The Importance of Internal Linking for SEO: Building Site Strength from Within

How a smart internal linking strategy improves rankings, site navigation, and search engine crawlability

Internal linking is one of the most underrated SEO tactics. While much attention is (rightly) given to backlinks from other websites, internal links—the hyperlinks connecting pages within your own site—are a powerful tool that can significantly influence search engine performance. When done well, internal linking strengthens your site architecture, distributes link equity effectively, and ensures all your pages are accessible and understandable to both users and search engines.

In this post, we explain why internal linking is critical for SEO success, break down the key benefits, and tackle a crucial issue many sites overlook: orphan pages. We’ll also provide actionable guidance on how to build and maintain a healthy internal link structure that enhances your site’s visibility and performance.

Why Internal Linking Matters for SEO

Internal links play a vital role in how search engines discover and rank your content. Here’s how a well-planned internal linking strategy supports your SEO efforts:

• Improves Crawlability and Indexation:

Search engines like Google discover new content by crawling links. If your site’s pages aren’t linked internally, Google may struggle to find and index them. A robust internal linking structure acts as a roadmap, guiding crawlers efficiently through your website. This increases the chances of all your important pages being indexed and appearing in search results.

• Distributes Link Equity (Authority):

When a page on your site earns backlinks from external sources, it gains authority or “link equity.” Internal links allow you to distribute that authority to other pages, helping them to rank better too. For example, if your homepage has strong backlinks, linking from it to key service pages can pass on valuable ranking power.

• Supports Keyword Targeting:

Anchor text—the clickable text in a link—helps search engines understand the topic of the linked page. Internal linking gives you control over anchor text, allowing you to reinforce the relevance of your target keywords across your site. Over time, this can strengthen your keyword rankings and improve topical relevance.

• Enhances User Experience (UX):

Good internal linking isn’t just for search engines. It helps users navigate your site easily, find related content, and stay longer. This reduces bounce rates and encourages deeper engagement—both positive behavioural signals for SEO.

• Establishes Site Hierarchy and Topic Clusters:

A thoughtful internal linking structure reflects your site’s hierarchy and topic clusters. It shows search engines which pages are most important (typically those with the most internal links) and how topics relate to one another, supporting your site’s topical authority.

The Cost of Neglect: Orphan Pages

A critical issue that can quietly undermine your SEO is the existence of orphan pages. Let’s break down what they are and why they pose a serious problem.

What Are Orphan Pages?

An orphan page is any page on your website that is not linked to from anywhere else on your site. In other words, it has no internal links pointing to it. Even if the page is live and can be accessed via a direct URL, search engines may not discover or prioritise it because there are no internal signals highlighting its existence or importance.

Why Are Orphan Pages Bad for SEO?

• Poor Discoverability and Indexation:

Because Google primarily discovers content by following links, orphan pages can go unnoticed or be deprioritised for indexing. This means your valuable content may never appear in search results, wasting your efforts.

• No Link Equity Flow:

Even if an orphan page is technically indexed, it receives no link equity from the rest of your site. This puts it at a significant disadvantage in the rankings because it lacks the internal signals that boost authority.

• Weakened Site Structure:

Orphan pages break the logical flow of your site. From a user’s perspective, they are difficult to find, which can lead to frustration and lost opportunities for engagement or conversion. From Google’s perspective, they make your site look disorganised and inconsistent.

• Negative Impact on Crawl Budget:

If your site is large, search engines allocate a crawl budget—essentially the number of pages Googlebot will crawl on your site in a given timeframe. Orphan pages can result in wasted crawl budget if they exist in isolation, preventing Google from focusing on your priority content.

How to Fix Orphan Pages and Strengthen Your Internal Linking

1. Audit Your Site Regularly:

Use tools like Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, or Ahrefs to identify orphan pages. These tools crawl your website and can highlight pages with zero internal inbound links.

2. Reintegrate Valuable Orphans:

If an orphan page is valuable—such as a key service page, high-performing blog post, or product page—find logical places within your site to link to it. Start with your homepage, category pages, and other high-authority locations to give it a strong boost.

3. Cull or Redirect Redundant Pages:

Not every orphan page is worth saving. If the page is outdated, irrelevant, or duplicates content elsewhere, consider either consolidating it into another page or using a 301 redirect to point it to a relevant, live page.

4. Prevent New Orphans:

Develop a publishing workflow that ensures every new page or post is linked to from at least one other page immediately upon publication. A good habit is to include relevant internal links from new posts to existing content, and vice versa, to keep your site interconnected.

Best Practices for Internal Linking

To maximise the SEO benefits of internal linking, follow these key practices:

• Prioritise Relevance:

Always link pages that are genuinely related. This helps users and strengthens your topical authority. For example, a blog post about “internal linking” should logically link to posts on related topics like “SEO audits” or “site structure.”

• Use Descriptive Anchor Text:

Avoid generic phrases like “click here” or “read more.” Instead, use descriptive, keyword-relevant anchor text that tells users (and Google) what the linked page is about.

• Link Deep, Not Just to Top Pages:

While it’s tempting to always link back to your homepage or main category pages, deep linking to sub-pages spreads link equity more evenly and helps lesser-known pages rank better.

• Maintain a Natural Flow:

Internal links should feel natural and helpful to the reader, not forced. Overloading your content with excessive links can appear spammy and harm UX.

• Monitor and Update Links Regularly:

Check for broken internal links and fix them promptly. Also, periodically review older posts to add links to newer content, keeping your internal structure fresh and interconnected.

Internal Linking For SEO Overview

Internal linking is a foundational SEO practice that strengthens your site from within. By improving crawlability, distributing link equity, and supporting UX, a solid internal linking strategy boosts your entire website’s visibility and performance.

Key takeaways include:

• Internal linking is essential: It helps search engines discover and index your pages, improves rankings, and enhances user navigation.

• Watch for orphan pages: These unlinked pages miss out on SEO benefits and can weaken your site structure. Identify and reintegrate valuable orphan pages to reclaim their potential.

• Follow best practices: Prioritise relevance, use clear anchor text, link to deep pages, and maintain your link structure over time to keep your SEO healthy and effective.

The good news? You don’t need an agency to sort this out. 

Most content management systems (like WordPress, Wix, or Shopify) make it simple to add and update internal links. Free or low-cost tools—such as Screaming Frog’s free version or Ahrefs’ Webmaster Tools—can help you spot orphan pages and weak link structures. By setting aside time each month to review your site, adding links where they make sense, and ensuring every new page is connected from day one, you can build and maintain a strong internal linking system yourself. This hands-on approach keeps your SEO moving in the right direction without the need for outside help.

If you do hit a wall or want a second opinion, that’s where a straightforward audit can make sense—but the day-to-day improvements? Completely in your hands.