Internal linking

Internal linking, defined

Internal links are links from one page on your site to another. They help visitors move between related information, help crawlers discover pages, and show search engines which pages you consider important. The clickable words, the anchor text, describe what the linked page is about.

An example from a UK business

An electrician has written a helpful guide about EICRs for landlords, but it doesn't link to his inspection booking page, and nothing links to the guide. He adds a link from the guide to the booking page, from the landlords page to the guide and from the home page to both. The guide starts sending enquiries.

What to avoid

• Using "click here" as link text.
• Linking everything to everything, which tells nobody what matters.
• Leaving new pages without any links in.
• Hiding key links in scripts or menus that crawlers can't follow.

A quick check you can do now

In Search Console, the Links report includes a list of your most internally linked pages. If your most important services sit near the bottom while the privacy policy sits near the top, your links don't match your priorities. Add links from relevant pages, especially popular ones, to the pages that earn you money.

What it changes for you

Internal linking is free, entirely under your control and often neglected. A page with no links pointing to it is hard for anyone to find. Adding a few sensible links from relevant pages can help a service page more than another blog post would.

It's also one of the safest changes you can make. Adding a sensible internal link rarely causes harm, and it can be done gradually whenever you update or publish a page.

Other on-page terms

• Orphan page: A page with no internal links pointing to it.
• Anchor text: The clickable text of a link, giving context about the destination.
• Site architecture: How pages are organised and linked.
• Pillar page: A comprehensive hub page that clusters link to.