Internal Linking

What is Internal Linking?

Internal links are hyperlinks that connect pages within the same website. When you link from one page on your domain to another page on your domain, that is an internal link.

Internal links are distinct from external links (linking to other websites) and backlinks (other websites linking to you). While backlinks are often considered more valuable for SEO, internal links are entirely within your control and are a powerful optimization tool.

Every website uses internal links for navigation — menus, footers, sidebars. But strategic internal linking goes beyond navigation to create relationships between content that help both users and search engines understand your site.

Why Internal Linking Matters for SEO

1. Crawlability and Discovery

Internal links are the roads that Googlebot travels to discover your content. Without internal links pointing to a page, it becomes an "orphan page" that search engines cannot find through normal crawling.

Even if a page appears in your sitemap, internal links provide context and priority signals that sitemaps alone cannot convey.

2. Link Equity Distribution

Your homepage typically accumulates the most authority because it receives the majority of external backlinks. Internal links distribute that authority throughout your site:

• Links from high-authority pages pass more value
• Pages with more internal links pointing to them receive more equity
• Strategic linking can boost the ranking potential of important pages

By linking from your homepage or high-performing content to new or underperforming pages, you help those pages rank faster.

3. Establishing Site Hierarchy

Internal linking structures communicate your site's architecture to search engines:

• Homepage links to main categories (top priority)
• Categories link to subcategories and products (second tier)
• Related content links to each other (topical relationships)

This hierarchy helps Google understand which pages are most important and how topics relate to each other.

4. Anchor Text Context

The clickable text of an internal link (anchor text) tells search engines what the destination page is about. Unlike external links where you cannot control anchor text, internal link anchor text is entirely within your control.

Using descriptive anchor text like "complete SEO audit guide" rather than "click here" provides relevance signals that can help the destination page rank for related terms.

5. User Experience and Engagement

Good internal linking keeps users on your site longer by guiding them to related content. This improves:

• Time on site
• Pages per session
• Bounce rate
• Conversion opportunities

Users who find relevant internal links are more likely to explore further rather than returning to search results.

Internal Linking Best Practices

Use Descriptive Anchor Text

Avoid: "Click here to learn more about SEO"

Better: "Learn more in our comprehensive SEO guide"

Descriptive anchor text:

• Tells users what to expect on the destination page
• Provides relevance signals to search engines
• Improves accessibility for screen reader users

Ensure Relevance

Only link to genuinely related content. Random internal links provide no value and can confuse both users and search engines.

A page about "running shoes" should link to:

• Running shoe reviews
• How to choose running shoes
• Running technique articles
• Related athletic gear

Not to:

• Unrelated product categories
• Administrative pages
• Content with no topical connection

Prioritize Deep Linking

Do not just link to your homepage or main navigation pages. Link to specific, relevant deep content:

• Specific product pages instead of categories
• Individual articles instead of blog archives
• Detailed guides instead of general landing pages

Deep links help distribute equity to pages that need it most.

Maintain Reasonable Link Counts

There is no strict limit on internal links per page, but consider:

• Navigation links already add many links to every page
• Too many links dilute the equity passed to each destination
• Links should exist for user value, not just SEO manipulation

Focus on quality and relevance rather than maximizing link quantity.

Fix Orphan Pages

Regularly audit for pages with no internal links pointing to them:

1. Crawl your site to identify orphan pages
1. Determine if orphaned pages should be linked to
1. Add contextual internal links from relevant content
1. Update navigation if pages warrant inclusion

Avoid Broken Internal Links

Broken internal links waste crawl budget and create poor user experiences:

• Regularly audit for 404 errors from internal links
• Update links when content moves or is deleted
• Implement redirects for changed URLs

Internal Linking Strategies

Hub and Spoke Model

Create content clusters with a central "hub" page linking to related "spoke" pages:

• Hub: "Complete Guide to Running"
• Spokes: Shoe selection, training plans, nutrition, injury prevention

All spokes link back to the hub, and spokes may cross-link to each other. This creates topical authority and clear content relationships.

Contextual Links Within Content

The most valuable internal links appear within page content, not just navigation:

• Link naturally where topics are mentioned
• Add "related reading" sections
• Include links in introductions to establish context
• Use footnotes or "further reading" blocks

Strategic Homepage Links

Your homepage has the most authority. Use it wisely:

• Link to your most important category pages
• Feature new content that needs initial authority boost
• Avoid cluttering with too many links
• Update featured content regularly

Content Update Linking

When publishing new content:

1. Find existing pages that mention the topic
1. Add internal links from those pages to new content
1. Add links from new content to relevant existing pages

This integrates new content into your site's link structure immediately.

Measuring Internal Linking Effectiveness

Track the impact of internal linking improvements:

• Crawl depth statistics (how many clicks from homepage)
• Internal link counts per page
• Orphan page identification
• PageRank flow modeling (tools like Screaming Frog)
• Ranking improvements for internally linked pages
• User behavior on pages with added internal links

Common Internal Linking Mistakes

Over-Optimization

Avoid manipulative patterns:

• Exact-match anchor text on every link
• Linking the same anchor text to different pages
• Unnatural keyword stuffing in anchor text

Ignoring Navigation Links

Navigation links are internal links too. Ensure your navigation:

• Includes all important sections
• Uses clear, descriptive labels
• Remains consistent across pages

Linking to Low-Value Pages

Do not waste link equity on pages that:

• Should be noindexed
• Have no search value
• Compete with more important pages

Neglecting Mobile Experience

Internal links must work well on mobile:

• Touch targets must be appropriately sized
• Links should not be too close together
• Mobile navigation should provide equivalent access