Internal links are links from one page on your website to another. They are completely under your control, cost nothing, and have a direct effect on how Google discovers, understands and ranks your pages. Yet on most small business websites we audit, internal linking is an afterthought: a navigation menu, a footer, and perhaps a “read more” button. Important service pages receive the same few links as the privacy policy, and blog posts link to nothing at all. Fixing this is often the fastest way to lift pages that are stuck on page two.
This article is part of our complete guide: SEO for Small Business: The Complete Guide (2026).
Why internal links matter
- Discovery: Google finds new pages mainly by following links. Pages with few or no internal links are found later, crawled less and sometimes never indexed. See Discovered – currently not indexed.
- Importance: pages that receive more internal links, especially from strong pages like the homepage, are treated as more important.
- Relevance: the anchor text and the surrounding content tell Google what the linked page is about.
- Conversions: internal links guide visitors from information to action, for example from a blog post to the service that solves their problem.
The hub-and-spoke system
The simplest effective structure for small businesses is hub and spoke:
- Hubs are your main commercial pages: each core service, product category or location.
- Spokes are supporting pages: blog posts, guides, FAQs, case studies and sub-services related to a hub.
Every spoke links to its hub. The hub links to its most important spokes. Spokes on the same topic link to each other. This creates clear topical clusters that Google can understand, and pushes authority towards the pages that bring customers.
For example, on this website our Google indexing fix service page is a hub, and articles such as Crawled – currently not indexed, the Page indexing report explained and soft 404 errors are spokes linking back to it and to each other.
Step 1: List your money pages
Write down the five to fifteen pages that generate enquiries or sales. These are your hubs. Everything in your linking strategy should support them.
Step 2: Make sure hubs are linked from the top
Every hub should be reachable from the main navigation and linked from the homepage with descriptive text, not just icons. If you have many services, use a services overview page that links to each one with a short description.
Step 3: Add contextual links in content
Links inside paragraphs carry more meaning than menu links because of the surrounding context. In every blog post, link to the most relevant service page within the first few paragraphs where it is natural, and again near the end. In service pages, link to relevant case studies and guides that answer common questions.
Step 4: Use descriptive anchor text
Anchor text is the clickable text of the link. It should describe the destination:
- Good: “our WordPress malware removal service”
- Weak: “click here”, “read more”, “this page”
Vary anchors naturally. You do not need the exact keyword every time; “malware clean-up”, “hacked site repair” and “WordPress security help” all reinforce the same topic without looking forced.
Step 5: Link related articles together
Add a “related guides” section at the end of articles, and link between posts in the body where they support each other. When you publish a new post, go back to two or three older related posts and add a link to it. This step is the one most people forget, and it is what gets new posts crawled and ranked faster.
Step 6: Connect case studies and portfolio items
Case studies are powerful proof, but they often sit isolated in a portfolio grid. Link each case study to the service it demonstrates, and link from service pages to two or three relevant case studies. For example, a WordPress case study such as Powersports Software should link to the WordPress services page, and that service page should link back to it.
Step 7: Find and fix orphan pages
An orphan page has no internal links pointing to it. Find them by comparing your sitemap with a site crawl; pages in the sitemap but not found by the crawler are orphans. Either link to them from relevant pages or, if they have no value, remove or noindex them.
Step 8: Fix broken and redirected internal links
Links to deleted pages create dead ends; links to redirected URLs add unnecessary hops. Crawl the site periodically and update links to point directly to the final URL. See Page with redirect.
How many internal links per page?
There is no magic number. A 1,500-word article might naturally include five to fifteen contextual links. A service page might link to three to eight related pages. Focus on relevance: every link should help the reader. Pages with hundreds of links dilute the value of each one and overwhelm visitors.
Internal linking mistakes to avoid
- Linking only through navigation and footers.
- Using the same exact-match anchor text for every link to a page.
- Linking two pages to each other for the same keyword, creating cannibalisation.
- Using nofollow on internal links, which wastes their value.
- Burying important pages several clicks deep.
- Linking to thin tag pages instead of real content.
How to measure the effect
In Google Search Console, the Links report shows the top internally linked pages. Your hubs should be near the top. After adding internal links to a page, track its impressions and average position in the Performance report over the next four to eight weeks. Pages stuck in positions 8 to 20 often respond well.
A monthly internal linking routine
- For every new post, add two to five contextual links to hubs and related posts.
- Add a link to the new post from two or three older posts.
- Check Search Console for pages ranking on page two, and add internal links to them from relevant strong pages.
- Crawl the site quarterly for broken links and orphans.
Platform tips
WordPress users can use Rank Math’s link suggestions or similar tools to find relevant pages. On Wix and Squarespace, add links manually in text blocks and use summary or related-post blocks. See Wix blog SEO for builder-specific tips.
Related guides and services
- On-page SEO audit checklist: a page-by-page checklist for titles, headings, content and links.
- Title tag SEO guide: formulas and examples for titles that rank and get clicks.
- Google not indexing all pages: why only part of your site is indexed.
- Discovered – currently not indexed: why Google postpones crawling and how to speed it up.
- SEO services: technical, on-page and local SEO for small businesses.
Get expert help
We map your site into clear topic clusters, add contextual internal links to the pages that bring customers, and fix orphans and broken links. Start with our SEO services, browse real client results in our case studies, or contact us for a free, no-pressure review of your website.
Frequently asked questions
Do internal links help SEO?
Yes. They help Google discover pages, understand topics and see which pages are most important.
Should internal links open in a new tab?
Usually not. Keep visitors in the same tab for a smoother experience.
Is exact-match anchor text risky for internal links?
Much less risky than for external links, but natural variation reads better and works well.
How do I find orphan pages?
Compare your sitemap URLs with a site crawl. Pages in the sitemap but not reached by the crawl are orphans.
