Internal links are Treated Differently in The Header and Footer.

Is there a difference in how Google handles internal links based on where they are on a page? Do internal links in the header and footer play a lesser role?

Google's John Mueller recently responded to a question about whether Google uses internal links in the footer or header differently. Google's John Mueller explained how Google handles internal links within a web page and highlighted minor differences in Google's behavior with the main content of a page.

Internal Link

Internal links are links on a website that take you to another page on the same site.

Internal links include menu links, which are typically found in the header, and links to important sections of the site, such as the about us and contact pages, which are typically found in the website's footer.

Internal links can also refer to other pages on the Site that are accessible through the content.

Is The Importance of all Internal Links The Same?

Internal links are important, according to Google's John Mueller, and the person who asked the question wanted to know how different types of internal links are handled.

The question was asked as follows:

"You recently emphasized the importance of internal linking in informing Google about the significance of specific content on the site.

I'm curious if links to specific sections of the site are viewed differently.

For instance, if a page is linked to a header or footer and thus appears on every page of the website.

Is Google treating those links differently because they're in the body of the page?

Internal Links Are Not Distinguishable

Mueller clarified that links are not treated any differently because they are on a web page.

John Mueller answered:

"We don't make much of a difference there.

So, for example, if things are linked in the footer of their page and they are linked to the entire website, then you have links to the entire website in our opinion.

Not that we'd say, uh, footer links weigh down or aren't as useful, so we'll ignore them or anything.

As a result, when it comes to links, we essentially see them as links on a page."

Text is Treated Differently Depending on Location.

Then, according to John Mueller, text within the main content is treated differently.

He went on to explain:

"When it comes to text, it's a little different in that we try to figure out what a page's primary content is.

We'll try to focus on that major content section of the page when it comes to ranking in relation to other content on your website.

But, from our perspective, links help us better understand the structure of the site, and whether they are in the header, footer, sidebar, or main content makes no difference to us.

Internal Links Are Important

The main content area is treated slightly differently, according to John Mueller, with headers, footers, and internal links inside the main content being treated the same.