Internal links are one of the most overlooked yet powerful elements of an SEO strategy.
If used correctly, internal links allow you to structure your site effectively, pass authority between pages, and improve overall rankings.
Read this blog to understand why internal links matter and how to master them.
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What are Internal Links?
Internal links are like online signposts. They connect one page of a website to another, allowing users to jump from one section to another with just a click.
Think of them as pathways that guide your visitors through your digital domain, making it easier for them to explore your content.
Why are internal links important, you may ask? Well, for starters, they help improve the user experience.
By strategically placing internal links within your content, you can direct your audience to related topics or relevant pages, keeping them engaged and encouraging them to spend more time on your site.
Moreover, internal links can also boost your website’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization) performance.
Search engines like Google use internal links to discover and index new pages on your website, helping them understand the structure and hierarchy of your content.
By creating a network of internal links, you can enhance your site’s visibility and make it more search engine-friendly.
Overall, internal links may seem like a small detail, but their impact can be significant. You can enhance the user experience, improve SEO, and ultimately drive more traffic to your site by using the internal links effectively.
Here is an example of an Internal link;
In the backend, it looks like this:
<a href=”https://bloggingbeats.com/what-is-blogging/”>blogging</a>
This “blogging” text is navigated to “what is blogging” article available on our bloggingbeats site.
Why Do Internal Links Matter for SEO?
As I said before, Internal links are hyperlinks that connect web pages within the same domain or website.
When you link from one of your pages to another, that’s an internal link.
There are a few core reasons why internal links matter for SEO,
1. Help Search Engines Crawl Your Site Architecture
Internal links serve as a roadmap that guides search engine crawlers around your site.
The path they create helps search bots discover new pages and understand relationships between different pages.
Strategically placed internal links indicate which pages are most important. So search engines can prioritize crawling and indexing those over less valuable ones.
Without internal links, search engines might not index your site comprehensively, missing out on important content and failing to understand the site’s architecture.
2. Pass Authority Between Pages
Think of internal links as pipes that allow authority and “link juice” to flow freely around your site.
When page A links to page B, it passes some of its own importance signals over to page B. Do this from multiple authoritative pages, and page B’s authority adds up.
By strategically linking internal pages together, you can funnel authority towards certain pages you want to rank better – like an internal link-building campaign.
3. Create a Better On-Site User Experience
Well-structured internal links create a better flow between topics and help keep users on your site longer.
Instead of exiting immediately, visitors can click through contextual internal links to find related content and tasks. This improves engagement metrics like lowering bounce rates.
In summary, internal links influence three key areas,
- Crawlability for search engine bots
- Authority transfer for SEO rankings
- User experience for engagement
Now that you know why they matter, let’s explore common internal link types.
Types of Internal Links
Let’s break down the four main types of internal links, each serving unique functions for on-site navigation and SEO.
Navigational links are the backbone of your website’s structure. They are typically found in your site’s primary menu, which is often located at the top or on the left side of your pages.
nav menu example
These links are designed to:
- Help visitors quickly find key sections – products, services, contact details, etc.
- Create the basic site index that search bots follow
- Pass authority site-wide as they are typically on all pages
Navigational links are crucial for both user experience (UX) and SEO because they outline the global site architecture.
Breadcrumb links offer a navigational aid that shows users their current location within the site hierarchy and allows them to easily navigate back to higher-level pages.
Breadcrumbs example
They are commonly found on:
- Product pages
- Blog posts
- Deep section pages
Breadcrumbs enhance UX and SEO by:
- Highlighting the site architecture makes it easier for users and search engines to understand how a page fits within the overall structure.
- Facilitating navigation to higher-level pages.
- Distributing authority across the website.
These are also a kind of navigational links that are generally found on the right side of the page and divert readers to related content or popular content.
News websites are the best example of sidebar links.
Located at the bottom of every page, footer links direct visitors to essential but not primary pages.
Typical footer links covers;
- Contact us
- About us
- Privacy policy
- Terms of service
- Sitemap
While the SEO impact of footer links is relatively minimal, they play a significant role in improving UX by providing easy access to important information and resources.
5. Contextual Links
Contextual links are embedded within the content of a page and link to other related pages or articles within your website.
For instance, a blog post about web hosting might include links to other articles on shared hosting, VPS hosting, Cloud hosting, etc.
These links:
- Direct readers to topically relevant content, encouraging them to explore further.
- Help search engines understand the relationship between different pieces of content, enhancing the site’s thematic coherence.
- Funnel authority to linked pages, potentially boosting their ranking in search results.
Contextual links enhance the user experience by providing additional information and are valuable for SEO by strengthening relevance signals.
Now let’s discuss how to craft an internal linking strategy that leverages these different types of links effectively.
Building an Internal Linking Strategy
Building an effective internal linking strategy is crucial for enhancing both the user experience (UX) and search engine optimization (SEO) of your website.
Here’s a simplified guide to help beginners understand how to plan and implement an internal link structure:
1. Identify Your Site’s Pillar Pages
What are Pillar Pages?
- Pillar pages are the foundation of your site’s content structure. They cover broad topics and have high authority.
- These pages serve as gateways, attracting visitors with general information and guiding them to more specific subtopics.
How to Choose Pillar Pages?
- Audit your existing content to select 10-15 pillar pages.
- Choose pages on broad topics with significant traffic and commercial value. Tools like Google Search Console or Semrush can help identify these.
- Pillar pages could be main category pages, comprehensive guides, or introductory articles.
Key Points
- Focus on topics with commercial potential and decent search volume.
- Ensure these pages have some authority and can funnel visitors to more detailed content.
- Avoid overly niche topics to ensure there’s enough related content to link to.
2. Develop Topic Clusters Supported By Pillars
What are Topic Clusters?
- Topic clusters are groups of related content that delve into the subtopics of your pillar pages.
- They allow users to explore based on their interests, providing a more detailed exploration of the pillar topic.
How to Build Topic Clusters?
- For each pillar page, create 3-5 topic clusters with multiple supporting pages.
- Use tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to find related sub-topics and keywords.
- Ensure that all pages within a cluster link back to the pillar page, reinforcing the structure and authority.
Key Points
- Brainstorm and research to identify relevant subtopics for clusters.
- Analyze user behavior through the Search Console to understand interest areas.
- Interlink pages within clusters and back to the pillar pages to strengthen the content network.
3. Create Descriptive, Keyword-Rich Anchor Text
What is Anchor Text?
- Anchor text is the clickable text part of a hyperlink. It describes the linked page and is crucial for both UX and SEO.
- It helps users and search engines understand what the linked page is about.
How to Optimize Anchor Text?
- Keep it concise, ideally under 5 words.
- Occasionally include your brand name.
- Use relevant keywords for the linked pages but avoid over-optimization by varying the wording.
- Mix up anchor text formats, using both in-text links and call-out links for a natural appearance.
Key Points
- Strategic use of anchor text can significantly improve navigation and SEO.
- Avoid using the same anchor text repeatedly to prevent looking spammy to search engines.
4. Map Authority Flow Throughout the Site
Understanding Authority Flow
- Websites have pages with varying levels of authority, determined by factors like backlinks, organic traffic, and search rankings.
- “Authority flow” refers to the distribution of this authority from high-authority pages to lower-authority ones through internal linking.
How to Map Authority Flow?
- Analyze Page Authority: Use SEO tools like Ahrefs or SEMRush to evaluate the authority of your pages, looking at metrics like Domain Rating or URL Rating.
- Identify High-Power Pages: Find pages with the most valuable backlinks and highest traffic. These are your top assets.
- Plan Your Link Structure: Use these high-authority pages to link to pages with lower authority. This helps distribute authority and improve the SEO performance of the entire site.
- Regular Updates: Reassess your site’s authority flow quarterly to adjust for new content and shifting priorities.
Key points
- Highest power pages to link FROM
- Lower power pages to link authority TO
Map out an architecture and use top pages to funnel relevance and rankings downstream via contextual links, clusters, etc.
Repeating this analysis and planning process quarterly lets you update flows over time as new content emerges and priorities shift.
5. Support Newer Pages & Assets
New pages, especially those targeting competitive topics, may struggle to rank well initially. To help these pages gain visibility and authority, you can strategically link to them from existing high-authority pages on your site.
Here’s a proven tactic to give them an SEO boost from inception:
First, research keywords related to the new post across your site using the “site:” in Google.
For example, if you have created a post around “SEO”, and want to do internal linking then search for “seo site: your domain name”.
This reveals existing relevant pages that you can do internal linking FROM.
Next, compile a list of 10-20 suitable pages and add contextually relevant links to your new page with descriptive anchor text.
If done right, you’ve instantly passed authority from multiple older domain assets to your new content and supercharged its ranking potential.
By following these strategies, you can enhance the SEO performance of both new and existing pages on your site, ensuring a logical flow of authority and improving overall site visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Auditing and Fixing Internal Links
Now that you understand why internal links matter and how to map architecture, let’s cover common issues that can undermine their SEO and UX value if left unchecked,
1. Broken Internal Links
Broken Internal links occur when you remove pages or change their location without updating the links that lead to them. This can frustrate your visitors with error messages like “404 not found.”
For example, you had a page about “Summer Gardening Tips” that you deleted, but there are still links on your site pointing to it. When someone clicks on that link, they hit a dead end.
Fixes
- Link Checkers: Use tools to find and fix broken links. Aim to do a thorough check every few months.
- Redirect: If you’ve moved the content, use a redirect to send visitors from the old link to the new page.
2. Too Many Links Per Page
Link spam tactics in the early 2000s conditioned SEOs to equate “more links = better”. But today both quality and volume control matter.
Too many links often indicate thin or auto-generated content rather than authoritative assets.
Metrics like E-A-T (Expertise-Authoritativeness-Trustworthiness) also evaluate contextual link relevance.
So avoid pages with hundreds of links – instead keep strategic contextual and cluster connections.
Tools like Moz and Ahrefs now flag high-risk pages with excessive links during site audits.
3. Confusing Site Architecture
If your website is like a maze, with no clear paths or signs, visitors and search engines will get lost. A confusing layout makes it hard for people to find what they need and for search engines to understand how your content is related.
Fixes
- Simplify: Every so often, review your site’s structure. Make it as simple and intuitive as possible.
- Consolidate: Merge similar pages and ensure each page has a clear purpose.
4. Misuse of Nofollow Attribute
By default, internal links pass equity and signals just like backlinks. Adding nofollow specifically instructs engines NOT to transfer value or use the link as an endorsement.
Some CMS plugins auto-insert nofollow on ALL site links – internal and external. This undercuts SEO influence.
Audit usage of rel=”nofollow” attribute across internal links – remove selectively from key connections between pillars, clusters, and related content you want search bots to crawl and pass authority between.
5. Orphaned Pages
These are pages with no links pointing to them, making them hard for visitors and search engines to find. It’s like having a room in your house that’s completely sealed off.
For example, you wrote a great article on “Indoor Herb Gardens,” but there are no links on your site that lead to it. It’s virtually invisible.
Fixes
- Implementing site search
- Deep linking in site footers
- Adding contextually relevant internal links
- Again leveraging pillars and clusters
- Connect orphaned articles to broader hub topics
The key is bringing orphaned pages INTO the main site web so search spiders naturally flow towards them better.
FAQs
Here are a few relevant frequently asked questions about Internal links that you may find helpful.
Internal links connect web pages within the same website domain, and external links point from one website to a different domain.
— When your site links to your own pages = internal.
— Links from other sites to yours = external (also called backlinks).
Well-structured internal links not only help visitors navigate, but they provide contextual signals to search engines about site architecture priorities. So leveraging them effectively can directly improve SEO authority and rankings.
It’s tempting for some SEOs to over-optimize internal anchor text with aggressive keyword stuffing. But, the best practice is to use precise, descriptive anchor text that clearly conveys the topic of linked pages. Focus on relevance rather than heavy optimization.
SEO crawlers from tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and Semrush automatically surface orphaned and isolated pages during site-wide audits. Identify ones targeting related keywords and connect them contextually into pillar and cluster content flows using descriptive anchor text. Moreover, if you own a WordPress website, you can take advantage of a WordPress plugin like Link Whisper that automates the process of internal link building.
Yes, you can have too many internal links on one page. While Google can crawl thousands of links, it advises against excessive links that harm user experience.
Aim to keep most pages under 100 links. Evaluate each page’s needs; adding over 50 unrelated links can negatively impact user experience and SEO. However, numerous contextual links that aid readers can enhance SEO and engagement.
Also Read:
Final Thoughts About Internal Links
We hope this comprehensive guide has provided you with new insights on how to actively manage internal links to improve your site’s architecture, engagement, and search performance.
By intentionally crafting and evolving your site’s linkage structure over time, you can lay a strong SEO foundation that enhances your other optimization efforts.
Internal links do more than facilitate navigation; when implemented thoughtfully, they can strengthen your site’s architecture and improve your rankings.
As you continue to create and publish content, remember to keep the overall site context, relevance, and flow in mind.
Focus on the quality of links rather than quantity, connect related pages in a meaningful way, and conduct regular audits.
By adopting this strategy, you can maximize the benefits of effective internal linking.
