Internal Linking Strategy
Internal links serve three critical functions: they distribute crawl authority through your site, help Google discover pages, and tell Google which pages are important enough to rank.
What Internal Linking Does
Every internal link passes a small amount of PageRank from the linking page to the linked page. This is how authority flows through your site. It's also how Google discovers new pages — without internal links, many pages would never get crawled.
When you link to a page from multiple places with descriptive anchor text, you're telling Google "this page is important for this topic." This affects which pages rank and how prominently.
Anchor Text Matters
Anchor text is the clickable text in a link. "Learn about SEO" and "click here" are both anchor text. "Learn about SEO" is descriptive and helps Google understand what the linked page is about. "Click here" could link to anything and tells Google nothing.
Use descriptive anchor text that incorporates keywords related to the linked page's topic. Instead of "check this out," use "learn keyword research techniques." This serves two purposes: it helps users understand where the link leads (improving user experience), and it helps Google understand page topic.
Don't overdo it with exact-match keywords in every anchor text. "Read our guide to keyword research," "discover keyword research strategies," and "keyword research best practices" provide variation while being descriptive.
Pillar-Cluster Architecture
The pillar-cluster model is a strategic approach to internal linking. You create a central pillar page about a broad topic, then create cluster pages covering specific subtopics. Each cluster page links back to the pillar. The pillar page links to all clusters.
Example: Your pillar page is "The Complete Guide to SEO." Cluster pages are "On-Page SEO," "Technical SEO," "Link Building," and "Content Strategy." Each cluster page links back to the pillar. The pillar page links to all clusters. This structure concentrates authority and tells Google the topical relationship between pages.
This approach works well for competitive keywords because it consolidates topical authority around your pillar page, making it more likely to rank for the broad topic.
Finding Orphan Pages
An orphan page is one with no internal links pointing to it. These pages get less crawl attention from Google. If you have 50 pages but 5 of them have zero internal links, those 5 are underprioritized in crawl budgets.
Find orphans using your site's XML sitemap or crawl tools like Screaming Frog. Look for pages with no internal links. Then add internal links to them from relevant pages on your site. This doesn't require prominent links — a mention in a list or footer is enough to get them crawled.
Identifying Internal Linking Opportunities
Look for pages that mention related topics but don't link to your other pages about those topics. If you're discussing "keyword research" on your "content strategy" page but you don't link to your keyword research guide, that's a missed opportunity.
Systematically audit your content. When you mention a topic you have a dedicated page for, link to it. This serves readers (they can learn more) and helps Google understand that your site has comprehensive coverage of the topic.
Linking from High-Authority Pages
Internal links from high-authority pages on your site (usually your homepage, top-level category pages, and pages with lots of external links) pass more authority than links from low-authority pages.
If you want to boost a new page or a page you want to rank for a competitive keyword, link to it from your homepage, category pages, or other high-authority pages. This concentrates authority on that page and improves its ranking chances.
Don't link to every new page from your homepage — that dilutes authority. Be selective. Link to strategic pages that deserve the boost.
Keyword Siloing and Internal Linking
Siloing is the practice of grouping related pages and linking between them, but not across silos. Example: your "hiking boots" pages link among themselves, your "running shoes" pages link among themselves, but hiking pages don't link to running pages. This prevents keyword cannibalization and concentrates authority within topic clusters.
This works best in large sites with many pages targeting different keyword clusters. In smaller sites, strict siloing can be overkill. Focus on logical linking (linking to pages when relevant to the topic) first. Siloing is an optimization for when you need to prevent very similar pages from competing with each other.
Too Many Internal Links
There's no magic number of internal links per page. Some pages naturally have many relevant internal links. Others have few. The key is that links are relevant and helpful to readers.
Don't stuff pages with links just to distribute authority. Readers can tell when links are unnatural. Only link when the linked page is genuinely relevant to the topic.
Common Internal Linking Mistakes
Too Few Links
Underlinked sites don't distribute authority effectively. Many pages never get enough crawl attention. If you have 100 pages but only link to 20 of them, 80 are being overlooked.
Poor Anchor Text
"Click here," "read more," and "learn more" are common but not helpful. They don't signal page topic to Google. Use descriptive anchor text that tells readers and Google what the linked page is about.
Linking Only from Navigational Elements
Many sites link to pages only through their main navigation or footer. While these are important, contextual links within content are more powerful. Link to relevant pages from within article text where it makes sense.
Ignoring Orphan Pages
Orphan pages exist on your site but go undiscovered because nothing links to them. A simple audit once a quarter to find and link to orphans can significantly improve your site's crawlability.