents, etc.)

<a href="/documentos/informe.pdf" download>Download report</a>

The download attribute allows you to force the download of the file instead of opening it in the browser.

Useful attributes in links

• title: Show a description when you hold the mouse over the link.

<a href="https://www.ejemplo.com" title="Ir a la página principal">Home</a>

• target: Define where the link will open. For example:
• target="_blank” → in a new tab.
• target="_self” → in the same window (by default)
• rel: Indicates the link's relationship with the current page. It's key to SEO.
• rel="nofollow” → tells Google not to follow that link or transfer authority.
• rel="noopener” → improves security by using target="_blank”.
• rel="noreferrer” → avoid sending referrer information when clicking.

Good SEO practices in link building

As an SEO expert, I want to highlight a fundamental point to you: the anchor text (Anchor text).

What is anchor text?

It's the visible text that makes the link clickable. This text helps search engines understand the content of the landing page.

Bad example:

<a href="/servicios">Click here</a>

Good example:

<a href="/servicios">Web positioning services</a>

Professional tip: Use relevant keywords in your internal anchor texts, but avoid overoptimization. A natural link has clear, descriptive text.

In addition, be sure to regularly check for broken links on your site, as they affect both the user experience and technical SEO.

Inserting a link in HTML is simple, but doing it right from an SEO perspective requires attention to details such as the anchor text, the rel and target attributes, and the type of link you're using.

Remember: well-structured links improve usability, promote Google crawling and enhance your internal link building strategy.

How to check the links on your website with MAKE IT TOOL

An excellent tool for reviewing the links on your site is MAKE IT TOOL.

1. Link trend

This functionality allows us to see how the number of links pointing to a website has evolved over time.
It is useful to detect if a website is growing organically, if there are active link building campaigns or if there are suspicious peaks that could indicate artificial practices or negative SEO attacks. It also makes it possible to identify important link losses.

2. TLD distribution

It shows what types of domains are linking to the web, such as .com, .org, .es, etc.
It serves to evaluate if the link profile is oriented to the correct market. For example, if a website operates in Spain, the logical thing is that it receives links from local or relevant domains. An excess of uncommon or irrelevant TLDs can alert you to low-quality links.

3. Linked by country

It allows us to identify from which countries the domains that link to a website come from.
This is key to understanding if the link makes geographical sense depending on the target audience. If a Spanish-language website aimed at users in Mexico receives most of its links from countries that are not connected to its market, these may be unnatural or automated links.

4. Follow/nofollow distribution

Indicate what proportion of the links are “follow” (which convey SEO authority) versus “nofollow” (which do not do so directly).
A balanced profile is an indicator of naturalness. A website with only follow links may seem manipulated, while one with mostly nofollow links may be having difficulty obtaining real authority.

5. Semantic distribution of reference domains

It groups the links according to the general theme of the websites that generate them: media, blogs, technology, health, education, etc.
This makes it possible to evaluate the thematic relevance of the link profile. If a website receives links from sites related to its niche, that's a good sign. If, on the other hand, there is a high proportion of links from unrelated topics, there may be a problem of coherence or quality.

6. Tendency of authority

Analyze how the authority of the domains that link to a website varies over time.
It is important to know if links are being gained from sites with a good reputation and SEO weight, or if, on the contrary, the new links come from weak or decaying websites. A positive evolution in authority indicates a healthy and growing link profile.