An SEO’s Guide to Internal Links

Google’s API leak emphasized the importance of internal links…. Surprise, surprise. So, what are internal links? Most people believe these are links from content pieces that point to other pages within a domain. However, internal links are much more.

So, let’s break down each type of internal link, the best practices, and how some websites approach internal linking.

What are Internal Links and their Role in SEO

In simple terms, internal links are defined as links to point to other pages within a domain. These links can be in the content, navigation, or even the footer. As long as the link points to an internal page, it can be defined as an internal link. Here are a few ways internal links help users and search engines:

• Providing ease of navigation within informational content for users.
• Helps search engines crawl and discover pages.
• Distributes PageRank internally.
• Gives search engines context as to what the page is.

Types of Internal Links

• Links Between Content Pages: These guide users/search engines from one article or blog post to another related piece within your site.
• Navigation Links: Found in menus, footers, or sidebars, these links help users move easily to key sections across the site.
• Breadcrumb Links: Breadcrumbs show users their path within the site’s structure, letting them backtrack through categories.
• Links to Related Content: Often in “Related Articles” sections, these links lead to similar content, encouraging users to explore further.
• Anchor Links Within a Page: Known as “jump links,” these help users skip to specific sections within a single page, like FAQs or key points.
• Links to Different Language Versions: If your site offers content in multiple languages, these links let users switch to their preferred language version.

Internal Links Priority

While internal links provide the same functionality of directing a user or a crawler to a different page within the same domain, Google gives priority to different types of internal links. For example, a jump link will be treated with less importance than a navigation link. Below is a very fancy chart to lay out the importance of each type of internal link.

• Header Links (Navigation): These are typically the main navigation links found in the header of a website. They are considered the most important.

• Sub-Navigation Links: These are secondary navigation links that might be part of a dropdown or nested menu. They are slightly less prominent than the main navigation but still vital.
• Footer Links: Links found in the footer, often to essential but not primary content like legal information or contact pages.
• Pillar Content Links: Links to foundational or cornerstone content that supports the main topics of the site.
• In-Content Links: Links found within the body of content, often connecting related content or providing additional information.
• Buttons: Links that are styled as buttons, often used for calls to action.
• Related: Links to content that is related to the current page, primarily for increasing user engagement.
• Breadcrumb Links: Navigational aids that show the user’s path through the site, usually less prominent but useful for navigation.
• Jump Links: Links that take the user to a different section of the same page, usually considered less vital than other types of internal links.

Implementing Internal Links by Type

Now that we’ve covered the basics, below we will go over implementing internal links by the link types mentioned above.

Header Links (Navigation)

As the most important group of internal links, the header links must be crafted and included based on the business’s priorities and user experience in mind. For example, in usual scenarios, a product-based website would include links to the “Features” and “Pricing,” while a content-based website may link to different categories of content such as “USA News” and “Technology.” In addition, if a business’s model relies on sign-ups to its services, included buttons such as “Log In” or “Join” would be a recommended pathway solely for user experience.

Usually, header-based links rely on succinct anchors within the navigation in order not to hamper the user experience. Let’s look at key examples across different niches.

New York Times

As a publisher-type website that relies heavily on its content, this website relies on its categories for navigation. Hence, they use the approach of succinct one-word links within their navigation. This allows them to encapsulate more links in the header by prioritizing the pages that they deem most important for their readers. The rest is accessible via drop-downs when hovering.

Shopify

As a service that provides a digital product to the end user, Shopify’s priority lies in marketing its product and providing search engines with indications as to their important pages. They do this by expanding their navigation links rather than providing a click-through. So, when a user clicks over a certain navigation link, a menu is expanded. Since Shopify has more than one type of solution to sell, they choose an approach that prioritizes their user experience by staying away from overcrowding their navigation links while providing search engines with page priority as well.

On an observational note, Wix and Shopify approach their navigational links in a similar fashion. Both products provide expanded menus while keeping their “Pricing” page as a click-through link.

Amazon

While Amazon is not known for its SEO, its implementation of header links can be used as a reference point. Amazon uses a sub-menu to expand its navigation while retaining its important shopping categories in the main navigation. Similar to the websites above, Amazon sticks to concise links to deal with messy navigation.

Medical News Today

Another content-based website like New York Times, Medical News Today relies on content categories for its website’s hierarchy. Akin to NYT, MNT uses an expanded navigation model, which is similar to Shopify and Wix. This practice helps MNT include more links for crawlers to navigate and an optimum user experience.

Best Practices for Implementing Header/Navigation Links

Based on the examples provided and personal experience, here are the key points you should consider implementing your navigation links:

• Use Succinct Anchors: Keep navigation links concise and to the point. This allows for a cleaner, more user-friendly navigation bar, helping users quickly find what they need. The recommended word count for each link would be between 1-2 words for the main navigation and 2-4 for an expanded navigation menu.
• Consider Content vs. Product Focus: Tailor navigation to the nature of the site. If it’s content-heavy, categorization might be key; if it’s product or service-oriented, detailed navigation with expanded menus might be beneficial.
• Utilize Expanded Menus When Appropriate: If there are multiple products or categories, consider using expanded menus. This approach allows more information without overcrowding the main navigation bar.
• Balance SEO and User Experience: Think about how navigation affects both user experience and SEO. Clear, logical navigation aids users, and using keyword-rich links can also aid search engines in understanding the site structure.
• Avoid Clutter: Be mindful of not overloading the navigation area. Focus on what’s most important for the readers or users and provide links to those areas prominently.
• Analyze Competitors and Industry Leaders: Look at how competitors or industry leaders structure their navigation. This can provide insights and ideas that are relevant to your specific field or target audience.
• Keep Key Pages Accessible: If applicable, consider keeping essential pages like “Pricing,” “Sign up,” or “Contact Us” easily accessible with click-through links, as seen in some of the examples.

Sub-navigation or Secondary Navigation Links

Suppose a website has a multitude of categories like Amazon does. In that case, it becomes a hard requirement to be accessible to the user from the main header, which spans across the website; that is where a sub-navigation menu comes into play.

A sub-navigation menu is separate from the main navigation. In most cases, this menu is displayed through a “hamburger” icon which prompts the user to click it for it to expand. Let’s look at a few websites that implement this practice.

H&M

Rather than including all its categories in the navigation, H&M offers a sub-navigation that is availed when clicking on the hamburger icon. Each link, when hovered upon, expands to its own sub-menu, or the link can be clicked to navigate to the page. However, as you can see below, the links, such as Women, Men, and Kids, to name a few, are repeated in both the main navigation as well as the sub-navigation. H&M sees this strategy as fitting to help users expand through sub-menus in the secondary navigation.

Amazon

Like H&M, Amazon too has multiple shopping categories, deals, and offers for its users. Hence, they, too, use a similar approach by implementing a sub-navigation. They use this opportunity to expand on menus like trends, best sellers, departments, and their own digital products and services. In addition, similar to H&M, these links, when clicked, expand into their own sub-menu. This offers the end user more options to navigate its categories and departments.

Best Practices for Secondary Navigation Links

This type of navigation can be greatl for a website that has a large site structure and a multitude of categories that need to be displayed for user experience purposes. While these links within this type of navigation category do hold value, implementing this practice should only be done if a website needs to provide quick access to its vast collection of categories to its users.

If a website is on a smaller scale in terms of its offerings or categories, having one navigation is the best way to go.

Footer Links

Footer links are also considered an important placement on a website since the footer is displayed across the website. Unlike the header, the footer appears when the user scrolls to the end of the page, which takes the footer out of the first impression equation for user experience.

However, that does not mean UX should be ignored for inserting links in the Footer. One must take an approach of including links that are mentioned in the header, plus additional links that would be considered of Level 2 importance. As before, let’s look at references for footer link implementation.

Amazon

Amazon’s approach to footer links is very traditional. They do not repeat navigation links and follow the practice of placing links that are considered important, but not as important as their navigation and sub-navigation links. However, give the scale of categories Amazon has, repeating those within the footer would add too many links. This approach gives a good indication that Amazon did prioritize user experience… Finally.

Healthline

Healthline is of the ultimate go-to’s for health-related content, and for a good reason. Their SEO and PR is great. Healthline too has a similar traditional approach to footer links as Amazon does, they do not repeat navigation links even though they do not have a crazy amount like Amazon does.

Shopify

Shopify too follows the same approach as the examples above. But, they take it a step further and expand on the footer to include more secondary links by taking up more real estate. They have clearly prioritized their links, for example, pricing is in the navigation, but their about page isn’t.

Wix

Wix has a different approach. Unlike the examples above, they have chosen the route of repeating their navigation links in the footer.

Best Practices for Footer Links

There are no set “best practices” for footer links. The bottom line is what your product or business demands and what is the most logical approach. But, there are a few considerations to be kept in mind:

• If you have a lot of categories, consider placing your deprioritized pages in the footer. For example, if Page A’s search volume is 100 and is a core offering vs. Page B’s search volume is 200, but not one of your core offerings, consider placing Page B in the footer.
• Prioritize placing links that you consider “Level 2” importance in the footer.
• Consider utilizing heatmap session recording on your website to get insights into how many users actually scroll to the bottom. If there is a substantial number, Wix’s approach to repeating the links in the footer maybe a good approach for you.
• Make sure you include social links, team pages, and HTML sitemap links within the footer.

Pillar Content Links

The definition of Pillar content has changed over time. Before, it was usually centered around content pieces that are targeting high-level keywords with large volumes. However, now Pillar content can also be defined by informational content pieces that have the most value or drive the most organic visibility.

For this example, let’s take a page that accounts 6% of a website’s 1,000,000+ total organic traffic. This example is to elucidate how page traffic can define what is pillar content and not necessarily optimized for SEO:

This piece of content by Huntington has fewer than a 1,000 words and a total of 4 in-content links (not considering CTAs.) Now, let’s take a look at the type of internal links this content piece has:

• Reorder checks: This anchor leads to a landing page for users to reorder checks. This anchor and link is highly-relevant to the content piece.
• Balancing Worksheet: Another value driven link that leads users to a worksheet for balancing their accounts.
• Online Banking: This is where user value is not the primary focus; in fact, it might be to boost their /online-banking page. For instance, let’s dissect the anchor and surrounding text: “While your Online Banking history allows you to check your account balance” – This entire section is housed under the H2 “Reconcile your bank statement each month.”
• Overdraft fees: This internal link anchor that is again user value focused.

On the other end of the spectrum, let’s look at an article that has been optimized for SEO.

Shopify’s blog post “What is Dropshipping and How Does it Work?” launched in early 2020 and since its launch, the page has drastically changed. However, let’s focus on the analysis at hand which are internal links.

When the article was launched, the word count was 2,175, today it is at 2,206. This is not a large variance given the content was refreshed multiple times. However, there was an increase of almost 17% in the number of internal links within the content. Some of the key changes of the internal links are centered around boosting relevant landing and conversion-focused pages, such as:

• /online
• /dropshipping
• /store-create

In addition to linking out to these core pages, the content does a good job of linking out to blog posts that are highly relevant and fall under the same search intent:

• /blog/dropshipping-success
• /blog/dropshipping-fulfillment
• /blog/dropshipping-niches
• /blog/side-hustle
• /blog/private-label-dropshipping

Key Takeaways for Pillar Page Internal Links

Keeping both examples in mind, plus a whole lot more analysis over time, a clear pattern emerges for how pillar content pages are used for internal linking. Here are a few points to keep in mind:

• Identify your top pages by looking at which pages bring in the most organic visibility to segment them as pillar content.
• Keep the internally linked anchors on the page highly specific to the topic’s general interest. For example, if the topic is about “home workout routines,” the internal links should anchor directly to specific, relevant sections like “best exercises for strength building,” “easy home cardio routines,” or “workout plans for beginners.” This keeps navigation tight, with each link guiding readers directly to high-interest areas within the topic.
• Avoid generic labels like “click here” or “learn more,” instead, use clear, topic-focused anchors that preview what readers can expect.
• Choose 2 – 4 word anchors, and do not be afraid to use long-tail keywords that match user search intent. For instance, if your content is about “digital marketing strategies,” use anchors like “SEO tips for beginners” or “going about email marketing” rather than broad terms like “marketing” or “SEO.”
• Long-tail keywords are specific, so they’ll draw in readers looking for exactly that information, and they improve your page’s relevance for search engines.
• Do not go crazy with adding internal links because you don’t want to overly distract Google from crawling the page at hand. As a general rule of thumb, 4 internal links per 1,000 words is the sweet spot. However, test and identify what suits your domain for yourself.
• Lastly, while a high-authority external link is usually recommended, recently, this strategy has not been effective. Unless your external link is highly relevant and you cite sources for your data or content, it is better to keep it to 0.

In-content Links

In-content internal links are pretty much the same as pillar content links; the only key difference is that you have more wiggle room to be creative.

For in-content links, namely, blog posts and informational content, certain practices for internal links have been tried and tested, and they work. Let’s go over each step to wrap it up.

Reverse SILO

Reverse SILO’s in terms of internal linking refers to following a practice where links within a content backtrack to the homepage, internally linking each step. For example, if your blog post’s URL is www.yourwebsite.com/news/auto/fastest-car, then:

• 1 Internal Link to point to: www.yourwebsite.com/news/auto
• 1 Internal Link to point to: www.yourwebsite.com/news
• Finally, another to link to: www.yourwebsite.com

This way, you’re providing a logical structure to bots and users. To the ones who might say that breadcrumb links serve the same purpose, Google treats types of internal links “differently.”

Choosing your Anchors

There’s no need to complicate things here; keep the anchor contextual to the target. For example, if you’re linking out to a comprehensive blog post about the best dog foods, the following anchors would make the most sense:

• Hyper-focused: best pet foods, pet food, pet foods, popular kibble, best kibble
• Medium-tail & Long-tail: best dry pet food brands, healthy kibble for dogs, popular pet food for picky eaters, best-rated pet foods for nutrition, choosing the right kibble, dog food for active puppies, affordable grain-free pet food

You should try to stay away from one-word anchors unless you are linking out to hyper-focused content, such as Glossary pages.

• Keep the anchors contextual to the target.
• The content in which internal links are placed should also be related to the target page. For example, linking the best dog foods to an article about mental health isn’t a very good approach.
• Try to keep the anchors between 2-4 words.
• Ensure the anchor provides relevance to the target. For example, using an anchor such as “this article” or “here” is not providing crawlers enough context.

Ratio of Internal Links and Word Counts

Just like 90% of SEO recommendations, nothing is set in stone here because of so many dependencies, so I will share what has worked for my client sites.

• Maximum of 1 internal link per 188 words
• External Links 0 – 1. This depends on your content; if you’re citing sources or even linking out to other domains as a part of a link exchange agreement, the number will be higher. However, no more than one is recommended if it is solely for your domain and is informational-oriented.

In-content Links on Landing Pages

Internal links on landing pages should be delicately approached. Unlike informational pages, conversions and user experience take precedence here over pure SEO optimization. When placing internal links on landing pages, consider the following guidelines to balance user experience and SEO:

• Limit the Number of Links: Use a maximum of 2-4 internal links, depending on the page length and layout. Overloading the page with links may distract users from the primary call-to-action.
• Link to Product Buckets: For instance, if you have a landing page that sells a Rolex, linking out to another landing page for “Luxury Watch Repairs” would make the most sense.
• Contextual Relevance: Each link should align directly with the content and serves a purpose. For instance, linking to a pricing page, a case study, or a feature page may guide users closer to conversion.
• Placement: Avoid placing links near primary call-to-action buttons. This minimizes distractions and keeps users focused on completing the intended action, such as signing up or purchasing.
• Anchor Text Optimization: Use concise, action-driven anchor text relevant to the linked content. Avoid generic phrases like “click here,” and ensure the text naturally fits into the sentence structure.

Buttons

SEO doesn’t usually drive button texts; there’s an emotional factor that takes precedence. For example, if you’re selling Matcha Tea, your button text would most likely be “Buy Now,” which would take the user to their cart. If you try to have an SEO play and choose to change the button to “Buy Matcha Tea” and link to another landing page, you’re breaking the natural behavior online shoppers are used to.

To that end, optimizing buttons is relatively simple, and can be optimized by doing the following:

• Variety: A landing page with a bunch of repeated “Learn More” buttons aren’t really optimized for conversions. Consider varying usage by including closely related CTAs such as “Explore Deals” or “View Plans,” “Check Availability,” or “Start Your Trial.” These variations can make calls-to-action more engaging and tailored to the context of the content or the product/service offered. Repeated use of the same phrase may lead to CTA fatigue, where users overlook the buttons due to lack of differentiation.
• Context-Specific Wording: Align CTAs with the section of the page they appear in. For example, near testimonials, use “See Success Stories,” or next to product features, “Discover Features.”
• Highlight Benefits: Incorporate value-driven language in your CTAs, such as “Save Now,” “Get Started for Free,” or “Unlock Exclusive Offers.”
• Personalization: Use wording that resonates with the audience. For example, “Find My Fit” for apparel, or “Plan My Trip” for travel services.
• Contrasting Design: Ensure each CTA stands out visually by using contrasting colors, larger font sizes, and spacing that separates it from surrounding elements.
• Limit Choices: Avoid overwhelming users with too many CTAs in a single view. Strategically place 2-3 varied CTAs throughout the page to guide users naturally through the conversion funnel.

Related Links

Related links are a great addition to any product page or blog post. Most of the time, these links are auto-generated depending on your CMS. For example, if you’re using WordPress, you’ll most likely have to install a plugin like “Contextual Related Posts.” This enables WordPress to add related posts, which are most likely by category under your blog post. So, when users reach the end of the blog post, they have more options to navigate your site organically.

Here are two examples:

Related links are great additions and are super useful for users and search engines. If your CMS doesn’t support a plugin-type integration like WordPress, consider a custom HTML approach.

Finally, related links are not just limited to informational pages; these can exist on landing pages as well. For example, Zillow, a well-known real estate website, has listings that serve as product landing pages. So, if a user were to land on homes for sale in Austin, Texas, Zillow has pragmatically included related hyperlinks to filters such as 1 Bedroom Homes for Sale in Austin TX and Homes for Sale Under 10K in Austin TX.

The key difference in related links between landing pages and informational pages is the level of relevancy. It’s not always going to be a 1:1 related link for informational pages, but landing pages can. Hence, for blog pages, a loose-based relation such as category matching is good enough for related links; however, a highly relevant match is required for landing pages. Here are a few recommendations for related links:

• Use category-based matching for blog posts to suggest loosely related content.
• Place complementary or similar product links on product pages, such as accessories or variants.
• Include cross-sell opportunities like bundles or related categories on e-commerce pages.
• Ensure highly relevant options for landing pages, such as filtered listings or closely related topics.
• Position links strategically, like at the end of blog posts or below the fold on landing pages.
• Use clear and descriptive titles for links to improve user engagement.
• Implement custom HTML for platforms without plugin support for full control over design and placement.
• Regularly update related links to maintain relevance as site content evolves.
• Prioritize internal links to high-value or high-conversion pages.
• Keep related links visually distinct but unobtrusive to maintain user experience.

Breadcrumb Links

Breadcrumb links are simple; don’t overthink it. They serve one purpose and one purpose only: to help users and search engines “backtrack” from the page they are on. These links usually reside at the top of a content container in informational-type posts and eCommerce or product pages. Below is an example:

This example navigates back to the category, and the last stop is the blog homepage. That’s pretty much it. It is important that you have breadcrumb links on your posts and implement it for product pages, but don’t overcomplicate it.

Lastly, breadcrumb links can be supported by schema markups. Schema markups are great for search engines to understand the contents of your page through recognizable language. Here is an example of the BreadcrumbList schema markup:

This script is placed <head> section of your HTML or just before the closing </body> tag for better accessibility.

Jump Links

Jump links are sometimes useful for search engines to peruse content quickly, but this has not been proven. Jump links are usually applied to content pages, and mostly through “Table of Contents,” where users can click a section and jump to the corresponding header. Below is an example:

Again, these are great for users but have little “internal link juice” and fall under low priority if juicing your content and pages is what you’re looking for.

The Bottom Line

In any SEO effort, making an effort to balance optimizing for search engines and users will go a long way. It’s no different when implementing internal links; always approach implementations logically, and you should be good to go!