Internal linking creates connections between pages on your website using hyperlinks. These links distribute page throughout your site, help search engines discover content, and guide users to related information. A well-planned internal linking strategy can boost traffic by 50% to 200%.
How Internal Links Work
When one page links to another on your site, it passes a portion of its authority to the linked page. Pages with more internal links pointing to them tend to rank better. Search engines also use internal links to crawl and understand your site structure.
Link placement affects both SEO and user engagement. Links positioned higher on a page get more clicks and signal greater importance to search engines. The tells search engines what the linked page covers.
Ecommerce Linking Strategies
Ecommerce sites need internal links that serve both SEO and conversion goals. Category pages should link to top products. Product pages should link to related items. Blog content should link to relevant product categories.
Build hub pages around key topics. A pillar page about running shoes links to subtopic pages covering trail running, marathon training, and shoe care. Each subtopic links back to the pillar. This topic cluster structure establishes authority.
Common Problems
Orphan pages have no internal links pointing to them. Search engines struggle to find these pages, and they rarely rank well regardless of content quality.
Too many links per page dilute authority distribution. A reasonable guideline suggests 2-5 internal links per 1500 words of content.
Anchor Text Guidelines
Vary your anchor text rather than using exact-match keywords repeatedly. Natural anchor text mixes branded terms, partial matches, and descriptive phrases. Repetitive exact-match anchors can appear manipulative to search engines.
