Internal Linking Explained: How Connecting Your Pages Boosts SEO

What Are Internal Links and Why Do They Matter

Internal links are links that connect one page on your website to another page on the same website. When a blog post links to your service page, or your about page links to your contact page, those are internal links.

Internal linking is one of the most underrated SEO strategies. It is completely within your control, costs nothing to implement, and can significantly improve how well your pages rank on Google.

Google discovers and indexes your pages by following links. Internal links help Google find all your pages, understand how they relate to each other, and determine which pages are most important. Without a deliberate internal linking strategy, some of your pages may never be found by Google or may rank lower than they should.

How Internal Links Pass Authority

When one page on your website links to another, it passes some of its SEO authority to the linked page. This is sometimes called "link equity" or "link juice."

Think of it like a recommendation. If your highest-traffic blog post (which Google considers authoritative) links to your service page, it is essentially telling Google: "This service page is important and relevant." That recommendation helps your service page rank better.

The more high-quality internal links pointing to a page, the stronger the signal to Google that the page is important. This is why your most important pages - service pages, your homepage, your conversion page - should receive the most internal links.

Internal Linking Best Practices

Use Descriptive Anchor Text

Anchor text is the clickable text in a link. It should describe what the linked page is about, not use generic phrases.

Good anchor text: "Learn more about our local SEO services" or "Check out our guide on Core Web Vitals"

Bad anchor text: "Click here" or "Read more" or "This page"

Descriptive anchor text helps both users and Google understand what they will find on the linked page. It also provides keyword relevance to the linked page.

Link from Blog Posts to Service Pages

Every blog post should include one to two links to relevant service pages. If a blog post discusses water heater issues, it should link to your water heater service page. This directs SEO authority from your content to your commercial pages.

This pattern converts blog readers into leads. Someone reading about water heater problems sees a link to your water heater repair service and clicks through, moving from informational browsing to considering hiring you.

Link Between Related Blog Posts

Each blog post should link to two to three related blog posts. This creates a web of interconnected content that:

• Keeps visitors on your site longer (lower bounce rate)
• Helps Google discover all your content
• Builds topical authority by showing Google that you have comprehensive coverage of related topics
• Distributes authority across your content library

Link from Service Pages to Blog Posts

The linking should go both ways. Your service pages should link to relevant blog posts that provide additional detail. A water heater service page might link to blog posts about "Signs You Need a New Water Heater" and "Tank vs Tankless Water Heaters."

These links add depth to your service pages without making them too long, and they send visitors to content that builds trust and answers their questions.

Create a Logical Link Hierarchy

Not every page on your site is equally important. Your most important pages should receive the most internal links:

1. Homepage - Receives links from navigation, logo, and most other pages
2. Service pages - Receive links from blog posts, homepage, and other service pages
3. Conversion page (/get-started) - Receives links from CTAs across the site
4. Blog posts - Receive links from related posts and from category/index pages
5. Supporting pages (about, contact, FAQ) - Receive links from navigation and contextual mentions

Common Internal Linking Mistakes

Not Having an Internal Linking Strategy

Most small business websites have no intentional internal linking. Pages are created in isolation, and links only exist in the navigation menu. This wastes a significant SEO opportunity.

Orphan Pages

An orphan page is a page that has no internal links pointing to it. Google may never find these pages, or it may consider them unimportant. Audit your site to ensure every page is linked from at least one other page.

Over-Optimized Anchor Text

Using the same exact-match keyword as anchor text for every link to a page can appear manipulative to Google. Vary your anchor text naturally while keeping it descriptive.

Too Many Links Per Page

While there is no strict limit, having hundreds of links on a single page dilutes the authority passed through each link. For blog posts, five to ten internal links is a good range. For pillar pages, 10 to 20 links may be appropriate.

Linking to Unrelated Pages

Internal links should be contextually relevant. A blog post about plumbing should not randomly link to your FAQ page unless the FAQ is relevant to the topic. Irrelevant links do not provide value to users or search engines.

Internal Linking and Content Strategy

Internal linking is most powerful when combined with a comprehensive content strategy. Having 50 blog posts covering different aspects of your industry creates extensive opportunities for contextual internal links.

Each new blog post you create is an opportunity to:

• Add links to existing related posts (boosting their authority)
• Receive links from existing posts (building authority for the new post)
• Connect to relevant service pages (driving authority to commercial pages)

This interconnected content network is what builds topical authority and helps your entire site rank better over time.

The complete online presence package from webIQ includes strategic internal linking across all 50 blog posts, service pages, and core pages - creating the connected content structure that maximizes SEO performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many internal links should each blog post have?

Aim for five to ten internal links per blog post - one to two links to service pages, two to three links to related blog posts, and the rest to other relevant pages. The key is that every link should be contextually relevant and helpful to the reader.

Do internal links help with Google rankings?

Yes. Internal links help Google discover your pages, understand your site structure, and determine page importance. They pass SEO authority between pages, which can directly improve rankings for the pages receiving links.

Should I use exact-match keywords in anchor text?

Use descriptive, keyword-aware anchor text, but vary it naturally. Do not use the same exact keyword phrase for every link to the same page. Natural variation looks more authentic and avoids over-optimization concerns.

How do I find orphan pages on my website?

Use Google Search Console to check which pages are indexed. Use a site crawler like Screaming Frog to identify pages with no internal links pointing to them. Any page that is important enough to exist should be linked from at least one other page on your site.