How many internal links should each page have?

There is no fixed number. Each page should link to every relevant page within its topical cluster, plus the parent hub. A typical supporting page might have 5-15 internal links, depending on the length of the content and the number of related pages. Avoid forcing links where no natural contextual connection exists.

Does anchor text in internal links affect rankings?

Yes. Google uses anchor text from internal links to understand what the destination page covers. Descriptive anchor text containing relevant keywords helps Google associate the target page with those terms. Generic anchors like 'click here' or 'read more' waste this signal.

Should I use exact-match keywords in internal link anchor text?

Use natural, descriptive anchor text that includes relevant keywords but reads naturally within the sentence. Exact-match anchors are fine for internal links (the over-optimisation penalties that apply to external backlinks do not apply the same way to internal links), but the text should still make sense to human readers.

Can too many internal links hurt my SEO?

Excessive internal links on a single page can dilute the value passed to each destination and make the page feel spammy to users. Focus on quality and relevance rather than quantity. If every other sentence contains a link, you have too many.

Internal Linking Strategy for SEO Websites

Internal linking is the practice of connecting pages within your own website through hyperlinks. For an SEO-optimised website, internal links serve as the primary mechanism for distributing page authority, establishing topical relationships between pages, and guiding search engine crawlers through your content.

Internal linking gives you complete control over one of SEO’s most neglected ranking levers.

Why Internal Links Matter for SEO

Internal links affect rankings through three mechanisms.

Authority distribution: Every page on your site accumulates some level of authority from external backlinks, age, and user engagement. Internal links pass a portion of this authority from one page to another. Pages with more internal links pointing to them receive more distributed authority, which can improve their ranking potential.

Topical signals: When Page A links to Page B using descriptive anchor text, Google interprets this as a signal about what Page B covers. If multiple pages across your site link to your “boiler installation” page using anchors like “boiler installation services”, “installing a new boiler”, and “boiler fitting costs”, Google builds a strong association between that page and those topics.

Crawl efficiency: Google discovers pages by following links. If a page has no internal links pointing to it, crawlers may never find it (these are called orphan pages). Well-linked pages get crawled more frequently and index faster.

The Hub-and-Spoke Model

The most effective internal linking pattern for SEO is the hub-and-spoke model, which maps directly to topical clusters.

The hub page sits at the centre. It covers a broad topic and links outward to every supporting page (spoke) within its cluster. Each spoke covers a specific subtopic and links back to the hub. Spokes also cross-link to related spokes where the content naturally connects.

For an accounting firm’s website:

Hub: /tax-services/ links to all tax-related service and content pages
Spoke 1: /tax-services/corporation-tax/ links back to the hub and to related spokes like capital allowances and R&D tax credits
Spoke 2: /tax-services/capital-allowances/ links back to the hub and to related spokes
Spoke 3: /tax-services/r-and-d-tax-credits/ links back to the hub and to related spokes

This structure creates a dense web of links within each topic, reinforcing the cluster’s cohesion. Google’s crawlers follow these links and recognise that the pages form a thematically connected group.

Choosing Anchor Text

The anchor text — the clickable words in a hyperlink — tells Google what the destination page is about. Choosing the right anchor text is critical for maximising the SEO value of each internal link.

Use descriptive, keyword-relevant phrases. Instead of “learn more”, use “our guide to corporation tax filing”. Instead of “click here”, use “how capital allowances reduce your tax bill”. The anchor should describe the content the reader will find at the destination.

Vary your anchors naturally. Using the exact same anchor text for every link to a page looks unnatural. Internal links face fewer over-optimisation penalties than external backlinks, but variation still matters. Use variations: “corporation tax services”, “our corporation tax team”, “filing your corporation tax return” — all pointing to the same page.

Keep anchors concise. Two to six words is typical. Anchoring an entire sentence or paragraph dilutes the signal because Google must determine which part of the text is most relevant.

Mapping Internal Links Across Your Site

Before adding links, create a map of which pages should link to which other pages. This prevents both over-linking (every page linking to every other page) and under-linking (orphan pages with no inbound links).

Start with your site’s hierarchy:

Navigation links: Header and footer links connect the top-level pages. These appear on every page and pass authority across the entire site.
Hub-to-spoke links: Each hub page contains contextual links to all its supporting pages within the body content.
Spoke-to-hub links: Every supporting page links back to its parent hub at least once, typically in the introduction or a dedicated “back to hub” link.
Cross-links between spokes: Related pages within the same cluster link to each other where the content naturally overlaps.
Cross-cluster links: Where topics in different clusters relate to each other, add links between them. A page about corporation tax might link to a page about business accounting software in a different cluster.

Not all internal links carry equal weight. Google differentiates between contextual links (placed within the body content of a page) and navigation links (in headers, footers, and sidebars).

Contextual links carry more SEO weight because they appear in the context of relevant content. A link to your “boiler installation” page from within a paragraph discussing central heating systems is more valuable than the same link sitting in a sidebar widget.

Navigation links are still important — they distribute authority across the site and ensure crawlers can reach every page — but the real SEO power comes from contextual links embedded in relevant content.

Identifying and Fixing Orphan Pages

An orphan page has no internal links pointing to it. Search engines may never discover it, and even if they do (through the sitemap), the lack of internal links signals that the page is not important within your site’s hierarchy.

To find orphan pages, compare your sitemap against a crawl of your site’s internal links. Tools like Screaming Frog can map all internal links and identify pages that are accessible only through the sitemap or direct URL.

Every indexable page on your site should have at least one contextual internal link from another relevant page, plus its position in the site’s navigation structure. If a page is worth indexing, it is worth linking to.

Practical Implementation Tips

Add links during content creation, not as an afterthought. When writing a new page, identify opportunities to link to existing pages and plan where existing pages should link to the new content.

Review and update links when publishing new content. Every time you add a page, check your existing content for natural opportunities to link to it. A new page about “underfloor heating costs” should be linked from existing pages about home renovation, heating systems, and flooring.

Use breadcrumb navigation with BreadcrumbList schema. Breadcrumbs provide a consistent internal linking structure that mirrors your site hierarchy and generate rich results in Google search.

Audit internal links quarterly. Check for broken links, orphan pages, and opportunities to add links to newer content. As your site grows, the internal linking structure needs periodic maintenance to stay effective.

Avoid link bloat on hub pages. If a hub page links to 50 supporting pages, each link passes less authority than if it linked to 15. Keep clusters focused on a manageable number of high-quality supporting pages rather than creating dozens of thin pages to inflate the cluster size.