Internal Linking
Internal linking is the practice of connecting related pages within one domain using contextual anchor text to signal importance and topical relationships.
Also known as: inbound-internal-links · site-internal-linking
Why it matters
Crawlers discover depth through links; users convert faster when related answers are one click away. Strong internal linking concentrates relevance on money pages, reduces orphans, and supports topical authority without acquiring external links.
How it works
You map hub pages to supporting content, link with descriptive anchors from body copy (not footer dumps), and align links with search intent clusters. Crawlers follow `<a href>` paths; PageRank-like signals flow to linked URLs. Learn Domains' URL Library drives contextual suggestions during content composition.
Common mistakes
- Defaulting every blog post to 'read more' instead of intent-matching anchor text.
- Linking only from nav/footer while leaving body copy linkless.
- Creating circular thin hubs that link out but offer no unique value.
- Adding internal links without updating when URLs redirect or consolidate.
Best practices
- Link from high-traffic posts to conversion pages with specific anchors.
- Maintain a hub-and-spoke model per topic cluster.
- Audit orphans quarterly and attach them to relevant hubs.
- Use the URL Library to keep suggestions aligned with live slugs.
Learn Domains perspective
You are drafting a comparison guide and Content Operations suggests links to your pricing page and two existing feature docs from your URL Library, contextual anchors, not a generic "add three internal links" note at the bottom of a brief.
FAQ
- How many internal links should a page have?
- Enough to serve the reader and connect the cluster, typically a handful of contextual body links, not hundreds in templates.
- Do internal links pass ranking signals?
- Yes. They help discovery and indicate which URLs you consider important within your site.
- Should I link to non-indexable pages?
- Avoid linking prominently to blocked, noindexed, or redirect-chain URLs, fix or remove those targets.
Next steps
- 1Export orphan URLs from your Opportunity queue.
- 2Add three contextual links from a high-traffic post to a money page.
- 3Regenerate a draft and accept URL Library link suggestions.
Knowledge graph
Parent terms
Child terms
Related concepts
topical-authority · content-operations · website-authority