Quick answer: Internal linking connects pages on the same website so users and crawlers can discover content and understand relationships. Use crawlable anchors, descriptive text, logical hubs, contextual links and shallow paths to important pages. Fix orphans and broken links, but avoid sitewide keyword repetition and links added only to manipulate rankings.
Google recommends a logical site structure and concise, relevant anchor text for internal links.
Why internal links matter
Internal links can:
- help crawlers discover URLs;
- show which pages are important;
- connect topic clusters;
- guide visitors to the next useful answer;
- distribute page-level link signals;
- reduce orphan content;
- support product and conversion journeys;
- clarify breadcrumbs and hierarchy.
They do not create new external referring domains or directly increase Ahrefs Domain Rating.
Internal linking checklist
- Identify important pages.
- Build topic hubs.
- Use crawlable
<a href>links. - Write descriptive anchors.
- Link from relevant context.
- Keep key pages within reasonable depth.
- Fix broken and redirected links.
- Find orphan pages.
- Avoid excessive repetition.
- Measure user and crawl outcomes.
1. Define priority pages
List pages that support:
- product discovery;
- high-intent search;
- core documentation;
- category navigation;
- original research;
- lead or trial conversion;
- major evergreen guides.
Important pages should receive clear internal paths from relevant hubs—not hundreds of random footer links.
2. Build topic clusters
A topic cluster includes:
- one broad hub;
- focused supporting articles;
- related product or category pages;
- links between genuinely connected questions.
For this SEO cluster, what is SEO acts as a foundation, while the on-page checklist, technical checklist and search intent guide answer narrower needs.
3. Use crawlable anchors
Prefer:
<a href="/blog/technical-seo-checklist">technical SEO checklist</a>
Avoid relying only on:
onclickhandlers without URLs;- form actions;
- inaccessible menus;
- client state with no crawlable route;
- search boxes.
Test rendered navigation on mobile and desktop.
4. Write descriptive anchor text
Good anchors set expectations:
- “Domain Rating vs Domain Authority”
- “how search engines work”
- “IndieTools product submission guide”
Weak anchors include “click here,” “read more” without context or repetitive commercial exact-match phrases across every page.
Vary wording naturally when context changes. Do not hide links in punctuation.
5. Link where the reader needs context
A contextual link should:
- explain a prerequisite;
- provide deeper detail;
- show a comparison;
- lead to a relevant product;
- offer the next step.
Do not interrupt every sentence with a link. Clarity is more important than a fixed number per page.
6. Use hubs and category pages
Category and hub pages organize many related destinations. A useful hub should contain:
- concise category definition;
- clear navigation;
- descriptive product or article summaries;
- stable canonical URLs;
- meaningful grouping;
- no empty or duplicate filters.
See how IndieTools categories support directory discovery and read how categories improve discovery.
7. Keep click depth reasonable
There is no universal maximum number of clicks. Important pages should be reachable through intuitive paths from major hubs.
If a high-value page requires several filters and no direct links, crawlers and users may struggle to find it.
Use crawl data to identify important URLs with excessive depth.
8. Find orphan pages
An orphan page has no internal links from crawlable site pages. It may appear only in a sitemap or external link.
Find orphans by comparing:
- sitemap URLs;
- analytics landing pages;
- Search Console pages;
- database or CMS exports;
- crawler-discovered URLs.
Then link them from relevant pages, redirect them, consolidate them or remove them intentionally.
9. Fix broken and redirected links
Update internal links that point to:
- 404 pages;
- redirect chains;
- old hostnames;
- legacy category-first routes;
- HTTP versions;
- tracking URLs;
- incorrect casing.
Link directly to the final canonical URL. Redirects remain useful for external and historical paths, but internal navigation should be clean.
10. Use breadcrumbs accurately
Breadcrumbs help users understand hierarchy and can provide structured internal links.
Example:
Home → Blog → SEO → Internal Linking
Use BreadcrumbList structured data only when it matches visible navigation.
Internal links and page-level strength
Ahrefs URL Rating considers internal and external links. A page that earns external links can distribute value to related pages through internal links.
This does not mean every linked page will rank. Search intent, quality, indexability and competition remain important.
Read Domain Rating vs URL Rating.
Internal linking mistakes
- linking every keyword to the same page;
- adding hundreds of footer links;
- creating circular navigation with no hierarchy;
- using unrelated anchors;
- linking to redirected URLs;
- leaving important pages orphaned;
- generating infinite filter combinations;
- hiding links visually;
- linking only for crawlers, not users.
Internal-link audit table
| Check | Desired state |
|---|---|
| Broken links | None on important routes |
| Orphan pages | Resolved intentionally |
| Redirecting internal links | Updated to final URL |
| Anchor text | Descriptive and natural |
| Priority pages | Linked from relevant hubs |
| Topic clusters | Connected without duplication |
| Mobile navigation | Same important destinations |
| Crawl depth | Reasonable for importance |
Measuring improvements
Track:
- discovered URLs;
- crawl frequency for important sections;
- orphan count;
- internal 404s;
- landing-page impressions;
- user continuation clicks;
- conversions assisted by content;
- page depth and exits.
Changes in ranking cannot always be attributed to one internal-link update, so annotate deployments and compare multiple signals.
Frequently asked questions
How many internal links should a page have?
There is no ideal number. Add links that help readers and maintain clear structure.
Do internal links increase Domain Rating?
No. DR measures the external backlink profile at domain level. Internal links can influence page-level distribution and discovery.
Should every page link to the homepage?
Normal site navigation often does, but contextual links should point to the most relevant destination.
Can too many internal links hurt SEO?
Excessive, repetitive or irrelevant links can reduce usability and clarity. Prioritize meaningful paths.
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