Key takeaways:
- A strong internal linking strategy helps improve user experience and SEO.
- There are different types of internal links, including contextual links, navigation menus, and anchor links, and each contributes to site structure and user engagement.
- To build an effective internal linking strategy, you need to plan your site structure, prioritize key pages, use descriptive anchor text, link to relevant pages, and create a silo structure.
When it comes to building a successful website, there’s one fundamental aspect that often gets overlooked by beginners: internal linking.
But what exactly are internal links, and why do they matter?
Links help search engines navigate your website. The more well-structured your links, the easier it is for visitors and search engines to find valuable content. This is a key factor in how search engines determine your website’s ranking.
In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll walk you through the basics of internal linking, explaining why it’s important for your website’s ranking and how you can build an effective internal linking strategy.
What are internal links?
Internal links are hyperlinks that connect different pages within the pages on your site. These hyperlinks allow users to navigate from one page to another within the same website. They serve several purposes, including:
- Improving website navigation
- Guiding users to related or relevant content
- Establishing a hierarchy and structure for the website
Here’s how an internal link appears on a webpage:
Types of internal links
There are various types of internal links, each serving a specific purpose in enhancing website navigation and SEO. Some examples include:
- Navigation links. These are typically found in the website’s navigation menu, header, or footer. They provide users with a clear way to access important pages like the homepage, contact page, or product/service categories.
- Contextual links. These are links embedded within the content of a web page. They’re used to reference related articles, products, or information, allowing users to explore further while reading.
- Breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs are a type of internal link displayed near the top of a page to show the user’s current location within the site’s hierarchy. They offer an easy way to navigate back to higher-level pages.
- Related posts/product links. Often found at the end of blog posts or product pages, these links suggest other articles or products that are relevant to what the user is currently viewing.
- Call-to-action (CTA) links. These links encourage users to take a specific action, such as “Learn More,” “Subscribe Now,” or “Get Started.” They’re often used in marketing and conversion-focused content.
- Footer links. Links in the website’s footer can include important pages like the privacy policy, terms of service, or site map. They’re usually consistent across the site’s pages.
- Pagination links. When content is divided into multiple pages, pagination links allow users to navigate through a series of pages, such as for long articles or product listings.
- Sitemap links. A sitemap page typically lists all the important pages on a website, which provides users with an overview of its structure and content.
- Anchor links. These are links that take users to a specific section within a long web page. You might notice anchor links in articles that include a table of contents or FAQ sections.
- Image links. Images can also be used as internal links. Clicking on an image can take users to another page or provide more information about the image.
Internal and external links: What’s the difference?
To optimize your linking strategy, you need to learn about the difference between external links and internal links.
Internal links connect one page of your website to another. They guide visitors from one part of your site to the next—like moving from a blog post to a product page or from your homepage to your services.
External links are different. They point to pages on other websites. You might use them to cite a trusted source, back up a claim, or share a helpful tool.
Here’s how internal and external links differ at a glance:
| Feature | Internal Links | External Links |
| Domain | Links within the same domain | Links to a different domain |
| Primary Purpose | Navigation, user engagement, site structure | Credibility, authority building, referral traffic |
| Effect on SEO | Boosts crawlability, passes link equity | Builds trust, potential to earn backlinks |
| Risks | Broken links hurt SEO and user experience | Low-quality links may damage your credibility |
| Control | You can add, remove, or update links anytime | Destination site can change or be removed |
| Examples | Navigation links, contextual links, product links, CTA links, image links | Citation links, authority links, affiliate links, social media links, partner or sponsor links |
Why are internal links important for SEO?
Internal links play a huge role in search engine optimization (SEO). Here’s why they matter:
- Internal links help search engines, like Google, crawl and index the website’s content.
- They establish the context and relationships between different pages.
- They guide users to related content and help them find what they’re looking for without getting lost in the vast web of information.
- They help distribute link equity, which means one page can pass some of its authority to another through internal links.
How to build an effective internal linking strategy
Now that we’ve covered the ‘why,’ let’s move on to the ‘how’ of internal linking. Creating an internal linking strategy is pretty simple when you know how to get started.
1. Plan your ideal site structure
The first thing you want to do is figure out how your site is organized. You should have clear categories or topics that group related pages together. A well-organized structure makes it easier for people to find what they’re looking for, and it helps search engines understand the connections between your pages.
2. Identify cornerstone and high-priority pages
Next up, identify the key pages on your website. These are the pages you want to prioritize for traffic and conversions. They could be your product pages, services offered, or high-impact content that showcases your expertise.
Once you’ve pinpointed them, make sure they’re linked to throughout your site. By doing so, you’re maximizing their visibility while also guiding users toward your primary goals—whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or exploring your core offerings.
3. Use relevant and descriptive anchor text
Anchor text is the clickable part of a hyperlink, and it plays a big role in guiding both users and search engines. As such, choose anchor text that accurately describes the linked content.
When you do this right, it helps both people and search engines understand what they’ll find if they click. Keep it relevant and specific to the content you’re linking to.
Also, consider including an exact match anchor text. Some hyperlinks use the exact keyword or phrase as the link text, without any additional words or variations. They are often used for SEO purposes to signal to search engines that the linked page is highly relevant to the keyword.
4. Link to related pages and use navigational links
Don’t just link randomly. Instead, add internal links to pages that are contextually relevant to the content and enhance the user’s experience on your site.
This includes both contextual links (or links within the content that guide users to related topics) and navigational links (or links in the menu or footer that help users find key pages like Services or About Us).
Linking to relevant content helps establish your website’s credibility and expertise in a given subject area. Your viewers immediately know that you’ve written a lot about the subject and other related topics.
5. Create a silo structure
A silo structure is a web organization method that groups content into themed categories or “silos.” Each silo centers on a specific topic and ensures closely related content stays together. This organization makes navigation easier for users and helps search engines understand the site’s content hierarchy.
Internal links within a silo reinforce the thematic relevance and guide users through related pages. It makes a solid internal linking structure as websites can improve user experience, create a logical content hierarchy, and enhance their SEO by emphasizing the topical focus of different sections.
6. Use a variety of link types
Experiment with different types of links, such as text links, image links, and even navigation menus. This enriches the user experience by catering to various preferences and needs. Some visitors may prefer to click on descriptive text links, while others might be drawn to engaging visuals or convenient menu options.
The diversity can also showcase the breadth and depth of your content. From an SEO standpoint, it signals to search engines that your website offers a multifaceted and engaging user experience.
Internal linking best practices
Once you’ve got everything we talked about in the previous sections, you’re pretty good to go. However, as you build your internal linking strategy, keep the following best practices in mind.
Use internal links to promote new content
Whenever you create new content, link it to relevant existing pages. Doing this ensures your latest creation gains immediate visibility. But more than that, it also benefits from the link value of those well-established pages.
Additionally, these internal links can accelerate the indexing process. It makes your new content discoverable by both users and search engines faster.
Prioritize the important pages on your website
Your website likely has pivotal pages, such as product showcases or landing pages. These pages play a central role in achieving your goals, whether it’s driving sales, gathering leads, or sharing vital information.
You want these internal pages to have plenty of attention. And by strategically interlinking these pages from various parts of your site, you’re essentially signaling their importance to both users and search engines. This emphasis not only guides visitors toward these key destinations but also bolsters their link value.
Fix broken links on your website
Avoid linking to pages that are no longer relevant or that no longer exist. Outdated or broken links can confuse users and harm your SEO efforts. Also, including internal links pointing to pages that no longer exist can frustrate users as they encounter dead ends or irrelevant content. On top of that, broken internal links can result in a loss of page authority and can confuse search engine crawlers.
Be sure to fix broken internal links. Conduct regular audits to identify and rectify these issues to make sure that your internal linking structure remains streamlined, informative, and conducive to both user satisfaction and SEO success.
Avoid multiple internal links with similar anchor texts
Using the same anchor text for multiple links can be confusing. You want your content to be as clear as possible to be effective and user-friendly, both to your visitors and SEO crawlers.
To enhance the user experience and SEO effectiveness, it’s advisable to vary your anchor text. Make it more descriptive and informative. By doing so, you provide clearer cues about the content that awaits users when they click a link.
Diversified anchor text also helps search engines better comprehend the relationships between linked pages and contributes to a more nuanced understanding of your content’s relevance and value. In fact, the variety of anchor texts is more important than the number of internal links on a web page.
Choose words or phrases that are relevant to the linked content. Also, avoid generic or vague terms and opt for descriptive language that communicates the topic or purpose of the linked page.
It’s important to strike a balance between using keywords for SEO and ensuring the anchor text naturally fits within the surrounding content for a seamless user experience.
Avoid linking to pages that are too far down in your website hierarchy
Pages buried deep within your site may not get as much attention. When key pages are too deeply nested within your site’s structure, they risk receiving far less attention from users and search engines.
To counteract this, it’s necessary to ensure that important pages, such as your homepage, product offerings, or core content, are easily accessible from the homepage or primary navigation menu. This smoothens out your navigation while sending a clear signal to search engines about these pages’ importance.
How does a strong internal linking strategy benefit your website?
Now that we’ve got the basics down, let’s explore why internal linking is so important for your website’s success.
Improves user experience
When visitors read one of your blog posts and it mentions a related topic, a strategically placed internal link can effortlessly explore that related topic without leaving the current page. This provides your visitors more value and information without the hassle of searching elsewhere.
Enhances SEO performance
Search engines love well-structured websites with clear paths. Internal links help search engine crawlers index your content more efficiently.
This not only accelerates the crawling process but also helps search engines understand the hierarchy and relevance of your pages. When search engines grasp the interconnectedness of your content, they can assign higher search rankings to your website.
Increases website authority
Linking to your own content within your website creates pathways for users while also signaling to search engines the significance and expertise of your web pages.
This act of self-referencing can lead to a cumulative effect over time. Multiple internal links can add more page authority to your site. Your increased perceived authority not only instills trust in users, who see your site as a valuable resource but also catches the attention of search engine algorithms.
Facilitates indexing and crawling
When you strategically interconnect your web pages, you’re guiding search engine bots to your site. This ensures no valuable content remains hidden.
As a result, search engines can efficiently discover, index, and understand your web pages. This makes them more likely to surface in search results when users seek relevant information.
Start your own successful internal linking strategy
Internal linking can enhance your website’s user experience, boost its SEO performance, increase authority, and facilitate indexing. By implementing a well-thought-out internal linking strategy, you’re making your site more user-friendly and improving its chances of ranking higher in search engine results.
Put this knowledge into practice. Start by reviewing your website’s current linking structure and make improvements where needed. Paired with Network Solutions’ professional website design, you’ll be on your way to a more successful and user-friendly website in no time!
Frequently asked questions
There’s no exact limit, but a good rule of thumb is one to five internal links per 1,000 words or around five to ten for a 2,000-word post. While Google can crawl hundreds of links on a page, it’s better to keep things user-friendly and stick to a reasonable number—usually under 100—to avoid overwhelming readers.
nternal links are typically classified as navigational (menus, sidebars, footers) and contextual (links within page content that point to related pages).
Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your site. They act as endorsements and help boost your authority and rankings in search engines.
