How to Create Internal Links to Improve SEO

Internal linking is one of the most powerful and often underused SEO strategies available to site owners, bloggers, and digital marketers. Not only do internal links help search engines understand your website’s structure, but they also improve user experience, page views, and conversions.

In this post, you’ll learn exactly how to create internal links the right way, using proven best practices that you can apply to any website—no coding required.

Let’s get started.

What Are Internal Links?

Internal links are hyperlinks that point from one page on your website to another page on the same domain.

Example:
If you're reading a blog post and you click a link that says "Check out our guide to keyword research" and that link leads to another blog post on your site, that’s an internal link.

Why They Matter:

Help search engines crawl and index your website
Pass link equity (ranking power) between pages
Guide visitors to related or important content
Improve dwell time and reduce bounce rates
Support your content silos or topic clusters

Step-by-Step Instructions to Create Internal Links

Follow these steps to build an internal linking structure that strengthens your SEO and keeps users engaged.

Step 1: Audit Your Existing Pages and Posts

Before creating new links, understand what you already have.

Action Steps:

Use a tool like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or Google Search Console to export a list of all pages/posts.
Organize them by category or topic (e.g., blog, services, product pages).
Identify pillar pages (high-value content or cornerstone pieces) and supporting content.

Tip: Your homepage, service pages, or ultimate guides are ideal pages to strengthen with internal links.

Step 2: Choose a Relevant Anchor Page

Every internal link should point to a page that adds value to the current one.

Action Steps:

When writing or updating content, ask:
“Is there another page on my site that expands on this point?”
Choose pages that:
- Dive deeper into a concept mentioned
- Answer a follow-up question
- Offer a related product, service, or solution

Step 3: Select the Right Anchor Text

The anchor text is the clickable part of a link. This is critical for SEO.

Best Practices:

Make it descriptive and relevant to the target page.
Avoid generic phrases like “click here” or “read more.”
Include keywords naturally (e.g., “on-page SEO techniques” instead of “see this”).

Example:

Instead of:

“For more info, click here to learn.”

Use:

“Explore our guide on on-page SEO techniques.”

Step 4: Add the Link in Contextually Relevant Places

Where you add the link affects both usability and SEO.

Action Steps:

Place internal links within the body text, not just footers or sidebars.
Link early in the content if possible, where it's most visible.
Don’t overload the page with links—2–5 per 1,000 words is a solid benchmark.

Step 5: Maintain a Logical Link Hierarchy

Use internal links to create clear content relationships and funnel authority to your most important pages.

Action Steps:

Create topic clusters: Link related blog posts to a main “pillar” page.
Use your homepage, navigation, and footer to link to core services or conversion pages.
Regularly update older posts with links to new content.

Tip: A good internal link structure looks like a pyramid—lots of content at the bottom linking upward to fewer, more authoritative pages.

Step 6: Use Internal Linking Tools (Optional, but Recommended)

To streamline the process, consider these tools:

Link Whisper – WordPress plugin that suggests internal links automatically
Yoast SEO Premium – Highlights linking opportunities within your editor
Ahrefs Site Audit – Shows orphan pages and internal link gaps
Screaming Frog SEO Spider – Visualizes your entire link structure

Step 7: Track and Improve Internal Link Performance

Internal linking is not “set it and forget it.”

Action Steps:

Use Google Search Console to monitor which pages are getting internal links.
Fix orphan pages (no internal links pointing to them).
Revisit your top-performing blog posts every 3–6 months to add links to newer content.

Examples of Smart Internal Linking

Let’s look at practical applications:

A blog post on "Facebook Ads" links to:
- A related post on “Ad Copywriting Tips”
- A product page for a Facebook ad template
- A case study about a successful Facebook campaign
A service page on “Web Design” links to:
- A testimonial or services page
- Blog articles like “10 UX Tips for Small Businesses”
- A pricing or contact page

Each link serves the user and supports SEO goals.

Conclusion: Mastering Internal Linking for Long-Term SEO Wins

Internal linking is more than just a technical tweak—it’s a strategic tool that can boost your rankings, enhance user experience, and improve the performance of every page on your site.

By following the steps above, you'll:

Help search engines understand your site better
Pass ranking power to the right content
Create a smoother journey for your visitors

And the best part? You can start improving your internal linking structure today, without needing any code or advanced tools.

Need Help Building a Winning Internal Linking Strategy?

If you want to save time and get expert help improving your website’s SEO, we offer a done-for-you DIRECTORY LIST BUILDING Service to massively boost your SEO ranking without breaking the bank