What is internal linking?

Internal linking is the practice of linking from one page on your site to another. Those links help readers navigate and help search engines discover pages, understand how they relate, and pass authority between them. It is a core, and often underused, part of on-page SEO.

Unlike backlinks, internal links are entirely within your control. You decide which pages connect, and with what anchor text. Google explains how it finds and follows links in its guide to making your links crawlable.

Why internal links matter

Internal links do three jobs. They aid crawlability, since search engines find pages by following links, so an unlinked page can go undiscovered. They spread authority, passing ranking signals from strong pages to the ones you want to lift. And they show relationships, telling engines which pages belong to the same topic.

For readers, good internal links surface the next useful page, which keeps people engaged and moves them toward a conversion.

How to build an internal linking strategy

Work from your most important pages outward.

  1. Identify your money and pillar pages. These are the pages you most want to rank, so plan links toward them.
  2. Link from strong pages to targets. Pass authority from high-value pages to the ones that need a boost.
  3. Build topic clusters. Link a pillar page to its supporting pages, and each supporting page back to the pillar.
  4. Add contextual links. Link within the body content where it genuinely helps the reader, not just in menus.
  5. Fix orphans. Find pages with no internal links pointing to them and link to them from relevant places.
  6. Keep it reasonable. Link where it helps, but do not cram dozens of links into every paragraph.

Internal links also depend on a healthy technical foundation, so crawlers can actually follow them.

Anchor text best practices

Use descriptive anchor text that tells readers and engines what the linked page is about. Prefer the target page’s topic or a close variant over generic phrases like “click here” or “read more”. Keep it natural and varied rather than repeating the exact same phrase every time.

Common internal linking mistakes

  • Orphan pages with no internal links pointing to them.
  • Generic anchors like “click here” that describe nothing.
  • Linking everything to everything, which dilutes the signal.
  • Ignoring deep pages while over-linking the home page.
  • Broken internal links left after URL changes.

Frequently asked questions

How many internal links should a page have?
There is no fixed number. Add links where they genuinely help the reader and connect related pages. Quality and relevance matter far more than hitting a count.

Do internal links pass authority like backlinks?
Yes, to a degree. Internal links pass ranking signals between your own pages, which is why linking from strong pages to important targets helps them rank.

What anchor text should I use for internal links?
Descriptive text that reflects the target page’s topic, using the primary keyword or a close variant. Avoid generic phrases and avoid repeating the identical anchor everywhere.

Part of our complete on-page SEO guide.

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