You use internal linking for SEO by strategically connecting related pages on your website with descriptive anchor text and creating clear site architecture for search engines and users to navigate through your site.
Internal linking is one of the most powerful on-page SEO techniques that helps search engines crawl your site more effectively while keeping users engaged longer.
Here's how to use internal linking for SEO properly:
- Link to relevant, related content naturally. Connect pages that are related or where one page provides additional context for another. For example, link from a general SEO guide to specific pages about keyword research or technical SEO.
- Use descriptive anchor text with keywords. Instead of generic phrases like "click here," use specific, keyword-rich anchor text that describes the destination page, such as "comprehensive keyword research guide" or "local SEO best practices."
- Create topic clusters and pillar pages. Build topic clusters by linking a comprehensive pillar page to related subtopic pages, then linking those subtopic pages back to the pillar and to each other when relevant.
- Prioritize your most important pages. Link frequently to pages you want to rank higher, as internal links pass authority and signal importance to search engines. Focus on key landing pages, product pages, or high-converting content.
- Maintain a logical site structure. Ensure important pages are no more than 3-4 clicks from your homepage, and create clear navigation paths that both users and search engines can follow easily.
- Avoid over-optimization and link stuffing. Include internal links where they genuinely add value for users rather than forcing links just for SEO purposes. Aim for 2-5 contextual internal links per page.
- Monitor and update broken internal links. Regularly check for broken links that create poor user experience and prevent search engines from properly crawling your site.
You can use Semrush Site Audit to scan your entire website for internal linking issues (such as broken links) so you can find and fix them immediately.
