Nayan Dhumal
Internal links are links from one page on your blog to another page on the same blog. They help readers find related posts and help search engines understand how your content fits together. This guide explains where to add them, how to write good anchor text and how to find linking opportunities in posts you have already published.
Most new bloggers think about links from other websites. Those matter, but you have no control over them. Internal links are the opposite: you can add them today, on every post, for free.
Google’s SEO starter guide puts it simply: “Links are a great way to connect your users and search engines to other parts of your site, or relevant pages on other sites.” Internal links are the part of that you fully control.
Key takeaways
- An internal link points from one page on your site to another page on the same site.
- They help readers keep reading and help Google discover and understand your pages.
- Use descriptive anchor text that tells the reader what they will find.
- Link where it genuinely helps the reader, not in every sentence.
- Every important post should get links from a few related posts.
- Revisit old posts and add links to new ones as you publish.
What an internal link is
When you link the words “keyword research” in one post to your keyword research guide, that is an internal link. Your menu, footer and category pages contain internal links too, but this guide focuses on links inside your post content, because those carry the most context.
Google describes anchor text as “the text part of a link that you can see”. The anchor text tells readers, and search engines, what the linked page is about.
Why internal links matter
- Readers find the next step. Someone who finishes a beginner guide often wants the next guide. A link gets them there.
- Google discovers pages. Google finds many pages by following links. A post with no links pointing to it is harder to find.
- Context. The words you use in a link help explain what the linked page covers.
- Important pages get attention. When many of your posts link to one guide, you are signalling that it matters.
On a new blog, linking each new post from a few related older posts is one of the simplest ways to help it get found. If your posts are not showing up yet, my guide to why a blog is not showing on Google covers the other common causes.
How to write good anchor text
| Weak anchor text | Better anchor text |
|---|---|
| click here | my guide to writing meta descriptions |
| this post | how to choose a focus keyword |
| read more | a step-by-step keyword research guide |
| blogging (on every link) | how to write your first blog post |
Good anchor text is:
- Descriptive: it tells the reader what the page is about.
- Natural: it reads well as part of the sentence.
- Short: a few words, not a whole paragraph.
- Varied: you do not need the exact same words every time you link to a page.
Where to add internal links
- In the introduction, when you mention a basic step the reader may need first, such as setting up the blog.
- In the body, where a sub-topic has its own detailed guide.
- In “what to do next” sections, pointing to the natural next step.
- In FAQs, when a question is answered in more depth elsewhere.
A useful rule of thumb is to link when a reader would genuinely want to click. If you would not click it yourself, leave it out.
Pro tip
Every time you publish a new post, open two or three older posts on related topics and add a link to the new one. This takes five minutes and is one of the quickest ways to get new posts discovered.
How to add an internal link in WordPress
- Select the words you want to turn into a link.
- Click the link icon in the toolbar, or press Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on a Mac).
- Start typing the title of the post you want to link to. WordPress searches your own posts and shows matches.
- Choose the right post and press Enter.
You do not need to copy and paste the full URL. Searching by title also reduces the chance of a typo.
How to find internal linking opportunities
- Search your own site. Search for the main topic of your new post in your WordPress Posts screen or your site search, and look for posts that mention it.
- Use Google. Search for site:yourdomain.com plus your topic to see related pages Google already knows about.
- Use your plugin’s suggestions. Some SEO and linking plugins suggest related posts while you write.
- Plan topic groups. Group posts around one subject, such as SEO basics, and link them to each other.
How many internal links should a post have?
There is no fixed number. A short post might have two or three. A long guide might have more. What matters is that each link helps the reader at that point in the post.
Too many links in one paragraph are distracting and make it harder to see which one matters. Spread them through the post where they naturally fit.
Common internal linking mistakes
- Using “click here” everywhere. It tells nobody what the page is about.
- Linking only to the home page. Link to the specific post that answers the question.
- Leaving new posts with no links. A post nobody links to is an orphan page.
- Linking to deleted posts. Broken internal links frustrate readers. If you delete or move a post, redirect the old URL.
- Forcing links. A link that does not fit the sentence is worse than no link.
Internal links and your focus keyword
When you link to a post, it often makes sense to use words close to that post’s main topic. If your keyword research guide targets “keyword research”, linking with “keyword research guide” is natural.
Do not use the identical exact phrase every single time. Mix it up the way you would in normal writing. My guide to what a focus keyword is explains how to choose that main phrase in the first place, and my keyword research guide covers how to find topics worth linking together.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between internal and external links?
Internal links point to pages on your own site. External links point to other websites. Both are useful when they help the reader.
Do internal links help SEO?
They help Google discover your pages and understand how they relate. Google’s own starter guide describes links as a way to connect users and search engines to other parts of your site.
Should internal links open in a new tab?
Usually not. Most readers expect links to the same site to open in the same tab. It is a personal choice, but keep it consistent.
How do I find posts with no internal links?
Some SEO and linking plugins report orphan posts. You can also check each new post by searching your site for its topic and adding links from related posts.
Can I add too many internal links?
Yes, if they stop helping the reader. Link where a reader would genuinely want more detail, and keep paragraphs readable.