Internal linking: the underrated lever
Internal linking is the only ranking-relevant measure entirely in your own hands — nobody else has to agree, nothing has to be applied for. In most websites it has nonetheless grown by accident.
In short
- Internal links tell a search engine which of your pages matter and what they are about — you determine both yourself.
- Five rules are enough: a descriptive link text, placed in the running text, three to five per piece, reciprocal within a topic, no dead ends.
- The link text matters most — "learn more" gives away the entire effect.
- Two hours are enough to connect a website that has grown over time.
What internal links do
Three things at once, and all three are reachable without anyone else's agreement:
- They distribute weight. A page many of your own pages point to is classed as more important than one appearing only in the menu.
- They describe the target. The link text says what the linked page is about — one of the clearest statements you can make.
- They show connections. Linked pages on one topic get recognised as a field — that is the mechanism behind topic clusters.
Worth knowing
The link text is the only place where you can describe in your own words what another page is about — and that description is evaluated directly.
"Learn more" describes nothing. "How to do keyword research without a paid tool" describes precisely. Replace every occurrence of "here", "more" and "read on" with descriptive text and you have completed one of the most effective and cheapest improvements available — and markedly improved usability for screen readers in passing.
The five rules
1. The link text describes the target
Not "here", not "learn more", not the bare address. The text should be understandable on its own — including when it is read out without the sentence around it.
2. Links sit in the running text
A link in the middle of a paragraph works more strongly than one in a "you might also like" list at the foot of the page — those get treated as standard furniture.
3. Three to five per piece
Fewer does not use the lever, more dilutes it. On very long pieces eight is fine — each one has to genuinely help the reader at that point.
4. Reciprocal within a topic
If A points to B, B should point back to A somewhere. One-way chains let the last page run into nothing.
5. No dead ends
Every page points to at least two others. A page with no outgoing links ends the visit — and interrupts the distribution of weight.
Two hours of tidying up
| Step | What happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | List all pages, group them by topic | 20 min. |
| 2 | Per group, decide the most important page — it should get the most links | 15 min. |
| 3 | Find pages with no incoming links — they are hard for search engines to reach | 20 min. |
| 4 | Find pages with no outgoing links — resolve the dead ends | 15 min. |
| 5 | Check link texts: replace "here", "more", "read on" | 30 min. |
| 6 | Add three to five links in the running text per piece | 20 min. |
The single biggest gain nearly always sits with the older pieces: they have built up weight and point to nothing newer, because the newer material did not exist when they were written.
Open two or three older pieces when publishing a new one and add a link in each, and a new page becomes one that is tied in from the start. That costs ten minutes per publication and is the most effective habit available in this area.
Four mistakes
The same link text pointing to different targets. If "marketing automation" sometimes points at the offering page and sometimes at an article, the description becomes unclear. One link text, one target.
Links only in the menu and the footer. They appear on every page and therefore contribute little to distinguishing anything. The effect arises in the running text.
Too many links on one page. Twenty links in the text spread the weight so broadly that none of them carries — and the reader clicks none of them.
Links to pages that no longer exist. Internal references to deleted pages accumulate unnoticed. Check once a quarter.
Help me order the internal linking of my website. My pages (address, title, topic, briefly what it covers): [paste list] Internal links already in place (from → to, with link text): [paste list, as far as known] Tasks: 1. Group the pages by topic and name, per group, the page that should receive the most incoming links. Justify it. 2. Name pages with no incoming links and propose two suitable source pages for each. 3. Name pages with no outgoing links and propose two targets for each. 4. Check the existing link texts: name every one that does not describe where it leads, and phrase a replacement. 5. Name cases where the same link text points to different targets, and propose an unambiguous assignment. 6. For the five most important pieces, give me three concrete additions each: at which point in the text, which link, with which link text. Do not invent pages that are not in my list.
In closing
Internal linking is the only ranking lever that belongs entirely to you — and in most websites it has grown by accident rather than by design.
Five rules, two hours of tidying up, and after that a habit: open two or three older pieces at every publication and add a link there. Ten minutes that achieve more than most elaborate measures.
Common questions
What does internal linking achieve?
Three things: it distributes weight to the pages that matter to you; through the link text it describes what the linked page is about; and it makes thematic connections recognisable. All three lie entirely in your own hands — unlike external references.
How many internal links per piece make sense?
Three to five, up to eight on very long pieces. Fewer does not use the lever; considerably more spreads the weight so broadly that no link carries any more — and the reader clicks none of them anyway.
Why does the link text matter so much?
Because it is the only place where you describe in your own words what another page is about — and that description is evaluated directly. "Learn more" gives it away entirely; a descriptive text uses it and improves usability for screen readers in passing.
Do menu links work the same as links in the running text?
No. Menu and footer links appear on every page and therefore contribute little to distinguishing anything. The effect arises with links in the middle of the running text — more strongly, too, than with lists below the piece, which get treated as standard furniture.
What is the most effective habit?
At every publication, open two or three older pieces and add a link to the new one in each. Older pieces have already built up weight and point to nothing newer — ten minutes per publication ties the new page in from the start.
Marketing that sets itself up
The Studio Engine beta is live. Claim your spot and help shape it from the start.
Join the beta →