Introduction
Internal linking is one of the most powerful yet often overlooked SEO techniques. It’s the practice of linking pages within the same website.
On-Page SEO experts agree: proper internal linking helps search engines understand your website’s structure and distributes ranking power across pages.
In this article, you will learn what internal linking is, why it matters, and how to use it to maximize your SEO results.
What is Internal Linking?
Internal links are hyperlinks that point from one page of your website to another page on the same domain.
For example, on URLShortly, a blog article about “Mobile Optimization” might link internally to another page about “Meta Titles & Descriptions.”
Why Internal Linking is Important for SEO
✅ 1. Helps Search Engines Crawl Your Website
Google’s bots follow links to discover new pages. Good internal links ensure all important pages are found and indexed.
✅ 2. Distributes Page Authority (Link Juice)
Pages with many backlinks pass authority to other pages through internal links, improving their rankings.
✅ 3. Improves User Experience
Relevant internal links guide visitors to related content, increasing time on site and reducing bounce rate.
✅ 4. Boosts Keyword Relevance
Using descriptive anchor text in internal links signals to Google what the linked page is about.
Best Practices for Internal Linking
✅ 1. Use Descriptive Anchor Text
Instead of “click here,” use text like “learn about mobile optimization” to describe the linked page.
✅ 2. Link to Relevant Pages Only
Keep internal links relevant to the context. Irrelevant links confuse users and search engines.
✅ 3. Avoid Overlinking
Don’t link every single keyword. 2-3 internal links per 1000 words is a good rule of thumb.
✅ 4. Link to Important Pages More Often
Pages like your homepage, category pages, or key product pages should get more internal links.
✅ 5. Use a Clear Website Structure
Organize your site with categories, subcategories, and a logical URL hierarchy.
How Internal Linking Affects Crawl Budget
Search engines allocate a “crawl budget” — the number of pages they crawl on your site during each visit.
Internal links help bots prioritize pages, ensuring important content gets crawled and indexed faster.
Internal Linking Tools
Screaming Frog SEO Spider – To audit internal links
Ahrefs / SEMrush – To analyze link distribution and anchor texts
Yoast SEO Plugin – Suggests internal links while writing content
Common Mistakes to Avoid
🚫 Using generic anchor texts like “read more” or “here”
🚫 Linking to irrelevant or low-quality pages
🚫 Creating orphan pages with no internal links pointing to them
🚫 Overloading pages with too many internal links
Example of Good Internal Linking
In a blog about On-Page SEO, you might link the phrase “meta description optimization” to your article on meta descriptions, providing readers with an easy path to learn more.
Conclusion
Internal linking is a simple yet effective on-page SEO tactic that boosts your website’s authority, crawlability, and user engagement.
By linking your content thoughtfully, you help search engines understand your website better — and improve your chances of ranking higher.
Start auditing and optimizing your internal links today to see better SEO results.