Internal links – what are they and how can they help SEO

You’d be surprised at how effective internal links can be for a website. They connect your pages together, not just helping search engines understand and rank your content but, more importantly, guiding visitors through your website to other related and relevant pages.

It’s easy to overlook internal linking because it seems too simple to be effective. However, it’s a completely free and surprisingly powerful strategy to improve both search engine rankings and user experience (UX).

In this short guide, you’ll learn exactly how to effectively add internal links that drive real business results. Whether you’re running an e-commerce store, a professional services firm, or a small local trades business, the principles and techniques we’ll cover can be implemented immediately, regardless of your technical know-how or budget constraints.

Internal Linking Basics

What is an internal link? 

Simply put, it’s any link that connects one page on your website to another. For example, when you link from your services overview page to a specific service page, or from a blog post to your contact page, you’re creating internal links.

The anatomy of an internal link consists of three key elements:

One:  The anchor text is the words that the link highlights (like “SEO services” or “contact our team”).

Two:  The destination URL is the web address the link points to.

Three:  The HTML code (which your website CMS usually handles automatically) tells browsers and search engines how to process the link.

Think of internal links like a shop layout. Like retail stores use clear signage and arrows to guide customers from the entrance to aisles of products they’re looking to buy, internal links guide website visitors from the point they land on your site to the information or services they need.

Why internal links matter more than ever in 2025

In simple terms, Google places great value on sites that provide a good user experience.

Internal links are directly pivotal to that success, impacting how easily people can navigate your website, how long they stay, and whether they complete desired calls-to-action (CTAs) like submitting an enquiry online, making a phone call, sending an email, or making a purchase.

Mobile-first indexing means Google primarily uses your mobile website version for ranking decisions. Therefore, internal links that work seamlessly on mobile devices are crucial for maintaining search visibility. Well-structured internal linking helps search engines understand the relationships between your content topics, improving your chances of appearing in search results.

Internal linking costs nothing to implement but can dramatically improve your website’s performance.

How Internal Links Help SEO

Search engine crawlers follow links to discover and index your content. When Google’s systems encounter an internal link, they note both the connection between pages and the context provided by the anchor text. However, we’ve recently discovered evidence that Google is also not just considering the anchor text, but also the contextual information around that text. However, the link is still tremendously valuable.

Page authority and link equity distribution work like a recommendation system. When a high-performing page links to another page on your website, it passes some of its “authority” to the linked page, potentially boosting that page’s search rankings.

Other factors that influence how effective links are for SEO include:

Core Web Vitals – both pages must load quickly, particularly on mobile devices

Spam – excessive links, or those that are poorly implemented, can negatively affect your site

UX signals – Google is always looking at how people interact with your content and links, assessing whether they click them, stay on the destination page, and what they do from there.

E-E-A-T – when you link from general topics to detailed, technical pages, or from service pages to case studies or testimonials, you demonstrate knowledge and expertise and foster trust.

Technical SEO Benefits of Internal Linking 

Faster indexing of new content when you link to new pages from existing pages that Google already crawls.

Logical internal linking patterns stemming from a clear site architecture that search engines can clearly understand.

Long-tail keyword opportunities multiply when you connect related pages. For example, a visitor searching for “digital marketing” may discover specific services like SEO, CRO and social media marketing through well-placed links (like so!)

UX and Conversion Benefits of Internal Links

Guiding the customer journey effectively requires understanding how different visitors use your website. Someone researching your services needs different internal links than someone ready to make a purchase. Your internal linking strategy should satisfy various users depending on where they are in the marketing funnel:

When internal links provide relevant next steps that encourage exploration and engagement, bounce rates will naturally reduce.

When internal links connect claims to supporting evidence (e.g. your proven experience with local businesses), it builds trust and reinforces expertise while satisfying E-E-A-T criteria.

Visitors reading about one of your services may be interested in additional services or packages you offer, so internal links make these connections and upselling opportunities easier to explore.

Internal links, when working seamlessly across desktop and mobile and when optimised for assistive technologies (e.g. screenreaders), you’re demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

 

How to Create Stronger Internal Links

Firstly, take note of these free SEO tools that you can use to gauge your current strategy’s effectiveness:

Google Search Console – this identifies crawling or indexing issues with URLs and reveals how search engines view your site structure.

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – this tracks user behaviour related to pages, including which links get clicked most frequently.
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider – this analyses your entire site architecture and linking structure, identifies orphaned pages (pages that aren’t linked to at all) and exports detailed reports for improvements. The free version only allows up to 500 URLs crawled – getting a paid licence is highly recommended.

Establish KPIs for measuring internal linking success, including:

• Organic search traffic
• Rankings for target keywords
• Time on site
• Bounce rates
• Conversion rates

Your goals and priorities will differ from the next business, but it’s important to set these KPIs from the outset when reviewing your SEO link strategy.

Set up regular review processes to check for:

• Broken internal links (e.g. if a URL changes)
• Links which are accidentally or intentionally removed
• The links that are generating the most or the least amount of clicks
• New content and linking opportunities
• Updates to links to reflect seasonal or promotional opportunities
• New keyword opportunities in anchor text

Make sure to look out for pages with excessive internal links which can overwhelm users, irrelevant anchor text that doesn’t add value, and broken links that could be wasting valuable crawl budget.

Pro tip: Add internal links to high-performing blog posts, new service pages that relate to existing ones, and new pieces of content that are related to particular services you provide. 

 

Quick Tips for SEO Internal Link Success

• Identify your most important pages (e.g. homepage, key service pages, and contact/conversion pages). These should receive the most internal links and link out to the most relevant content.
• Create topic clusters that group related content around key primary themes, which should, ideally, align with your parent URL categories and service pages. For example, all content related to building surveys (Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 surveys) should interlink, creating a logical resource cluster.
• Use relevant, descriptive anchor text that includes target keywords naturally, such as “local SEO services” rather than “click here” or “read more”. Vary your anchor text for links to the same page and don’t repeat it across dozens of pages.
• Think about link placement and contextual relevance for each link. How likely are users going to scroll down to the bottom to find your CTA?
• Focus on quality over quantity – most pages can justify having 2-5 internal links, but longer-form content may warrant additional numbers. Remember navigation, header and footer links apply too.
• Review URLs to ensure they are clean, descriptive and well-structured to support your key parent/child pages and supporting strategies.
• Review links after content updates which may see URL structures redesigned or links randomly breaking.
• Delete low-value pages that don’t offer any substance to users or reflect business priorities, to preserve crawl budget.

When to Seek a Professional SEO Agency

The signs you may need expert help will be apparent when you’re trying to tackle tasks beyond your experience level, or when you find yourself starved of sufficient time to dedicate towards marketing in-house.

Complex website architecture and design challenges often require professional web development expertise, particularly for larger e-commerce sites or businesses with multiple service areas which need careful consideration.

At Artemis, we’re constantly staying abreast of user behaviour, particularly in the wake of new AI patterns which are dramatically influencing modern search. As an SEO agency, we are forthcoming and transparent about your internal linking and URL structure and always seek immediate improvement opportunities while, in the background, developing long-term strategies that are inherently designed to support your wider business goals. Our approach to internal linking integrates seamlessly with our comprehensive SEO services, which we tailor to your business size, budget, audience, and goals.

We aim to make sure your website generates long-term value and revenue for you, so you can continue to focus on what matters most to you. The key is to stick to your proverbial guns and don’t expect a perfect or immediate uplift after adding a few links. Focus on creating genuine value for your audience while supporting your key business objectives.

If you have any questions about your internal linking, website and content strategies, please don’t hesitate to contact our SEO experts for a no-obligation chat and opportunity audit.