How Internal Linking Can Multiply Your Website’s Rankings

Struggling to get your website noticed?

Many sites have amazing content but fail to connect it in a way that helps both visitors and search engines.

Properly linking your pages guides readers to related content, highlights your top landing pages, and even points users to key CTAs — all while signaling to search engines which pages matter most.

In this guide, we’re breaking down how internal linking can increase rankings. We’re also sharing practical tips and a checklist so you can start linking smarter today. 👇

What is internal linking?

Internal linking means linking pages on your website to other pages on the same site. It forms part of SEO strategies, as it helps visitors find related content easily and keeps them exploring through your site.

At the same time, it shows search engines which pages are important, so your site can rank better. For example, a blog about marketing strategies might link to a page with a free downloadable guide on planning marketing campaigns.

Let’s unpack this more below.

How can internal linking multiply website rankings?

Internal linking is one of the simplest ways to improve SEO and increase conversions.

And it just makes sense, if you think about it.

Google wants your site to be helpful to crawlers and real people. With internal links, you’re pointing your website visitors in the right direction and showing them what to do next. If they’re reading an article about top student loan refinance options, linking out to a refinance calculator on your site is likely helpful for them.

Look at the following article on the average student loan debt by SoFi:

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Throughout its in-depth guide, SoFi links out to super helpful resources. Like this blog on different student loan options:

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And this guide about student loan debt by college major:

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That’s how SoFi’s internal linking strategy turns a single piece into a hub of authority. It doesn’t use generic anchors. But it places links on high-intent phrases, like “student loan debt by degree” or “income-based repayment plans”.

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Here’s another example.

Take a look at the following guide called “Tobacco in Perfume: History, Scent Profile & Examples.” 👇

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If you scroll to the bottom of the guide, you’ll see that Scent Split strategically links out to three of its Autumn Perfumes that have tobacco notes, including:

• Jasmin et Cigarette by État Libre d’Orange
• Tabac Nomade by Houbigant
• BDK's Tabac Rose

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Readers can click through for concrete examples of how tobacco notes show up in real perfumes, which makes the guide more useful and engaging:

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At the same time, it signals to search engines that these links are directly tied to the topic. Instead of looking like forced product plugs, the links naturally extend the reader’s journey — which is exactly what both people and search engine crawlers reward.

9 best internal linking best practices to increase website rankings

Here are the top best practices to follow when implementing an internal linking strategy:

1. Link topic clusters together

Topic clusters help you create a clear content hierarchy.

➜ Start with a pillar page that covers a broad subject and link to supporting posts that cover subtopics. Then, link those subtopics back to the pillar page. This back-and-forth linking shows search engines that your content is connected and comprehensive, which can increase rankings.

2. Link to related internal pieces from every article

Never let your posts stand alone. Whenever you publish new content, include links to other articles that expand on related ideas.

For example, if you’re posting on content calendars, link to another piece about different content types to include when planning.

We actually did this.

Here’s our content calendar piece:

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And here’s how we interlinked our content types guide:

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These contextual links help keep our readers engaged and reduce bounce rates because they’re helpful and relevant.

Notice how we linked to them again in this blog post? Hehe.

3. Link to your most important landing pages

Your landing pages are often the most valuable parts of your website because they’re the ones that help you get paid! Make sure they’re easy to find by linking to them from relevant blog posts and high-traffic pages.

(If you write an article about productivity apps, link directly to your landing page that promotes your productivity software or services.)

4. Link to product pages where it makes sense

When your content mentions specific products or features, link to the corresponding product page.

This builds a natural bridge from educational content to sales opportunities.

Business strategist and 8-figure entrepreneur, Jamie Sea, refers to this as “soft selling.”

For example, if you write about different project management methods, link to your own project management tool’s product page. (Scroll back up as a reminder of how Scent Split did this with its tobacco notes perfumes.)

5. Link to your conversion CTA buttons

Don’t forget that internal linking applies to calls-to-action, too. If you have a “Book a demo” or “Start free trial” button, make sure it links internally to the proper sign-up or conversion page.

You don’t want any friction for users who are ready to take the next step.

Also, only embed CTAs in your content that are relevant to the topic you’re covering. You don’t want to link out to your leadership coaching booking page if you’re writing a piece on email marketing.

6. Link to other helpful assets you’ve created

Internal links aren’t limited to articles and product pages.

If you’ve created a podcast episode, case study, or downloadable resource, link to it where relevant. Your blog post about career development, for instance, could link to a podcast interview with an industry expert. Or to your career development newsletter sign-up page, for example.

7. Interlink top-performing posts more often

Not all content performs equally, so give your winners extra attention. Use analytics to identify posts that already rank well or bring in strong traffic.

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Then, go back through your content and add more links to those posts.

This SEO strategy strengthens what’s already working and helps high-performing internal pages climb even higher.

8. Link within new and updated content

Every time you publish something new, add internal links to older relevant posts.

Likewise, when you refresh old content, add links pointing to your newer pieces. This creates a two-way page authority flow that keeps your content ecosystem alive and connected.

Just make sure your evergreen pieces are also fully updated. You don’t want to link out to outdated advice or outdated stats.

9. Make links natural and helpful

Help. Your. Readers.

Always ask yourself if an internal link could improve the user’s experience. (Forced links or irrelevant anchors can hurt trust, and Google can penalize your site.) You want natural, descriptive anchor text that tells readers exactly what they’ll find when they click.

So if you’re writing a guide on behavioral intelligence, your descriptive anchor text and links might be:

• “Behavioral intelligence training programs” → links to relevant courses or workshops
• “Behavioral intelligence assessment tool” → links to an interactive quiz or tool
• “Improving workplace decision-making” → links to a tips article or case study

These anchors give readers a clear idea of what to expect and keep the links relevant, helpful, and natural.

Need more support? Check out our internal linking checklist below. 👇

Helpful content marketing checklist to use when setting up internal links

Use this when planning out your internal linking strategy:

• Conduct an internal link audit. Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify orphan pages, broken internal links, and link depth issues. Correct all errors after your content analysis so your internal link structure is clean. More on this below.
  
• Prioritize internal link building to high-value pages. From homepage and top-level pages, link prominently to pages you want to boost in rankings, where relevant.
  
• Build topic clusters. Create pillar pages and link to related cluster content using keyword-rich, relevant anchor text.
  
• Optimize anchor text strategically. Use descriptive, natural anchors that reflect the linked page’s target keywords without overstuffing.
  
• Limit click depth to three or fewer. Make sure important pages are reachable within three clicks from the homepage or main hubs.
  
• Fix broken and redirected internal links. Eliminate dead links and redirect chains to preserve link equity and improve crawl efficiency.
  
• Use nofollow links sparingly and strategically. Use nofollow links only for low-value or utility pages (e.g., login pages). Not to content pages you want ranked.
  
• Create a crawl budget map. For large sites, plan internal linking to direct crawlers to fresh and important content regularly.
  
• Balance automated and manual linking. Use automation for scale but manually review to maintain relevance, avoid spammy patterns, and enhance UX.
  
• Monitor user engagement on linked internal pages. Track metrics like bounce rate and session duration to ensure linked pages deliver valuable content and keep visitors engaged.
  
• Keep reviewing and improving. Schedule regular website reviews to update and optimize your links. This helps your website structure continue to support both rankings and conversions.

Wrap up

Internal linking helps guide visitors to your most valuable content while boosting your SEO at the same time.

Linking pillar pages, top posts, and helpful resources keeps people exploring your site and shows search engine bots which pages matter most.

Be sure to save this post and share it with your content team! ✨

➜ By the way, did you know you can plan your content easier with StoryChief? Manage everything in one place, so your content can work smarter for both readers and rankings. Sign up to try StoryChief for free now.

FAQs about internal linking

1. What is an internal link?

An internal link is a hyperlink on one page of your website that points to another page on the same domain.

2. Why is internal linking important for SEO?

Internal links help with search engine page crawling and indexing. They show how content is related and distribute ranking signals (“link equity”) to pages you want to rank higher.

3. How many internal links should a page have?

There’s no fixed number.

It depends on content length, relevance, and user experience. Use enough to make navigation logical without stuffing links.

4. What makes good anchor text?

Anchor text should be descriptive. It should also be relevant to the destination page, and natural. Avoid generic phrases like “click here” and keyword stuffing.

5. Is it bad to have too many internal links on a page?

Yes. Too many links can dilute the value passed and confuse users.

6. What’s the right click depth for important pages?

Important pages should ideally be reachable within two to three clicks from the homepage or main hubs to make them accessible to both users and search engines.

7. How do I find orphan pages (pages with no internal links)?

You can use SEO auditing tools like StoryChief, Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify pages with no inbound internal links.

8. What is cornerstone or pillar content and how should I link to it?

Pillar or cornerstone content is your most comprehensive resource on a topic. Other related pages should link to it, and the pillar page can link back to relevant cluster content to show topical authority.