If you've put your heart and soul into building a website or online business and it’s still not getting the attention you hoped for, you're definitely not alone. Many bloggers, website owners, and entrepreneurs run into this same struggle. Turning a brand-new site into a successful venture can be really tough, especially when traffic just isn’t coming in like you need it to.
When you're building your site, it's easy to get fixated on high-profile tasks like keyword research and external link building. But here’s a secret: internal linking can be a game-changer. Often overlooked, a solid internal linking strategy can dramatically boost your site's visibility, enhance user experience, and make search engines fall in love with your content.
Why internal links matter
You might be wondering, why should you care about internal links? Well, Google has made it clear that internal links still play a significant role in passing “PageRank” and helping visitors navigate your site. Simply put, adding internal links can boost your site's ranking on Google, making your content more discoverable.
In this guide, I'll walk you through how internal linking can supercharge your SEO, sharing some real-life success stories from my own sites. I’ll also cover best practices and tools that can help you streamline the process of adding internal links.
What are internal links?
Let’s break it down: an internal link is just a hyperlink that connects one page on your site to another page on the same domain. Unlike external links, which point to other websites, internal links direct users to your own content. For instance, linking to your homepage from a blog post is a classic example of internal linking.
Now that we’ve got the basics covered, let’s dive into some exciting examples of how internal linking has worked wonders for my own SEO efforts.
The power of internal links: two real-life examples
- Internal linking example #1: "Best online business"
Let’s start with a keyword that's got some serious search volume: “best online business,” which gets searched 1,900 times a month. A few months back, my site, NichePursuits.com, was sitting at #8 for this keyword. Fast forward to today, and we're now proudly at #3 in Google’s rankings. How did we make this leap? Internal links!
NichePursuits has a treasure trove of articles related to online business. I went through some of our older posts, identified relevant sentences, and added links to our “best online business” article. The result? A whopping 56 internal links pointing to that article.
Here’s a fun fact: manually adding 56 internal links would take ages. You’d have to search your site, edit each article, and add the links one by one. But with Link Whisper, this process took just a few minutes. The boost in traffic from moving from #8 to #3 was significant, and we also started ranking for a bunch of related keywords.
- Internal linking example #2: "Successful niche websites"
Another success story involves an article targeting “successful niche websites.” After ramping up our internal linking efforts, this article didn’t just rank #1 for our target keyword — it also climbed to #2 for “niche websites.”
To put it in perspective, a separate article of mine now holds the #1 spot for “niche websites.”
The magic number here? 152 internal links. Yes, you read that right — 152 links. The results speak for themselves: our article skyrocketed in the rankings, and the increase in traffic was noticeable.
Even if you don’t have a special tool to speed up your internal linking, you can still see great SEO results. Check out this screenshot showing the traffic change before and after I added internal links to my 'successful niche websites' article:
Orphaned content: the hidden goldmine for internal linking
When it comes to boosting your internal linking strategy, finding orphaned content is like discovering a treasure chest of low-hanging fruit. Orphaned pages are those lonely articles on your site that don’t have a single internal link pointing to them. They’re stranded, with nothing connecting them to the rest of your site — think of them as isolated islands in the vast ocean of your content.
Chances are, your site has several of these orphaned pages. Maybe they were created as part of a well-researched article that you published and then forgot about. Or perhaps you just haven’t built the habit of linking back to your older posts from your new ones. Either way, these orphaned pages are a golden opportunity for improving your site’s architecture and passing some valuable link juice to enhance your overall SEO.
How to find orphaned content
Finding orphaned content can seem daunting, especially when you encounter a flood of technical guides promising quick fixes with plugins or complex Excel spreadsheets. Tools like Screaming Frog and Ahrefs can help, but they often involve a fair bit of manual effort.
Fortunately, there are simpler ways to locate these hidden gems. Tools like Yoast SEO Premium and Link Whisper make the process a lot easier.
- Yoast SEO Premium: Navigate to your posts and click on “orphaned content” to see a list of articles without any internal links. It’s a handy feature for quickly identifying content that needs attention.
- Link Whisper: This tool allows you to sort by “Inbound Internal Links” and spot any articles with zero links. You can also scroll through to find pages with just one, two, or a few links that could benefit from more connections.
Building topical authority
Google is becoming increasingly sophisticated with its updates like Hummingbird and RankBrain. These updates help Google understand complex queries and continuously refine its algorithms. To stay ahead, you need an internal linking strategy that benefits both users and search engines.
So, how do you build topical authority through internal linking? One effective approach is using Topical Clusters.
What is topical authority?
Topical authority refers to being recognized as an expert on a broad subject area rather than just a single topic. For instance:
- NichePursuits.com is seen as an authority on niche sites and keyword research due to the depth of content in these areas;
- TalkingComicBooks.com is a go-to source for comic book enthusiasts;
- MarthaStewart.com may be a powerhouse in lifestyle content, but it wouldn’t be considered a topical authority on car mufflers.
A site with lower domain authority could outrank Martha Stewart for car mufflers if it has better-established topical authority in that niche through well-organized topical clusters.
How to use internal linking for topical authority
The key to establishing topical authority is organizing your content into clusters of related topics and linking them together. This strategy helps both your readers and search engines understand the context and relevance of your content.
Here’s a handy graphic from Hubspot to illustrate this concept:
In essence, creating these “clusters” of related content and ensuring they link to each other is a powerful internal linking strategy. It strengthens your site’s overall structure and boosts your rankings by showing Google the depth and breadth of your expertise on various topics.
By focusing on these orphaned pages and organizing your content into clusters, you'll not only improve your internal linking but also enhance your site's SEO and user experience.
Mastering internal linking for topical authority
When it comes to boosting your site’s SEO and establishing yourself as an authority, internal linking is your secret weapon. Here’s how to use it like a pro:
- Link from your pillar article to all your subtopic pages: Make sure your main pillar article links out to each of your subtopic pages. This connects your broader content with more specific topics;
- Link each subtopic page back to your pillar article: Create a two-way street by linking each of your subtopic pages back to your pillar article. This reinforces the connection between your key content and related topics;
- Don’t forget external links: While internal links are crucial, external links to both your pillar and subtopic pages can also boost your credibility. They add extra value and help search engines understand the relevance of your content.
To make this concrete, let’s dive into some real-world examples.
Real-life examples of topical clusters in action
On NichePursuits.com, the aim was to become the go-to site for keyword research. To make this happen, a detailed Pillar Keyword Research Article was put together. There’s also a key article on the Best Keyword Research Tools. This pillar setup includes reviews of tools like SEMrush, Long Tail Pro, and KWfinder.
By linking all these articles together, they form a strong content cluster. This smart internal linking helps the site rank high on Google's first page for related keywords, as Google sees the site's expertise through this interconnected content.
In a similar fashion, OwnTheYard.com set out to be an authority on backyard games. A comprehensive Pillar Article on 106 Backyard Games was published, along with specific guides and reviews on individual games like croquet sets, bocce ball sets, and kites.
These guides link back to the main pillar article, and the pillar article links to them, creating a solid topical cluster. This approach strengthens the site's authority and expertise in backyard games.
How many internal links are too many?
We all want a clear-cut answer, but when it comes to internal linking, Google’s guidelines are as vague as ever: “Keep the links on a given web page to a reasonable number.” Thanks for the clarity, Google.
Matt Cutts, former head of Google's webspam team, suggested around 100 links might be a good rule of thumb, but that number can be flexible. Remember, this includes all links on the page — navigation, sidebars, footers, etc.
To give you a better idea, let me share some personal examples where I’ve pushed the boundaries:
- Niche websites article: This article ranks #1 for “niche websites” and has a whopping 101 internal links pointing to other articles on my site. It also features 92 external links. That’s a total of 193 outbound links! Despite this, it performs exceptionally well, ranking #1 and driving tons of traffic;
- Amazon affiliate earnings article: This article, which ranks on the first page for “Amazon affiliate earnings” and over 1,000 related terms, contains 99 internal and 15 external links. So, 114 links total. Again, it performs superbly despite exceeding Google’s vague suggestion of 100 links.
The takeaway
So, how many internal links is too many? Based on my experience, as long as your links are relevant and enhance the user experience, you can go beyond 100 without worrying. My articles with over 100 links perform remarkably well.
Here’s a quick peek from Link Whisper showing that my articles have 143 and 146 internal links pointing to them, respectively.
Google may not give us a precise number, but real-world results can guide you in finding what works best for your site.
I hope these insights help you navigate the world of internal linking and topical authority. With the right strategy, you can enhance your site’s SEO and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Can internal linking boost pageviews and reduce bounce rate?
We’ve already talked about how internal links can supercharge your SEO and make you look like a big deal in your niche. But how do they affect pageviews and bounce rates? Let’s dig into that!
Boosting pageviews
Imagine you’re reading a blog post. Which one would make you click through to another page: a post with zero links or one packed with links? It’s a no-brainer — more links mean more chances for readers to explore your site. If there are no links, there’s no incentive to dig deeper.
For most content-driven sites, you want readers to stick around and read more. This is especially crucial if you’re monetizing through CPM ads like AdThrive, Ezoic, or Mediavine. More pageviews mean more revenue, so adding internal links is a win-win!
How often do internal links get clicked?
Here’s a fun fact: Wikipedia found that 66% of their internal links went untouched. Yep, even with their enormous volume, over half of their links never got clicked. But don’t let this discourage you! If 34% of links get clicked, that’s still a solid chunk of traffic.
The takeaway? Don’t go overboard with links. Too many can cause them to compete for attention, making some less likely to be clicked. But when done right, internal linking can definitely increase your pageviews.
Lowering bounce rate
Bounce rate is all about keeping visitors from leaving your site right after landing on it. If readers click through to a second page, it means they’re sticking around longer. This is often seen as a positive signal by Google, which might help with your rankings.
I tested this myself:
While we need more case studies to fully understand the impact, the evidence is clear: more internal links can encourage readers to explore more pages, which can lower your bounce rate.
Internal linking best practices for SEO
Here are some quick tips to make your internal linking strategy shine:
- Link contextually: Make sure your links are relevant and add value. Use an internal link checker to help you out;
- Mix up anchor text: Don’t use the exact same anchor text every time. Vary it to keep things natural and relevant;
- Don't sweat the number: Don’t worry too much about the 100-link rule. If your content is long and useful, more links can be fine;
- One link is enough: Linking to the same page multiple times from one article doesn’t boost link juice. Once is generally enough;
- Find and fix orphaned content: Link to pages that don’t currently have any internal links. It’s an easy way to improve site architecture;
- Use multiple internal links: Don’t be shy about adding more internal links. If you have relevant content, link to it — my top articles often have over 100 inbound links!
- Consider opening links in a new tab: Some bloggers prefer this.
- Build topical clusters: Use internal links to create clusters of related content. This helps establish topical authority;
- Avoid nofollow on internal links: Ensure Google sees all your internal links. You want them to help your SEO efforts!
Conclusion
Turning a new website into a success can be challenging, especially when traffic is slow. However, internal linking can be a game-changer.
While it's easy to focus on big SEO tasks like keyword research and external links, don't underestimate the power of internal links. They can boost your site's visibility, improve user experience, and enhance your search rankings.
This guide has shown how internal linking can transform your SEO and shared real-life examples from my own sites. By linking content smartly and following best practices, you can make a big difference in your site's performance.
Internal linking is crucial for building a strong, authoritative site. Embrace it, optimize your site’s structure, and watch your visibility and traffic grow. With the right strategy, you'll turn your site into a leading resource in your niche.
