Internal linking is one of the most effective SEO techniques available, yet it remains one of the most overlooked.
Many marketing teams invest significant time and resources in content creation, whilst internal linking often receives far less strategic attention. However, internal links play a crucial role in helping both users and search engines understand your website.
When implemented correctly, internal linking can improve crawlability, strengthen topical authority, distribute link equity and increase the visibility of your most important pages.
Why Internal Links Matter
Internal links serve two primary audiences: users and search engines.
Users
Internal links help visitors navigate your website and discover relevant content. They guide users through their journey, helping them find related products, services, categories and information.
A strong internal linking structure improves the user experience by making it easier for visitors to find what they need and continue exploring your website.
Search Engines
Search engines use internal links to:
- Discover new pages
- Understand relationships between pages
- Assess page importance
- Distribute authority throughout the site
- Understand topical relevance
Google has repeatedly highlighted the importance of internal linking. Google’s Search Advocate, John Mueller, has described internal linking as one of the most important SEO activities website owners can influence directly.
Internal links effectively tell Google:
“These are the pages that matter most on my website.”
Common Internal Linking Challenges
Despite their importance, many websites struggle with internal linking.
1. New Pages Receive Few or No Internal Links
One of the most common issues occurs when content teams publish new pages without involving the SEO team.
New categories, product pages, guides or blog posts may be launched successfully but receive few, if any, internal links.
Without internal links, these pages can become difficult for search engines to discover, crawl and evaluate.
This often happens due to a lack of communication between teams. For example, a new product category may be launched, but no links are added from relevant pages across the site.
2. Broken Internal Links
Broken links naturally occur as websites evolve.
Pages are removed, URLs change, migrations take place and redirects are sometimes overlooked.
The consequences can include:
- Poor user experience
- Lost crawl paths
- Wasted link equity
- Reduced discoverability
Regular audits are essential to identify and resolve these issues before they affect performance.
It’s also important to educate wider teams about the SEO impact of removing pages. A page with valuable backlinks should rarely be deleted without careful consideration of redirects and alternative solutions.
3. Internal Linking Can Be Time-Consuming
Large websites may contain thousands, or even millions, of URLs.
Manually reviewing internal linking opportunities can be a considerable undertaking. However, the potential impact often justifies the effort, particularly when working on high-value pages that directly contribute to business objectives and revenue.
There are also options to work on it at scale, such as a more automated approach or using tools like Inlinks, Wordlift or Surfer SEO, for example. Technology keeps improving, and new tools and options are constantly becoming available.
Internal linking not only improves discoverability but also helps search engines understand the relative importance of pages across a website.
4. Poor Anchor Text
The clickable text in a link is called anchor text. Many websites still rely on generic anchor text such as:
- Click here
- Learn more
- Read more
These provide little context for users or search engines. Instead, anchor text should clearly describe the destination page whilst reinforcing topical relevance.
For example, for a hotel website internal link towards the room types, instead of:
“Click here for more information”
Use:
“Explore our room types”
Contextual relevance helps search engines understand the destination page’s subject matter and improves the user experience.
5. Links That Are Difficult for Search Engines to Crawl
Not all links are equally accessible to search engines.
Links implemented through complex JavaScript solutions may not be discovered or processed as efficiently as standard HTML links.
Best practice remains straightforward:
- Use crawlable HTML links
- Ensure links are present in the rendered HTML
- Avoid relying exclusively on JavaScript-generated navigation
- Follow Google’s recommendations for crawlable links
Equally important, every internal link should have a purpose and support the user journey.
Add if you want to learn more about how to create internal link staretgies, you can watch my BSEO presentation.
In summary
Internal linking remains one of the highest-impact SEO activities available because it directly influences how users and search engines navigate your website.
Rather than treating internal linking as an occasional task, treat it as an ongoing one.
The websites that consistently review, improve and expand their internal linking structures often gain a significant advantage over competitors.
For more information, you can check out my Brighton SEO talk “Crafting Succesful Internal Linking Strategies” where I discuss this challenges as well as how to create internal linking startegies.
