Have you ever been lost in the labyrinth of your website, clicking deeper and deeper until you couldn’t find your way back? Search‑engine crawlers feel the same way. A messy internal linking structure can hide your best pages, waste crawl budget and bury your important content where both users and Google can’t find it.
On the other hand, a well‑planned web of internal links guides visitors effortlessly through your content, spreads link equity efficiently, and signals to search engines which pages deserve to rank. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to build a scalable internal linking architecture using proven SEO strategies and avoid the costly mistakes that hold websites back.
We’ll also show you how to audit your current linking, fix orphaned pages, optimize anchor text, and automate internal links using ClickRank’s AI‑powered tools.
What is an internal linking structure?
An internal link is a hyperlink that points from one page on your website to another page on the same domain. Collectively, all of the internal links on your site form an internal linking structure, sometimes called the site’s architecture. This structure isn’t visible to users at first glance, but it’s the blueprint that determines how easily people and search‑engine bots can navigate your content.
When you think about a site as a network of pages and connections, internal links act like roads and highways: some roads (navigation menus or the homepage) are wide, heavily trafficked routes; other roads (contextual links deep in articles) are narrow alleyways that still lead visitors to useful destinations. By organizing these roads strategically you decide which pages get the most visibility, authority and clicks.
It’s important to understand the difference between internal links, external links and backlinks.
- Internal links live inside your site and pass authority and relevance between your own pages.
- External links point from your site to another domain.
- Backlinks are links coming into your site from other websites.
While all three types influence SEO, this guide focuses on how to use internal links to optimize your site’s flow of link equity and user experience. We’ll discuss external links and sitemaps toward the end for comparison.
Why internal linking matters
Internal links are one of the most under‑utilized SEO tools. They help search engines discover and index pages, distribute PageRank through your site and guide users to valuable information. The GTECH Digital article on crawl depth explains that **crawl depth** is the number of clicks from your homepage to a specific page. Google’s crawlers will priorities pages closer to the homepage and may not spend time indexing pages buried several levels deep.
When your internal linking structure keeps important content within two or three clicks, you increase the likelihood it will be crawled and ranked. Conversely, pages buried four clicks or more may not be discovered without external links or manual submission. Building clear pathways through your site helps both bots and humans find what they need quickly.
Internal linking also helps distribute link equity (sometimes called “link juice”) around your site. Link equity is the authority or ranking power passed from one page to another through hyperlinks. The Better Links guide notes that a page’s authority, the relevance of the linking page to the linked page, anchor text and the number of links on the page all affect how much equity is passed.
If your site has a few high‑authority pages that attract backlinks, thoughtful internal linking ensures that authority flows to related pages, helping them rank as well. Without a strategy, link equity can accumulate on a handful of pages while the rest of your content languishes.
Why building a solid internal link architecture matters for SEO
Now that you know what internal links are, let’s explore why their structure has such a profound effect on your site’s performance. A strategic linking architecture influences how search engines crawl your site, how authority is distributed and how users interact with your pages. Ignoring this foundational aspect of SEO can lead to wasted crawl budget, poor engagement metrics and underperforming content.
Improved crawl depth and indexation
Search engines allocate a limited crawl budget to each site. If your site contains hundreds or thousands of pages, Googlebot will prioritise the most accessible ones. The GTECH Digital article warns that pages buried four or more clicks deep may not get crawled. An internal linking strategy that keeps important content within two or three clicks of your homepage ensures that crawlers can reach and index it.
This is particularly crucial for ecommerce and large content sites where new pages are created regularly. When search engines consistently discover and index new pages, those pages can begin ranking and driving traffic sooner.
Better distribution of link equity
Link equity originates from external backlinks, but you decide how that equity flows through your site. The BetterLinks guide explains that the authority of the linking page, topical relevance and the anchor text all impact how much link equity is transferred. By linking your authoritative pages to related articles or product pages, you ensure that ranking power isn’t isolated to a handful of posts.
For example, if your blog’s “Ultimate Guide to Technical SEO” has dozens of backlinks, you can boost your newer or deeper articles by linking to them contextually. This helps them rank without waiting for external links. Conversely, if you link to low‑priority pages or irrelevant content, you dilute your site’s overall authority.
Enhanced user experience and engagement
Internal links act like signposts guiding visitors to the next piece of content they need. When you thoughtfully add contextual links to relevant resources, readers stay on your site longer, view more pages and build trust in your expertise. Studies show that a strong internal linking strategy increases pages per session and reduces bounce rate.
The Conductor guide on topic clusters notes that linking related pieces of content around a central topic provides a seamless user journey that answers all of a searcher’s questions. When users easily find information, they’re more likely to convert whether that means subscribing to your newsletter, requesting a quote or making a purchase.
Clear signals about site structure and relevance
Search engines use internal links to understand your content’s hierarchy. When multiple pages link back to a pillar page, it signals that the pillar page is your definitive resource on that topic. Similarly, when cluster pages link to each other and back to the pillar, they indicate topical relationships.
Without these signals, search engines may treat your pages as unrelated islands, which makes it harder to build topical authority.
A well‑designed internal linking structure clarifies which pages target broad topics (pillars) and which pages cover specific subtopics (clusters), helping search engines deliver the right page for each query.
Common problems with internal linking structures (and how to avoid them)
Even well‑intentioned sites fall into common traps that sabotage the effectiveness of their internal links. Identifying these issues is the first step toward fixing them. Let’s look at the most frequent problems and the solutions to get your site back on track.
Orphan pages
Orphan pages are pages that have no internal links pointing to them. The Conductor article defines them as pages that “live outside your site’s structure” and may not be indexed. Because no other pages link to them, search engines may not discover them at all. Orphan pages waste crawl budget and perform poorly in search results.
To fix orphan pages, first identify them using tools like Google Search Console (Coverage report > Excluded). Then decide whether each orphaned page deserves to exist. Valuable pages should be integrated into your site’s structure by adding relevant internal links. Low‑value pages may be deleted or redirected.
Too many or too few internal links
Finding the right balance of internal links is part art, part science. Too many links on a single page can dilute link equity and overwhelm users; too few links limit discoverability. You want enough internal links to guide crawlers and readers without creating a distracting wall of links. Use your navigation and context as guides: include links to pillar pages, clusters and relevant tools or resources. Avoid linking to unrelated content just to create a link.
Incorrect or non‑descriptive anchor text
Anchor text is the clickable text of a link. Generic phrases like “click here” or “learn more” fail to convey context to users and search engines. Portent’s guide emphasizes that descriptive anchor text builds trust and helps users predict what they’ll find on the linked page. Generic anchors like “read more” provide no context and can frustrate visitors. Instead, your anchor text should naturally include the keyword or topic of the linked page.
For example: **learn how to optimize crawl depth** or **technical SEO audit checklist**. This descriptive text improves click‑through rates and helps search engines understand relevance.
Overlinking to low‑priority pages
It’s tempting to add internal links everywhere, but linking from every page to every other page diminishes the value of each link and confuses crawlers. Overlinking can especially harm user experience when links point to tangential or promotional content. Focus on linking from high‑authority pages to your most important resources.
Keep your navigation menus simple and contextual links relevant. If a page no longer serves a strategic purpose, remove or redirect it instead of repeatedly linking to it.
How to construct a scalable internal linking structure
Building an effective internal linking architecture isn’t about randomly sprinkling links; it’s about designing a deliberate structure that supports your content strategy. Here’s how to create a scalable framework that serves your users and your SEO goals.
Create pillar pages and topic clusters
Pillar pages are comprehensive, high‑level resources covering a broad topic in depth. They serve as hubs that link out to more specific cluster content. The Conductor guide explains that pillar pages are designed to be “broad yet deep” so they retain users and secure backlinks.
Topic clusters, on the other hand, are groups of related pages that cover subtopics in detail. Each cluster page links back to its pillar and may interlink with other cluster pages. This hub‑and‑spoke model improves user experience by answering all of a searcher’s questions and signals to search engines that your site is an authority on the subject.
To implement this structure:
Identify your core topics: These will become your pillar pages. For ClickRank, a core topic might be “Technical SEO Audit,” “Internal Linking Structure,” or “Canonical Tag Optimization.”
Research subtopics and long‑tail queries: Use keyword research (as provided in the keyword file) to create cluster pages. For example, subtopics for an internal linking pillar could include “crawl depth optimization,” “anchor text best practices,” “avoid orphan pages,” and “internal vs external links.”
Create comprehensive pillar content: Pillar pages should be at least 2,000 words and cover every angle of the topic. They link to cluster pages using descriptive anchor text and may also include a table of contents for easy navigation.
Develop cluster pages: Each cluster page targets a specific keyword or question and links back to the pillar page using the target keyword as anchor text. Cluster pages can interlink when relevant.
This architecture allows your site to grow gracefully. As you add new cluster pages, you update the pillar page to include them. Your readers enjoy a clear path through your content and search engines understand your topical authority.
Optimize navigation and menu links
Your site’s navigation is the starting point for both crawlers and users. Make sure your main menu links to your most important pillar pages and essential conversion pages (such as your contact or pricing pages). Avoid stuffing your navigation with every category or tag; instead, group related content logically.
A shallow navigation ensures that your best content is no more than one or two clicks away from the homepage. Because Google treats navigational links differently than contextual links, use them to emphasise high‑priority sections but reserve detailed linking for within your content.
Add contextual and breadcrumb links
Contextual links appear within your content and point readers to related resources. These links are powerful because they appear in the flow of the article, allowing you to use descriptive anchor text and emphasize the relevance of the linked page. Use contextual links to connect cluster pages, reference tools like ClickRank’s canonical tag checker and guide users to conversion pages.
Breadcrumb links show the hierarchical path from the current page back to its parents (e.g., Home > Blog > Internal Linking). Breadcrumbs help users navigate upwards and also provide additional internal links for crawlers. They’re especially useful for ecommerce and large blogs. If your CMS allows it, enable breadcrumb navigation and ensure the markup uses structured data so search engines can display it in the SERPs.
Maintain optimal crawl depth
The GTECH article notes that pages buried four clicks or more from the homepage have a lower chance of being indexed. To minimize crawl depth:
- Limit the number of categories and subcategories in your URL structure.
- Use tags sparingly; too many can create duplicate thin pages.
- Link to important pages from your homepage and pillar pages.
- Update your XML sitemap and submit it in Google Search Console to ensure new pages are discovered.
Use descriptive anchor text
As noted earlier, anchor text should be specific and predictive. Portent’s guide recommends using enough words to make the destination clear. This means avoiding generic calls to action and using language that naturally incorporates your keywords. For example:
- Good: Learn how to optimize crawl depth with our step‑by‑step guide.
- Bad: Click here for more information.
Descriptive anchors not only help readers trust your links but also reinforce topical relevance in Google’s eyes.
Incorporate internal link auditing into your workflow
Internal linking isn’t a one‑time task. As you add new content, update old posts and reorganize categories, you need to review and update your internal links. Use a content calendar or project management tool to schedule quarterly internal link audits. Add or remove links based on changes in your priorities, user behavior and the competitive landscape.
How to audit your internal links and fix them using Google Search Console, Screaming Frog and ClickRank
A regular internal linking audit helps you identify orphan pages, broken links, overlinked pages and opportunities to strengthen your site’s architecture. Here’s how to conduct a thorough audit using popular tools.
Step 1: Map your site’s current structure
Start by exporting your site’s existing URLs. You can use Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free up to 500 URLs) to crawl your site and generate a report of all pages, their status codes, the number of internal links and the anchor text used. Screaming Frog will show the **crawl depth** (number of clicks from your start URL) and highlight pages with zero internal links.
Export the list and note any patterns: Do you have many orphan pages? Are important URLs buried deeper than three clicks?
Google Search Console’s Links report also shows which pages receive the most internal links. Navigate to Links > Internal links and see how many links point to each page. Pages with too few internal links might need more exposure. Compare this list to your pillar and cluster pages: your pillars should have the most internal links, while cluster pages should have a moderate number.
Step 2: Identify and fix orphan pages
Using Screaming Frog’s report, filter pages with zero inlinks. For each orphan page, decide whether it should exist. If it’s valuable, integrate it into your structure by adding links from relevant pillar or cluster pages. If it’s outdated or redundant, consolidate it into a more comprehensive piece or redirect it to a better resource. Removing low‑quality orphan pages helps focus your link equity and crawl budget on content that matters.
Step 3: Evaluate link quality and anchor text
Review the anchor text used in your top internal links. Are you using descriptive, keyword‑rich anchors? Ensure that the anchor text accurately describes the target page. Avoid repeating the exact same anchor text on every link variety looks more natural and captures different keyword variations. Look for instances of “click here” or other generic anchors and update them.
Step 4: Check for broken or redirected links
During your crawl you may find links pointing to 404 pages or old URLs that now redirect. Fix broken links by updating them to the correct URLs, and replace redirected links with direct links to avoid unnecessary hops. Broken and redirected links waste crawler resources and frustrate users.
Step 5: Optimize crawl depth and link placement
If your audit reveals that important pages are four or more clicks deep, add links from higher‑level pages. For example, if your article on **canonical tag best practices** is buried, add a link to it from the internal linking pillar page or the technical SEO audit page. Similarly, ensure that your highest traffic pages link to your key conversion pages. The goal is to make your core content reachable from the homepage within two or three clicks.
Step 6: Automate and scale with ClickRank’s internal linking tool
Manual audits can be time‑consuming, especially on large sites. ClickRank’s AI‑powered platform includes an **Internal Linking Optimiser** that scans your site, identifies pages that need more or better links and suggests anchor text based on your keywords. Within one click you can add contextual links to your target pages and fix underlinked content.
This tool also highlights orphan pages, broken links and overlinked pages, making your internal link audit actionable. Because ClickRank’s recommendations are driven by real keyword data, you’ll maintain relevance and avoid keyword stuffing. Try the internal linking optimizer as part of a **free technical SEO audit** to see how many high‑impact improvements you can make in minutes
Internal links vs external links vs sitemaps
It’s helpful to understand how internal links differ from external links and sitemaps and when to use each.
Internal links: Connect pages within your site to distribute authority and guide users. They’re under your complete control. Use them strategically to highlight pillar pages, cluster content and conversion pages.
External links: Point from your site to another domain. External links help users find additional resources and can be seen as a vote of confidence. Outbound linking to high‑authority sources can improve your content’s credibility, but too many can draw visitors away.
Also, you can mark external links as `rel=”nofollow”` if you don’t want to pass authority or encourage search engines to follow them. Internal links rarely need `nofollow` because you typically want Google to crawl your own pages.
Backlinks: Links from other websites pointing to your pages. Backlinks are one of the strongest ranking signals. Earning backlinks usually requires creating high‑quality, shareable content and promoting it. Once you have them, internal linking helps distribute that authority.
XML sitemap: A file listing all the pages on your site you want search engines to index. Sitemaps are especially useful for large sites or sites with complex architectures. However, a sitemap does not replace internal linking. Search engines still rely on internal links to understand the relationship between pages.
Use sitemaps and internal links together: sitemaps ensure discovery; internal links ensure understanding and authority flow.
Summary and next steps
Building an effective internal linking structure is both an art and a science. By viewing your website as a network of interconnected pages rather than isolated articles, you can design pathways that serve search engines and human readers alike. The key takeaways from this guide are:
- Keep important pages within two or three clicks from the homepage to ensure they’re indexed.
- Use pillar pages and topic clusters to organize content and establish topical authority.
- Distribute link equity by linking high‑authority pages to related articles.
- Use descriptive anchor text that tells users where they’re going and reinforces relevance.
- Avoid orphan pages, overlinking and generic anchors.
- Conduct regular internal link audits using tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog and ClickRank to find orphan pages, fix broken links and optimize crawl depth.
Now it’s time to apply what you’ve learned. Start by auditing your current internal links, identifying orphan pages and adding links to your most important resources. Then create or refine your pillar pages and build out topic clusters around them. As you publish new content, always link back to relevant pillars and clusters using descriptive anchor text.
And if you want an easier way to optimize your internal links at scale, **get started with ClickRank’s free technical SEO audit** it’s a quick win that can unlock significant improvements in rankings and traffic.
Frequently asked questions about internal linking structure
What is an internal linking structure in SEO?
An internal linking structure is the network of hyperlinks connecting pages within your own website. These links help search engines and users navigate your content, determine the relative importance of pages and distribute authority. A well‑organised structure uses pillar pages, cluster pages and contextual links to create a clear hierarchy.
Poorly structured sites may have orphan pages or deep pages that search engines never crawl.
How do I build an internal linking structure?
Begin by identifying your core topics and turning them into pillar pages. Then research related subtopics to create cluster pages. Ensure each cluster page links back to its pillar using descriptive anchor text and that pillars link out to all clusters. Keep your navigation simple and use contextual links within your articles to connect related content.
Regularly audit your links to avoid orphan pages and broken links. Tools like ClickRank can speed up this process by suggesting link opportunities and anchor text based on your keywords.
How many internal links are good for SEO?
There isn’t a fixed number of internal links that applies to every page. Instead of aiming for a specific count, focus on providing valuable pathways to relevant content. A 1,000‑word article might include five to ten contextual links to related resources; a pillar page might include dozens of links to cluster pages.
Avoid stuffing a page with so many links that it looks spammy or dilutes the value of each link. Balance is key: enough links to aid navigation and spread authority, but not so many that they overwhelm your readers.
Do internal links need to be nofollow?
Generally, no. The `rel=”nofollow”` attribute tells search engines not to follow a link or pass authority. Since you want Google and other search engines to crawl your internal pages and distribute link equity, adding `nofollow` to internal links defeats the purpose.
However, there are rare cases when you might nofollow internal links, such as when linking to a login page or a duplicate page you don’t want indexed. For most SEO purposes, leave your internal links dofollow.
What is the difference between internal linking and sitemaps?
Both internal links and sitemaps help search engines discover your content, but they serve different functions. Internal links establish relationships between pages, distribute authority and aid navigation. Sitemaps are simply lists of URLs, like a table of contents for search engines.
A sitemap does not replace a good internal linking structure. Think of a sitemap as the index of a book and internal links as the chapters and footnotes that guide you through it.
How often should I audit my internal links?
Aim to review your internal linking structure at least quarterly, especially if you publish new content frequently or have a large site. If you’re making major changes to your site’s structure, such as reorganizing categories or migrating to a new platform, conduct an audit before and after. Automated tools can alert you to broken links or orphan pages as soon as they appear.
