2026 Guide
11 min read
Most small business websites have a blog that sits off to one side, a set of service pages nobody links to except the menu, and a few useful pages that are almost impossible to find. Internal linking fixes that. It’s one of the few SEO tasks that costs nothing but time, helps visitors immediately, and makes it easier for Google to find and understand your pages.
Internal linking means linking from one page on your website to another. Google says every page you care about should have a link from at least one other page on your site. For a small business, a good internal linking strategy connects related blog posts to each other and to the service pages they support, uses descriptive anchor text instead of “click here,” and uses standard HTML links Google can crawl. There’s no ideal number of links per page; add them where they genuinely help the reader.
This guide covers why internal links matter, what Google says about crawlable links and anchor text, a simple linking structure for small business sites, a step-by-step process to improve your links, and the mistakes to avoid.
What Are Internal Links and Why Do They Matter?
An internal link is any link from one page of your site to another page on the same site: menu links, footer links, buttons, and links inside your content. Links inside the body of a page, placed next to relevant text, are usually the most useful because they come with context.
Internal links do three jobs:
- Help Google find pages: Google’s SEO Starter Guide says Google primarily finds pages through links from other pages it has already crawled.
- Help Google understand pages: the anchor text and surrounding words tell Google what the linked page is about.
- Help visitors take the next step: a reader learning about a problem can move straight to the page explaining how you solve it.
Make Sure Google Can Follow Your Links
Google’s link best practices say that, generally, Google can only crawl a link if it’s an HTML <a> element with an href attribute pointing to a real URL.
| Recommended by Google | Not Recommended |
|---|---|
<a href="/services/web-design/"> |
<span href="/services/web-design/"> |
<a href="/products.php?id=123"> |
<a onclick="goto('products')"> |
JavaScript that inserts a normal <a href> link |
<a href="javascript:goTo('products')"> |
Most WordPress and Elementor links are standard <a href> links already. The risk usually comes from custom buttons, sliders or menus built with scripts. If you’re unsure, use Search Console’s URL Inspection tool to view the rendered HTML and confirm the link is there. For more on this, see our website design mistakes that hurt SEO.
How to Write Good Anchor Text
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text of a link. Google says good anchor text is “descriptive, reasonably concise, and relevant to the page that it’s on.”
- Avoid generic text: Google lists “click here,” “read more” and “article” as weak examples.
- Keep it concise: a whole sentence as a link is too long. Link the descriptive core.
- Use the out-of-context test: read only the link text. If it doesn’t make sense on its own, make it more descriptive.
- Don’t force keywords: Google reminds site owners that keyword stuffing violates its spam policies. Ask whether readers need those words to understand where the link goes.
- Write the whole sentence naturally: Google notes that the words before and after a link matter too.
- Don’t chain links together: several single-word links side by side are hard to use. Spread them out with context.
Weak
“To learn more about our services, click here.” · “We offer best SEO services Lahore cheap SEO agency.”
Stronger
“If your pages aren’t being indexed, start with a technical SEO audit.” · “Before hiring help, read how to tell if your SEO agency is working.”
For image links, Google uses the image’s alt text as the anchor text, so linked images need descriptive alt text rather than an empty alt="".
A Simple Internal Linking Structure for Small Business Sites
You don’t need a complicated model. Most small business sites work well with a structure where each service page sits at the center of its own group of related content:
| Link From | Link To | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Home page | Main service pages | Shows visitors and Google what you mainly offer |
| Service page | Related guides, case studies, FAQs | Gives buyers the detail and proof they want |
| Blog post | The service page it relates to | Moves interested readers toward a next step |
| Blog post | Other closely related posts | Answers the reader’s follow-up questions |
| New post | Older relevant posts | Keeps older content connected |
| Older relevant posts | The new post | Stops new content from becoming an orphan |
Illustrative example: a dental clinic
The “Teeth Whitening” service page links to “How Long Does Teeth Whitening Last?”, “In-Clinic vs At-Home Whitening” and “Whitening for Sensitive Teeth.” Each of those posts links back to the service page where it’s genuinely relevant, and to each other where a reader would naturally want to continue.
How Many Internal Links Should a Page Have?
Google says, “There’s no magical ideal number of links a given page should contain.” It adds that if a page seems to have too many, it probably does.
A practical test: would a reader, at this exact point in the text, want to click this link? If yes, link. If you’re adding links mainly to hit a target number, stop. A 1,500-word guide might naturally link to five or six related pages; a short service page might link to two or three.
How to Improve Your Internal Links, Step by Step
Usually your main service pages, your best guides, and pages that bring in enquiries.
Search Console’s Links report shows how many internal links point to each page. A site crawl tool can also list pages with no internal links.
Match each blog post to the service it supports and to the other posts on the same subject.
Search your own site for mentions of a topic, for example site:yourdomain.com "teeth whitening", and link those mentions to the right page.
Place them where they help the reader, inside a natural sentence.
Update links that point to deleted pages or old URLs so they go straight to the current page.
Every new post should link to at least one relevant older page, and get at least one link from an older page.
Planning links before writing is easier than adding them later. Our guide to building a content calendar for SEO shows how to group topics in advance.
What About External Links?
Linking out to other websites isn’t a loss. Google says citing sources can build trust. Its guidance on link attributes:
- Normal links: fine for sources you trust and want to cite.
nofollow: use only when you don’t trust the source, not on every external link.sponsored: for paid or sponsored links.ugc: for links added by users, such as in comments or forums.
Common Internal Linking Mistakes
- Leaving blog posts disconnected from the service pages they support
- Publishing orphan pages that nothing links to
- Using “click here” or “read more” as anchor text
- Stuffing exact-match keywords into every anchor
- Adding links to hit a number rather than to help readers
- Building links with scripts that Google can’t reliably crawl
- Leaving broken links after deleting or renaming pages
- Adding nofollow to internal links or every external link without reason
Want Your Blog to Support Your Services?
Serpistan maps your existing pages, finds orphan and under-linked content, and builds an internal linking plan that guides visitors toward your services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an internal linking strategy?
A plan for how pages on your site link to each other, so related content is connected, important pages are easy to reach, and visitors can move naturally from learning to taking action.
Do internal links help SEO?
They help Google discover pages, since it mainly finds pages through links, and the anchor text helps it understand what linked pages are about. They also help visitors find related content.
How many internal links per page is ideal?
Google says there’s no magical ideal number. Add links where they genuinely help readers, and remove them if a page starts to feel cluttered.
Should internal anchor text use exact keywords?
Use descriptive text that tells readers where the link goes. That often includes the topic naturally. Forcing exact-match keywords into every link isn’t necessary, and Google warns against keyword stuffing.
Do menu and footer links count?
Yes, they’re internal links and help Google find pages. Links inside your content add useful context that site-wide menus can’t, so use both.
What is an orphan page?
A page with no internal links pointing to it. Visitors can only reach it directly or from search, and Google may find it harder to discover. Link to it from at least one relevant page.
Should I add nofollow to internal links?
Generally no. Google recommends nofollow for external links you don’t trust, plus sponsored and user-generated links, not for links between your own pages.
Sources / References
- Google Search Central, “Link best practices for Google”
- Google Search Central, “Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide”