Internal links connect pages within your site. They guide users, distribute authority, and help search engines discover and prioritize content. Use descriptive anchor text and link to related pages naturally.
Why Internal Links Matter
Internal links are one of the most powerful tools in a technical SEO’s arsenal. From my experience, they serve three critical functions: they improve website crawlability, they distribute link authority, and they enhance the user experience.
First, they help search engine crawlers find and index all your important pages. A page without any internal links is what we call an “orphan page,” and it may never be discovered by a search engine. Second, they pass link authority, or “link juice,” from a strong page to a weaker one. This is how you can use a high-ranking blog post to boost the SEO performance of a product page. Finally, they provide a better user experience by allowing visitors to easily navigate from one related topic to another, which can increase their time on site and reduce bounce rates.
Across Different CMS Platforms
The process of adding internal links is similar across all platforms, but the methods and features can vary.
WordPress
WordPress makes internal linking easy with its built-in editor. You can select text and search for a page on your site to link to. Plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math can even provide internal linking suggestions based on the content on your site, helping you build a more robust structure.
Shopify
For an e-commerce platform like Shopify, internal linking is crucial for connecting products, collections, and blog posts. You can link to a product page from a blog post or to a related collection page from a product description. This helps create a clear path for users to find the products they are looking for.
Wix
Wix has a user-friendly editor that allows you to add internal links with just a few clicks. It’s important to use a logical naming convention for your pages to make it easy to find them in the linking tool.
Webflow
Webflow gives you granular control over your internal linking strategy. You can create a logical hierarchy using folders and collections, and then use links in your CMS to connect related content. This level of control allows for a perfectly tailored IA.
Custom CMS
With a custom CMS, you can build an internal linking system from the ground up that is perfectly tailored to your business. This can include automating internal links based on keywords or creating a content hub structure that is easy to manage.
Across Different Industries
The way a business uses internal links is unique to its industry and goals.
E-commerce
For e-commerce sites, internal links are used to guide a customer from a blog post to a product page. For example, a blog post about “The Best Running Shoes for Long Runs” should link to the specific product pages of the shoes mentioned.
Local Businesses
Local businesses can use internal links to connect their service pages to a contact page or to a portfolio. A page about “plumbing services” could link to a portfolio of recent projects, building trust with a potential customer.
SaaS Companies
SaaS companies can use internal links to connect informational blog posts to their feature or pricing pages. A blog post explaining “How to Automate Your Workflow” could link to a feature page on their software.
Blogs
For bloggers, internal links are essential for building topical authority. By creating content clusters and linking all related articles, you create a clear signal to search engines that you are an expert on a specific subject.
Do’s and Don’ts of Internal Linking
Do’s
- Do use descriptive anchor text: The anchor text is the visible, clickable text. It should be relevant and descriptive of the page you are linking to.
- Do use internal links to a page you want to rank: This is a powerful way to distribute link authority from a strong page to a weaker one.
- Do use a consistent and logical structure: Your internal links should create a clear and intuitive path for users and search engines to follow.
- Do link to your most important pages: Your homepage and cornerstone content should be linked to from many other pages on your site.
Don’ts
- Don’t use vague anchor text: Avoid using generic phrases like “click here” or “read more.”
- Don’t overdo it: A page with too many links can be spammy and confusing for users.
- Don’t link to a page with a noindex tag: This can confuse search engines and be a waste of link authority.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Orphan pages: These are pages with no internal links pointing to them. They are difficult for both users and search engines to find.
- Broken internal links: A broken link sends users and search crawlers to a dead end. Use a tool to regularly check for and fix broken links.
- Linking to a page that is not relevant. The link should always be relevant to the content on the page and the page you are linking to.
FAQs
How many internal links should a page have?
There is no magic number. A page should have enough links to be discoverable and to guide users to related content. A good rule of thumb is to link to relevant content when it adds value to the reader.
Does the position of an internal link matter?
Yes. Internal links placed higher on a page or within the main body of the text are generally considered to be more valuable than those placed in the footer or sidebar.
What is the difference between an internal link and an external link?
An internal link connects two pages on the same website. An external link points from your website to a different domain.
Should I use a “nofollow” tag on my internal links?
No, you should not use a “nofollow” tag on your internal links. The “nofollow” tag prevents link authority from being passed, and you want that authority to flow freely through your site.
How do internal links help with crawlability?
Internal links provide a clear path for search engine crawlers to discover all the pages on your site. Without them, a crawler may miss important content, which can hurt your indexation rate.
