On-page SEO
Internal Linking
Last updated
What is Internal Linking?
Internal linking is the practice of hyperlinking from one page on a website to another page on the same domain. These links help search engine crawlers discover and index content, distribute page authority (link juice) across the site, and guide users to related or deeper content. A deliberate internal linking strategy is one of the most impactful and often underutilized on-page SEO tactics.
Effective internal links use descriptive, keyword-rich anchor text and connect topically related pages. Pillar pages and cluster content particularly benefit from structured internal linking, reinforcing topical authority. Orphan pages — those with no internal links pointing to them — are often poorly indexed and rank weakly.
Why it matters for SEO
Internal links are a direct mechanism for passing authority from high-equity pages to pages that need ranking support. They also improve crawl efficiency, ensure all important pages are indexed, and reduce bounce rate by guiding users deeper into the site.
Example
A garden-supplies store publishes a new guide, "How to Plant Bare-Root Roses". The editor adds links to it from the existing "Rose Care" pillar page and the "Autumn Gardening Checklist" post, using the anchor "planting bare-root roses". The guide in turn links to the product page for rose fertiliser. Crawlers find the new page quickly and readers have a clear next step.
Free tools for Internal Linking
Go further with Internal Linking
Put the theory to work
LazySEO researches keywords, writes SEO articles and publishes them to your site on a schedule.