Internal linking means linking from one page of your site to another, and it is one of the cheapest improvements you can make. It helps visitors move towards what they need, and it helps search engines discover pages and understand how they relate.
Why does internal linking matter?
Google’s own guidance says it finds pages by following links, and that descriptive link text helps it understand what the linked page is about. A page with no links pointing to it is hard to find, for people and for crawlers.
What are the simple rules?
- Link where it helps the reader. If a sentence mentions another topic you cover, link to it.
- Use descriptive anchor text such as “Google Business Profile checklist”, not “click here”.
- Keep important pages close to the home page and in your menu.
- Link from posts to services when it is natural, and from services back to useful guides.
What is a hub page?
A hub is a main page on a topic that links out to detailed posts, which link back. For example, a local SEO hub could connect your guides on profiles, reviews, citations and location pages. Our SEO services page works like this for our own posts.
What should you avoid?
Do not force dozens of links into one article, repeat identical anchors everywhere, or link to pages that no longer exist. Check for broken links occasionally. Also avoid hiding links in ways visitors cannot see.
How do you start?
List your most important pages, then open each one and ask: where on the site should people reach this from? Add two or three natural links and review again in a month. Good internal linking is mostly tidy housekeeping. If you want a full review, an audit like the one in our AI visibility audit checklist covers it alongside other checks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many internal links should a page have?
There is no set number. Add as many as are genuinely useful to the reader and no more.
Is internal linking different from backlinks?
Yes. Internal links connect pages on your own site; backlinks come from other websites.
Should internal links open in a new tab?
Usually not necessary. Let visitors choose, and keep the main journey simple.
How do I find pages with no links?
A site crawler or a plugin report can list pages that no other page links to, often called orphan pages.