Short answer: Site linking, usually called internal linking, means adding links from one page of your website to another page on the same website. Internal links help visitors find related information, help Google discover and understand your pages, and show which pages matter most. They are free, you control them completely, and adding them is one of the quickest SEO improvements you can make.
If you have ever clicked a link in a blog post that took you to a services page on the same site, you have used an internal link. This guide explains how internal links work, why they matter for SEO and exactly how to add them, step by step.
What is an internal link?
An internal link is a clickable link from one page on your website to another page on the same website. For example, a link from a blog post about local SEO to your SEO services page is an internal link.
There are three main places internal links appear:
- Navigation links: your main menu, which links to your most important pages.
- Footer links: links at the bottom of every page, such as contact, privacy and key services.
- Contextual links: links inside the main text of a page, like the ones in this article. These are the most useful for SEO because the words around them explain what the linked page is about.
Internal links vs external links vs backlinks
People often mix these up. Here is the difference.
| Type of link | Where it goes from and to | Who controls it | Main job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal link | From one page on your site to another page on your site | You | Helps visitors and Google move around your site and understand it |
| External (outbound) link | From your site to another website | You | Points readers to a useful source, such as a government guide |
| Backlink (inbound link) | From another website to your site | The other website | Acts like a recommendation and can help your site’s authority |
This guide is about internal links. If you want to learn how search results pages work more widely, read our guide to what SERPs are and why they matter.
Why internal links matter for SEO
They help Google find your pages
Google discovers new pages mainly by following links. Google’s own guidance explains that it uses links to find pages and as a signal of how relevant a page is. A page with no internal links pointing to it (an “orphan page”) is harder for Google to find, and may be crawled less often or not at all.
They help Google understand what a page is about
The clickable words in a link are called anchor text. When you link to a page with clear words like “our guide to long-tail keywords”, you tell both readers and Google what they will find on the other side.
They show which pages are most important
Pages that many other pages link to look more important than pages that are hardly linked at all. If your main service pages only appear in the menu, linking to them from relevant blog posts gives them extra support.
They help visitors
Good internal links answer the next question a reader has. Someone reading about website speed may want to know how speed affects SEO. A helpful link keeps them on your site and moves them closer to getting in touch.
How to add internal links: a step-by-step method
You do not need special software to start. A spreadsheet and an hour or two are enough for a small website.
Step 1: List your most important pages
Write down the pages that bring you customers. For most local businesses these are the homepage, the main service pages, location pages and the contact page. These are the pages you most want to support with internal links.
Step 2: Find your orphan and weak pages
Look for pages that nothing links to, or that are only linked from the menu. Free crawling tools can list how many internal links point to each page. Alternatively, search your own site in Google with site:yourdomain.co.uk plus a topic word to find related pages that should be linking to each other.
Step 3: Group your pages by topic
Put related pages together. For example, all your posts about SEO in one group, all your website design posts in another. Each group should have one main page (usually a service page or a long guide) that the other pages link to.
Step 4: Add links from related posts to your key pages
Go through each blog post in a group. Where a sentence naturally mentions the topic of a key page, turn the words into a link. Aim for links that genuinely help the reader, not a set number per page.
Step 5: Link new posts both ways
Every time you publish a new post:
- link from the new post to two or three relevant older pages, and
- go back to one or two older posts and add a link to the new post.
This second step is the one most people forget, and it is how new pages get found quickly.
Step 6: Check your anchor text
Read your links out of context. Would someone know where each link goes from the words alone? If a link says “click here”, rewrite it.
Step 7: Fix broken links and redirects
Links to pages that no longer exist (404 errors) waste visitors’ time. Links that go through a redirect still work but are slower. Update old links to point straight to the final page.
Examples of good and poor anchor text
| Poor anchor text | Better anchor text | Why it is better |
|---|---|---|
| Click here | our guide to writing meta descriptions | Says exactly what the page covers |
| Read more | how schema markup helps SEO | Gives Google and readers the topic |
| this page | website design services in Essex | Describes the service and the location |
| SEO SEO Essex best SEO | SEO services in Essex | Reads naturally instead of stuffing keywords |
Here is how those look in real sentences on our own site:
- If you want more people to click your results, read our guide to writing meta descriptions that get clicks.
- Structured data can help Google understand your pages. Our article on how schema markup helps SEO explains how.
- Not every keyword has to be a big one. Learn why long-tail keywords matter for SEO.
GOV.UK’s guidance on adding links is a useful extra read. It explains how to write link text that works for everyone, including people who use screen readers.
Common internal linking mistakes
- Vague anchor text such as “click here” or “read more”.
- Too many links in one paragraph, which makes text hard to read and makes each link less clear.
- Linking the same words to different pages across your site, which confuses what each page is about.
- Never linking to new posts from older ones, so new content sits unnoticed.
- Links hidden in images or buttons with no text, which tell Google little about the target page.
- Links that rely on scripts rather than normal HTML links. Google’s guidance says links should use a standard link element with a web address so they can be followed.
- Broken links left behind after pages are moved or deleted.
Internal linking checklist
- [ ] I have listed my most important pages.
- [ ] Every important page has links from at least a few related pages, not just the menu.
- [ ] I have no orphan pages that matter.
- [ ] My anchor text describes the page it links to.
- [ ] Each new post links to older related pages, and older posts link back to it.
- [ ] I have fixed broken internal links.
- [ ] I have updated links that go through redirects.
- [ ] I check my internal links every few months.
How internal links fit into your wider SEO
Internal linking works best alongside the other basics: useful content, a fast website, a clear structure and good local listings. A well-planned site structure also makes internal linking much easier, so it is worth thinking about links when you plan or redesign a website. See our website design service in Essex if you are planning a new site.
If you would like help reviewing your internal links, our SEO services in Essex can help, and our SEO for small businesses service is built for smaller websites.
Frequently asked questions
How many internal links should a page have?
There is no perfect number. Add a link wherever it genuinely helps the reader find related information. For a typical blog post, a handful of well-placed contextual links is usually enough. Focus on relevance rather than reaching a target.
Do internal links help SEO?
Yes. Internal links help Google find your pages, understand what each page is about from the anchor text, and see which pages are most important. They also help visitors move around your site, which supports enquiries and sales.
Should I use exact match keywords as anchor text?
You can use keywords in anchor text when they read naturally, because descriptive anchor text helps Google. But do not force the same exact phrase into every link. Vary the wording and always describe what is on the other page.
What is an orphan page?
An orphan page is a page on your website that no other page links to. Visitors cannot reach it by clicking around your site, and Google may find it hard to discover. Fix orphan pages by linking to them from related pages, or remove them if they are no longer useful.
