Internal linking connects pages on the same website to guide visitors, provide context and help search engines discover important content. A good structure is neither an automatic list nor repeated exact-match keywords: it represents the editorial architecture and commercial journeys.
In short: give every page a role, create useful topic hubs, add contextual links with descriptive anchors, repair orphan pages and update older content. Prioritise links that genuinely help the reader, then measure their effect on crawling, journeys and conversions.
What does internal linking actually achieve?
An internal link can reveal another page, explain its relationship to the current subject and offer a next step. Search engines also use crawlable links to discover URLs and understand something about the destination.
Internal linking therefore supports access, thematic understanding and commercial progression. It cannot guarantee rankings, but a page isolated from the rest of the website - or reachable only through an internal search box - starts at a disadvantage.
1. Give each page type a clear role
Map the homepage, categories, services, sectors, case studies and articles. A service page targets commercial intent; a guide answers a question; a case study provides evidence. Links should connect these roles without forcing all of them to target exactly the same query.
This distinction reduces cannibalisation. If three articles promise the same answer, links alone cannot solve the issue: merge, redirect or differentiate their intent.
2. Build useful topic groups
A topic group connects a central page with complementary resources. An SEO service page might receive links from guides about indexing, content and measurement, then send readers to the resources relevant to their decision. The relationship must make sense to a person.
Do not create an artificially long “pillar” that merely repeats every article. It should provide an overview, define the paths and deliver its own value.
3. Inventory URLs and existing links
Export indexable URLs from the CMS, sitemap and a crawling tool. For each page, record incoming internal links, outgoing links, response code, depth and canonical. Compare that data with Search Console to spot useful pages with weak internal support.
Do not confuse low traffic with no value. A new, seasonal or niche page may still deserve links before it accumulates data.
4. Repair orphan pages
An orphan page receives no crawlable internal link. It may appear in a sitemap or be known through an external link, but the website gives it no user path or context. Link it from a relevant category, service or article - or reconsider why it exists.
Check near-orphans too: pages found only in a huge footer or deep pagination. A contextual link from a related page is normally more useful.
5. Use genuinely crawlable HTML links
Google recommends <a> elements with an href containing a resolvable URL. A click controlled only by JavaScript, with no link destination, may be less dependable for crawling and accessibility.
Check relative URLs, redirects, broken links and fragments. A redirecting link can work, but updating it to the final destination removes a hop and simplifies maintenance.
6. Write natural, descriptive anchors
Anchor text should tell the reader what comes next. “Guide to redesigning without losing SEO” is more informative than “click here”. Vary language when context requires it, but do not manufacture an artificial rotation of keyword phrases.
Avoid using the same anchor for different destinations. Linked images need appropriate alternative text, but decorative imagery should not become an excuse to insert a keyword.
7. Place a link when it answers a question
A contextual link is useful when the reader needs detail, proof or a next step. Position it within or immediately after the relevant passage. A “related articles” block at the end can supplement that work, not replace it.
On a service page, link to cases, process, pricing or a guide addressing an objection. In an article, point to deeper resources and then towards the service when intent becomes commercial.
8. Prioritise without an arbitrary quota
There is no magic number of internal links. A long guide may justify many references; a short page needs fewer. Too many competing links reduce readability and make the next action less obvious.
Give strategic pages more useful contextual routes without linking every paragraph to the same URL. Important pages should also appear in stable navigation when that matches the journey.
9. Reduce depth for priority content
An important page should not be buried behind several categories and pagination layers. Add it to the relevant hub, service page or a useful editorial block. Not everything needs to sit one click from home, but each path should be logical and short.
Filters and internal search do not replace an architecture of links. Ecommerce sites should pay particular attention to category-page navigation and faceted URLs.
10. Bring older articles back into the system
When a guide is published, find existing content that mentions its subject and add a small number of relevant links. Link back from the new guide to established resources too. This gives the new page immediate routes.
Use the review to update dates, outdated claims, calls to action and external links. Internal linking works better inside maintained content than an abandoned archive.
11. Organise multilingual links without mixing languages
Each language version should link to pages in that language. Translation equivalents need consistent, reciprocal hreflang annotations; these do not replace a language selector.
Do not assume that every market has the same articles or commercial pages. Link to what actually exists and avoid sending a Spanish visitor to French by default when an alternative is available.
12. Use links to support conversion
An informational article might lead to a diagnostic resource, case study and then a service. A service page can link to a guide that answers an objection. Design these paths for the visitor’s level of readiness instead of repeating the same CTA everywhere.
For example, a guide explaining why a website is missing from Google can lead to an SEO audit, while content strategy may lead to ongoing support.
13. Measure and review the system
Check orphan pages, errors, redirects and depth after important website changes. In Analytics, review internal clicks and journeys to commercial pages without treating every click as a conversion.
In Search Console, interpret changes in impressions and queries carefully: content, competition and external links also affect performance. A useful review combines data, technical crawling and user logic.
A simple optimisation session
- choose five priority commercial pages
- identify their supporting content
- add contextual links from relevant pages
- repair orphan pages and broken links
- update outdated information and CTAs
- crawl again and monitor the resulting journeys
An SEO content strategy designed for a small business helps plan these topic groups before writing begins.
Frequently asked questions
How many internal links should an article contain?
Add links that deepen the subject or provide a logical next step. Page length and purpose matter more than a quota. Ask whether each link deserves to interrupt the reader’s attention.
Do navigation links count as internal links?
Yes, they create stable routes. Contextual links provide more precise context and can direct a reader from a passage closely related to the need.
Should internal links use nofollow?
Generally, no. If a page should not be crawled or indexed, address the reason through architecture, access control or the appropriate directives instead of distributing nofollow attributes around the site.
Turn content into a useful architecture
VulcainDesign audits architecture, content and user journeys to connect visibility with conversion. Explore SEO support or request an internal-linking review.
Main sources: Google - crawlable link best practices, Google - SEO Starter Guide and Google Search Essentials.
Sébastien
Freelance web developer and designer in Toulouse, France, since 2009. I design and code every site myself, from the brief to launch, for small businesses, tradespeople and independent professionals who want a website that brings in clients, not just visits. 17 years in the trade, 18 Google reviews at 5/5.
See my background →
