Internal Linking
Links between pages within the same website that distribute structure and authority.
Internal linking is placing hyperlinks that point from one page on your website to another page on the same website. It's one of the most underrated yet most powerful SEO — bibliotheekterm techniques.
Why internal linking matters
Internal links help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your website. They distribute link value (link equity) across your pages, help crawlers discover content, and provide context about the relationship between pages.
Internal linking strategy
Link from content-rich pages to your most important pages. Use descriptive anchor text (not "click here"). Ensure a logical hierarchy: homepage → category pages → individual pages. This pattern strengthens the topical authority of your content clusters.
Internal link audit in 5 steps
- Inventory your current internal links. Use a crawl tool like Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, or Ahrefs Site Audit to map all internal links on your website. Export the overview and sort by pages with the most and fewest internal links.
- Identify orphan pages. These are pages that don't receive any internal links. They are difficult for search engines and users to find. Add internal links from relevant pages or consider whether these pages are still needed.
- Analyze click depth. How many clicks does it take to reach your most important pages from the homepage? Important pages should be reachable within 3 clicks. Add shortcut links via navigation, breadcrumbs, or contextual links if click depth is too great.
- Check for broken internal links. Find and fix all internal links pointing to 404 pages. Broken links waste crawl budget and create a poor user experience. Update the links to the correct URLs or remove them.
- Optimize anchor texts. Review your most important internal links and check the anchor text. Replace generic text ("click here," "read more") with descriptive anchor texts that name the topic of the destination page. Vary the anchor text slightly to avoid appearing over-optimized.
Anchor text best practices
| Good anchor text | Bad anchor text | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "our guide to content clustering — bibliotheekterm" | "click here" | Descriptive text gives search engines context about the destination page |
| "learn more about E-E-A-T — bibliotheekterm guidelines" | "read more" | Keywords in anchor text help determine the relevance of the target page |
| "check our Core Web Vitals — bibliotheekterm checklist" | "this article" | Specific description tells the user and Google what they will find |
| "internal linking strategies" | "https://example.com/blog/linking" | Bare URLs as anchor text lack context and are less user-friendly |
| "compare SEO tools in our review" | "SEO SEO tools SEO software" | Keyword stuffing in anchor text is manipulative and can trigger a penalty |
Frequently asked questions
How many internal links should a page contain?
There is no strict maximum, but aim for quality over quantity. A 1,500-word page can comfortably contain 5-10 internal links if they are relevant and useful to the reader. Google can process hundreds of links per page, but too many links dilute the link value passed per link and make the page overwhelming for visitors.
What is the difference between internal links and backlinks?
Internal links connect pages within the same website. Backlinks (external links) are links from other websites to yours. Both are important for SEO, but in different ways: backlinks build domain authority — bibliotheekterm, while internal links distribute that authority across your pages and communicate site structure.
Should internal links open in a new tab?
No, as a general rule. Internal links keep users on the same website, so a new tab is unnecessary and disrupts the navigation experience. Reserve target="_blank" for external links. Users who want to open a link in a new tab can do so themselves via right-click or Ctrl/Cmd+click.
How often should I review my internal link structure?
Conduct an internal link audit at least quarterly. Also do this after publishing new content (add links to and from new articles) and after removing or rewriting pages (update or remove old links). Make it a standard part of your content publishing process.
Do internal links from navigation and footer count too?
Yes, navigation and footer links are internal links that Google processes. They distribute link value, but because they appear on every page, the SEO impact per individual link is smaller than contextual links in your body content. Contextual links (in running text) are most valuable because they are relevant and specific.
