On-Page SEO
Internal Linking for SEO: A Practical Guide
Internal links are the part of SEO you fully control. Here’s how to use them well.
Google says the vast majority of new pages it finds every day are found through links, and that link text tells users and Google something about the page you’re linking to. Internal links, from one page on your site to another, are how you show both what matters and how pages relate.
Unlike backlinks, you control every internal link. That makes them one of the most practical improvements on most business sites.
Short answer: Internal linking means linking between pages on your own site so users and Google can find and understand them. Use standard <a href> links, write descriptive link text instead of “click here”, make sure every page you care about is linked from at least one other page, link from hub pages to detailed pages and back, and link from your strongest pages to the ones you most want found.
Key Takeaways
- Google finds most new pages through links; a page with no internal links is hard to discover.
- Use real <a href> links; Google can’t reliably follow links without an href.
- Descriptive link text helps users and Google; avoid “click here” and “read more”.
- Link hub pages to detailed pages, and detailed pages back to their hub.
- Link where it helps the reader, not on every keyword mention.
Why internal links matter
- Discovery: Google discovers URLs by following links from pages it already knows, such as a category page linking to a new post.
- Understanding: link text gives context about the destination page.
- Priority: pages linked prominently and often are signalled as more important than pages buried deep or not linked at all.
- Users: good links help visitors reach the next useful page.
Make links Google can follow
Google’s link guidance says it can reliably follow <a> elements with an href attribute. Links that only work through JavaScript click handlers, or javascript: URLs, may not be followed. Links inserted with JavaScript are fine as long as they use the same standard markup.
Write good link text
| Weak link text | Better link text |
|---|---|
| Click here | how to verify a Google Business Profile |
| Read more | our technical SEO checklist |
| This page | pricing for local SEO services |
Keep it short and natural. Google’s guidance asks for descriptive, concise text; it doesn’t need to be an exact-match keyword, and repeating the same keyword in every anchor reads badly. For image links, the image’s alt text acts as link text.
Where to add internal links
- Navigation and hubs: make sure key service and category pages are reachable from the menu or a hub page.
- In body content: link to a related guide or service at the point the reader would want it.
- Related content: a short list of genuinely related articles at the end of a post.
- From new to old, and old to new: when you publish, add links to the new page from relevant existing pages too.
Find and fix internal linking problems
- Orphan pages have no internal links. See how to find orphan pages.
- Links to redirects or 404s waste crawling and frustrate users; update them to the final URL.
- Important pages buried several clicks deep should be linked from a hub or the navigation.
- Several pages competing for one topic can be a cannibalization problem; see keyword cannibalization.
Frequently asked questions
How many internal links should a page have?
There’s no set number. Link where it helps the reader; Google’s own guidance says each page you care about should be linked from at least one other page.
Should internal links be nofollow?
Generally no. nofollow is for links you don’t want to vouch for, such as paid or user-generated links.
Does exact-match anchor text help?
Descriptive text helps users and Google understand the destination. It doesn’t need to be an exact keyword, and repetitive exact-match anchors read unnaturally.
Do links in the footer count?
Yes, they’re links Google can follow, but contextual links in body content usually tell readers more about why the page is relevant.
Want your key pages reviewed?
We review titles, headings, content, internal links and intent match on the pages that matter most, and give you prioritized fixes.
Sources
- Google Search Central: Link best practices for Google
- Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide
- Google Search Central: In-depth guide to how Google Search works
Last reviewed October 14, 2026.
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