Internal linking is one of the few ranking factors you fully control. A good strategy links high-authority pages to new pages, uses descriptive anchor text, and clusters related content. This distributes authority across your site and improves rankings for new content. This post covers the internal linking strategy that works.
Why internal linking matters
Internal links:
- Distribute authority from high-traffic pages to new pages
- Keep readers on your site longer
- Signal topical relevance to Google
- Help Google understand your site structure
A new page with 0 external links can rank if you link to it from 5 high-authority internal pages.
The internal linking strategy
Rule 1: Link from authority pages to new pages
Your high-traffic pages have authority. Link from them to your new posts.
Example:
- Your "Blog Writing" pillar post ranks #1 (authority page)
- You write a new post on "Blog Post Titles"
- Link from the pillar post to the new post
- The new post inherits some authority, ranks faster
Rule 2: Use descriptive anchor text
Anchor text should describe the linked page. It's a ranking signal for the linked page's target keyword.
Good: "As we covered in our blog post structure guide..."
Bad: "Click here for more."
The anchor text "blog post structure guide" signals to Google that the linked page is about blog post structure.
Rule 3: Link naturally
Only link when it makes sense for the reader. Forced links feel spammy and hurt user experience.
Rule 4: Link to related content
Link from post A to post B if they're related. This keeps readers on your site and signals topic relevance.
Example: Blog writing post → Blog post structure post → Blog post template post
Rule 5: Cluster linking
In a pillar-cluster structure, link:
- Pillar → All clusters
- Each cluster → Pillar + related clusters
The internal link count formula
- Short posts (500-1,000 words): 2-3 internal links
- Medium posts (1,000-2,000 words): 3-5 internal links
- Long posts (2,000-4,000 words): 5-7 internal links
More than 7 internal links and you're probably forcing them.
The internal linking audit
Ask yourself for each internal link:
- Does this link make sense for the reader?
- Is the linked content related?
- Is the anchor text descriptive?
- Would the reader click this?
If any answer is no, remove the link.
Common internal linking mistakes
Mistake 1: No links to new posts
New posts get zero internal links, so they rank slower. Link to new posts from authority pages.
Mistake 2: Generic anchor text
"Read this post" doesn't tell Google or the reader what the post is about.
Mistake 3: Linking to unrelated content
Linking from a blog writing post to a product review. The link doesn't make sense for the reader or topically relevant for Google.
Mistake 4: Ignoring cluster linking
Your pillar post doesn't link to clusters. Your clusters don't link back to the pillar. You miss the whole topical authority boost.
Mistake 5: Too many links
More than 7 internal links per post and you're likely forcing them.
Verdict
Internal linking strategy:
- Link from authority pages to new pages
- Use descriptive anchor text
- Link naturally and topically
- Cluster-link (pillar → clusters, clusters → pillar)
- 3-7 links per post
Want internal linking strategy optimized?
Outshipper links every post strategically: to your pillar content, to related clusters, with descriptive anchor text that helps ranking.
Free plan: 3 posts/month, up to 1,000 words, no card. Pro: $19/month (currently 50% off at $9.50/mo) with 200,000 words.
