Glossary · SEO & AI searchTOFU
Internal linking
The short answer
Internal links are links from one page on your site to another page on the same site. They help visitors find related content, help search engines discover and understand pages, and pass authority from strong pages to the ones you want to rank.
Best practice
- Link from hubs to spokes and back
- Link between genuinely related sibling pages
- Use descriptive anchor text, not "click here"
- Link to priority pages from high-authority pages
- Make sure no page is orphaned
- Link definitions to glossary entries
Common mistakes
- Important pages reachable only through search or a sitemap
- Every page linking to every other page, diluting relevance
- Navigation-only linking with no contextual links in body copy
- Broken internal links after URL changes
Internal linking patterns that work
- Hub and spoke — pillar pages linking to detailed sub-pages and back
- Contextual links — links within body text to related topics
- Breadcrumbs — showing hierarchy
- Related content blocks — next steps for readers
- Glossary links — definitions for key terms
See topic cluster.
Internal linking in practice
A services site links each service page to related services, relevant guides and location pages, and every guide links back to the matching service. Search engines discover pages faster and understand which pages matter most.
Internal linking best practices
- Link from high-traffic pages to important pages
- Use descriptive anchor text
- Avoid orphan pages with no internal links
- Keep important pages within a few clicks of the homepage
Common internal-linking mistakes
- Orphan pages with no links
- Vague "read more" anchors
- Important pages buried deep in the site
Frequently asked questions
How many internal links should a page have?
Enough to connect it meaningfully to its hub, siblings and related definitions — quality over quantity.
Do internal links pass authority?
Yes. They're one of the most controllable ways to direct authority within your site.
Should we use nofollow on internal links?
Generally no. Internal nofollow wastes link signals; use crawl controls only where truly needed.
Do footer links count as internal links?
Yes, but contextual links within content usually carry more meaning.
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