Internal Linking Strategy: The Overlooked SEO Lever

Internal links are one of the most underrated SEO levers. While everyone obsesses over backlinks, the links you control — the ones within your own site — often get ignored.

Here's the thing: internal links directly influence how Google understands your site structure, which pages matter most, and how authority flows between pages.

Why Internal Links Matter

1. They Distribute Page Authority

When a page gets backlinks, it accumulates authority. Internal links pass some of that authority to other pages on your site. A well-linked page can rank even without direct backlinks.

2. They Help Google Discover Content

Google follows links to find pages. If a page has no internal links pointing to it (an "orphan page"), Google may never find it — or consider it unimportant.

3. They Signal Topical Relationships

Linking related pages together helps Google understand your content clusters. It reinforces that you have depth on a topic.

The Hub-and-Spoke Model

The most effective internal linking structure is hub-and-spoke:

• Hub page: A comprehensive guide on a broad topic
• Spoke pages: Detailed articles on specific subtopics
• Links: Hub links to all spokes; spokes link back to hub

Example: A "Complete SEO Guide" hub linking to individual posts about title tags, meta descriptions, internal linking, etc. Each post links back to the guide.

Practical Internal Linking Rules

Rule 1: Link from High-Authority Pages

Your homepage and top-performing posts have the most authority. Use them to link to pages you want to boost.

Rule 2: Use Descriptive Anchor Text

Don't use "click here." Use the target keyword or a descriptive phrase. "Learn more about title tag optimization" tells Google what the linked page is about.

Rule 3: Link Contextually

Links within your content (contextual links) are more valuable than navigation or footer links. They signal relevance.

Rule 4: Don't Overdo It

There's no magic number, but 3-5 internal links per 1,000 words is reasonable. Too many links dilute their value and hurt readability.

Finding Internal Linking Opportunities

Method 1: Site Search

Use site:yoursite.com "keyword" in Google to find pages that mention a topic. These are candidates to link to your main page on that topic.

Method 2: Audit Orphan Pages

Use your sitemap or crawl tool to find pages with zero internal links. These need attention.

Method 3: Link New to Old

When you publish new content, immediately find 2-3 older posts to link from. Don't wait — do it at publish time.

Common Internal Linking Mistakes

• Orphan pages: Pages with no incoming internal links
• Deep pages: Important pages more than 3 clicks from homepage
• Generic anchors: Using "read more" or "click here"
• Broken links: Links to moved or deleted pages
• Nofollow internal links: Rarely makes sense

Quick Wins You Can Do Today

1. Find your top 5 pages by traffic (check GSC)
2. Add 2-3 internal links from each to pages you want to boost
3. Check your newest posts — do they link to older relevant content?
4. Search for orphan pages and add links to them

Internal linking isn't glamorous, but it works. It's free, it's within your control, and the results compound over time.

PageSEO identifies internal linking opportunities automatically. We analyze your site structure and tell you exactly which pages to link together — one action per day.