Quick answer
An internal linking strategy is a plan for how your pages link to each other. Good internal links help search engines and AI tools find pages, understand how topics relate and see which pages matter most, while guiding visitors to the next useful step.
Key takeaways
- Link from strong pages to the pages you want to rank.
- Use descriptive anchor text, not "click here".
- Keep important pages within three clicks of the home page.
- Find and fix orphan pages with no links.
Why do internal links matter?
Search engines discover pages by following links. Links also pass context and importance.
A page with no internal links can be missed or treated as unimportant. A thoughtful internal linking strategy fixes that and keeps visitors reading.
How should you structure links?
| Page type | Links to |
|---|---|
| Home page | Main service and hub pages |
| Hub or pillar page | All supporting guides |
| Supporting guide | Its hub and 2 or 3 related guides |
| Service page | Relevant guides and case studies |
How do you write good anchor text?
- Describe the target page in two to five words.
- Vary the wording naturally.
- Avoid "read more" and "click here".
- Do not stuff the same keyword into every link.
How do you find opportunities?
- Crawl your site with a tool such as Screaming Frog or Search Console links report.
- List pages with few incoming links.
- Search your site for mentions of a topic that are not yet linked.
- Add links where they genuinely help the reader.
- Review the structure every few months.
Common mistakes
Burying links in footers only, linking to redirected URLs and adding dozens of links to a short article all weaken the signal. A tidy internal linking strategy is selective and relevant.
A quick audit you can do today
- Pick your five most important service pages.
- Search your blog for mentions of each topic.
- Add a natural link from every relevant post.
- Check that each page is reachable from the main menu or a hub page.
Bottom line
Link related pages with clear words, keep your best pages within a few clicks of the home page and fix orphan pages. It is simple work with lasting results.
Sources and further reading
- Google: Link best practices
- Google: Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
- Google Search Console
Checked against the sources above and our own project experience. Last reviewed 7 October 2026.
