Definition

Internal Link

A hyperlink from one page to another page on the same domain.

Role

Forms the site's architecture for users (navigation, journeys) and crawlers (discovery, hierarchy, importance).

Why They Matter

They control how PageRank/authority and context flow, influence crawlability/indexation, and improve engagement—all of which correlate with better rankings.

Evidence (Plain-English Summary)

• Authority distribution: Internal links are the "plumbing" that moves PageRank from strong pages (home, linked assets) to priority URLs.
• Crawlability & indexation: Googlebot primarily discovers content via links; shallow click depth and clear structures speed indexing and recrawls.
• Context & topical relevance: Descriptive anchor text teaches Google what a page is about; dense, bidirectional topic clusters build topical authority.
• User experience: Helpful internal links reduce bounces, increase pages/session & time on site—indirect signals aligned with helpful content.

The Four Pillars of Influence

1) Distributing PageRank & Authority

• Link from high-authority pages to priority pages.
• Keep links direct (avoid chains) and ensure targets return 200 with indexable content.

2) Ensuring Crawlability & Indexation

• Maintain a shallow architecture (important pages ≤3 clicks from home).
• Eliminate orphans; prioritize high-value sections for crawl budget.

3) Establishing Context & Topical Relevance

• Use descriptive, varied anchors (exact, partial, semantic variants).
• Build pillar ↔ cluster models; interlink laterally between related cluster pages.

4) Enhancing UX & Engagement

• Offer logical "next steps" and related content.
• Place links where they help users (intros, summaries, within steps/tables/FAQs).

Best Practices

Architect for Clarity

• Pyramid IA: Home → Hubs/Categories → Pillars → Clusters.
• Keep priority URLs close to the root; surface them in nav/breadcrumbs where sensible.

Master Anchor Text

• Prefer specific, honest descriptors over "click here."
• Mix exact / partial / synonyms; avoid sitewide repetition.
• Assign a primary anchor theme per page to prevent cannibalization.

Funnel Authority Deliberately

• Identify top-authority pages (earned links, traffic).
• Add contextual links from those pages to commercial/strategic targets.

Operationalize Linking

• On publish: add inbound links from at least 2–3 relevant legacy pages.
• On updates: re-link to fresh assets; rotate seasonal pages into key hubs.

Common Pitfalls (and Fixes)

Mistake	Impact	Fix
Orphan pages	Poor discovery/indexation; zero internal equity	Add 2–5 contextual inbound links from relevant pages
Generic anchors ("click here")	Weak topical signals	Use descriptive, keyword-rich, natural phrases
Links to noindex/blocked URLs	Wasted equity/crawl budget	Remove noindex (if appropriate) or change targets
Redirect chains/loops	Crawl inefficiency; diluted signals	Update links to the final 200 URL
Anchor cannibalization	Confuses which page should rank	Assign unique primary anchors per target page
Over-templated footer/sitewide links	Noise without context	Favor in-content, context-rich links
Excessive link counts on a page	Weakens per-link value & UX	Prioritize a smaller set of highly relevant links

Quick Decision Guide

Implementation Checklist

• ✓ Every priority page has 2–5 relevant internal inbound links
• ✓ Important pages are ≤3 clicks from the homepage
• ✓ No orphan pages (crawl to confirm)
• ✓ Anchors are descriptive, varied, and mapped per target page
• ✓ Internal links point to the final 200 (no chains/loops)
• ✓ No systematic links to noindex/blocked URLs
• ✓ Robust pillar ↔ cluster interlinking (including lateral links)
• ✓ Breadcrumbs reflect hierarchy where appropriate
• ✓ Post-publish routine adds links from relevant legacy pages
• ✓ Quarterly internal link audit (fix 404s, chains, orphans; refresh anchors)

Measurement & Maintenance

Discovery/Indexing

Coverage report, Crawl stats, URL Inspection (GSC).

Internal Link Flow

"Links" report (Internal), crawl maps from a site crawler.

Impact

Positions/clicks (GSC), pages/session & time on page (analytics).

Cadence

Light checks monthly; full audits quarterly or after major content launches.

TL;DR for the Hub