● The short answer
Internal linking means linking from one page on your website to another. It matters because search engines discover pages by following links, use the link text to understand what each page is about, and pass authority from strong pages to the pages they link to. Good internal links also help visitors find the next thing they need.
Key takeaways
- Internal links connect pages on your own site and are fully under your control.
- They help crawlers discover pages, understand topics and gauge importance.
- Descriptive, contextual links inside body text carry the most value.
Why internal links matter
Internal links are among the few SEO levers you fully control. They do three jobs at once:
- Discovery: crawlers follow links. A page with no internal links (an "orphan") may be found only through a sitemap, if at all, and looks unimportant.
- Context: the clickable text of a link (anchor text) and the words around it tell search engines what the linked page is about.
- Priority and authority: pages that get many internal links, especially from strong pages like your homepage, read as more important. Links from pages that have earned outside links share some of that value.
They also help people. A visitor reading about furnace repair who sees a link to "what a furnace tune-up includes" is more likely to stay and book.
The how is where we come in.
What we walk through with you, for your business:
- Types of internal links
- How to build an internal linking plan
- Mistakes to avoid
- Our take
Every business is different, so the plan is too. Tell us where you want to show up and we will show you what it takes.
Talk to usMore questions
How many internal links should a page have?
There is no fixed number. Link wherever it genuinely helps a reader take the next step or understand a related idea. A typical article might have three to ten contextual links. What matters more is that every important page receives links from relevant pages, and that none are orphaned.
Does anchor text for internal links need exact keywords?
No. Descriptive anchors help, but they do not need to repeat your target keyword exactly every time. Natural variations read better and still give search engines clear context. Avoid generic anchors like click here or read more, which tell neither readers nor crawlers anything.
Sources
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