Link Best Practices (Internal & External Links)

1. INTERNAL LINKING BEST PRACTICES

What is Internal Linking?

Internal links connect one page of your website to another. They help users navigate and let search engines crawl and understand your site structure.

Why It Matters:

●       Guides search engines to important pages

●       Spreads link equity (PageRank) across your site

●       Improves crawl depth and indexability

●       Enhances user experience by reducing bounce

Internal Linking Checklist

Task	Description	Example
Use descriptive anchor text	Avoid "click here" or "read more"	“See our SEO audit checklist” instead of “click here”
Link from high-authority pages	Pass equity from homepage or pillar content	Blog homepage → individual posts
Ensure pages are 2–3 clicks deep	Ideal crawl depth for SEO and UX	Use hub pages and category links
Avoid overloading pages with links	Keep it meaningful; avoid spammy UX	3–5 links per 500 words is a safe range
Use breadcrumbs	Help users and bots understand page hierarchy	Home > Blog > SEO Tips
Link related content contextually	Group topics together to strengthen topical authority	A guide on “Keyword Research” links to “Content Optimization”
Audit orphan pages	Find pages with no internal links & connect them	Use Screaming Frog or Ahrefs → Site Audit tools
Use consistent URL structure	Avoid broken or outdated links	Use relative or canonical paths like /blog/internal-linking

Common Internal Linking Mistakes

Mistake	Why it’s Bad
Linking from footers/navigation only	Low SEO value compared to contextual body links
Over-optimizing anchor text	Google may see this as manipulative
Using the same anchor for different pages	Confuses search engines about topic focus
Not updating links after URL changes	Leads to 404s or redirect chains

2. EXTERNAL LINKING BEST PRACTICES

What is External Linking?

External links (also called outbound links) direct users from your website to another domain.

Why It Matters:

●       Provides value and credibility when linking to trusted sources

●       Shows search engines you're referencing reliable content

●       Can help establish topical relevance

External Linking Checklist

Task	Description	Example
Link to high-authority sources	Boosts trust and supports your claims	Link to official docs (Google, .gov, .edu)
Open external links in new tabs	Improves user experience by keeping them on your site	Use target="_blank"
Use rel="nofollow" or sponsored for ads	Prevents passing link juice to paid/sponsored pages	<a href="..." rel="nofollow sponsored">
Link naturally within content	Don’t cluster links unnaturally	Mention sources where contextually relevant
Use descriptive anchor text	Improves clarity and context	“study from Moz” vs “click here”
Monitor for broken outbound links	Fixes dead links that hurt UX and SEO	Use tools like Broken Link Checker, Ahrefs, etc.

Common External Linking Mistakes

Mistake	Why it’s Bad
Linking to low-quality or spammy sites	Hurts trust and domain quality
Using misleading anchor text	Can cause confusion and poor UX
No nofollow on affiliate/sponsored links	May lead to penalties
Linking to outdated content	Reduces credibility; content should be current and useful

3. BALANCE BETWEEN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL LINKS

Best Practice	Explanation
Maintain a healthy ratio	Too many external links can appear spammy; balance is key
Internal links build site structure	Good for SEO and crawlability
External links validate your content	Good for trust and context
Use a mix of follow and nofollow appropriately	Follow for editorial links; Nofollow for paid or untrusted

4. TECHNICAL CHECKLIST FOR LINKS

Task	Purpose
Use absolute URLs	Avoids duplicate content and crawl issues
Keep links under 100 per page	Google can crawl more, but it's best practice for clarity
Monitor redirects and 404s	Avoid broken links and long redirect chains
Make links crawlable	Avoid JavaScript-only links that bots can’t read
Track click behavior	Use GA or event tracking to understand what users engage with

5. TOOLS TO AUDIT LINK HEALTH

Tool	Use
Screaming Frog SEO Spider	Audit all internal and external links
Ahrefs	Broken links, internal linking opportunities
Sitebulb	Advanced internal link reports
Google Search Console	Monitor internal link count and crawl issues
SEMrush	Find broken or toxic outbound links

6. STRATEGIC LINKING TIPS FOR SEO GROWTH

Strategy	Result
Use pillar + cluster model	Strengthens topical authority
Link from top traffic pages to weak ones	Passes authority where needed
Add internal links to new content from old articles	Helps get crawled faster
Monitor competitor external links	Find new linking partners or sources

FINAL LINKING CHECKLIST SUMMARY

Element	Goal
Internal links	Distribute link equity and improve structure
External links	Support authority and content trust
Anchor text	Be clear, descriptive, and non-repetitive
Avoid broken links	Maintain crawl health and UX
Test everything	Use crawl tools monthly to spot issues

In Details

1. INTERNAL LINKING — Deep Dive

What is Internal Linking?

Internal linking is when one page on your website links to another page on the same domain. Example:

/blog/internal-linking-guide → /seo/technical-seo

Why It's Important:

●       Helps distribute PageRank (link equity) across your site

●       Assists Googlebot in crawling and discovering content

●       Improves UX and engagement by guiding users

●       Builds topical relevance for specific clusters or silos

Internal Linking Best Practices

Practice	Details	Example
Use descriptive anchor text	The clickable text should describe the linked content	“Learn about technical SEO audits” vs “click here”
Link relevant related pages	Build topic clusters (e.g., all pages about SEO tools)	A blog on “Keyword Mapping” links to “On-Page SEO Guide”
Ensure key pages aren’t orphaned	Every page should have at least 1 internal link	Use Screaming Frog to find pages with 0 incoming links
Use links in the body content, not just nav/footers	Google prioritizes contextual links for SEO value	Link to product pages from blog articles or guides
Keep crawl depth to 2–3 clicks from the homepage	Reduces crawl friction and improves indexing	/home → /category → /product
Limit total number of internal links on a page	Too many dilute value and confuse crawlers	< 100 total internal links recommended
Use breadcrumbs	Adds internal links to all parent pages	Home > Blog > SEO Basics > Internal Linking
Link new pages from old content	Boosts crawl and discovery of fresh content	Add 2–3 relevant links from high-traffic old blogs

Internal Linking Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Why It's Bad
Same anchor for multiple pages	Confuses Google about which is most relevant
Linking unrelated content just to rank	Reduces user trust and dilutes topic authority
Using generic anchor text	Offers no context to user or bot
Not updating links after URL changes	Leads to 404s or redirect chains
Linking too deeply from low-value pages	Wastes crawl budget on unimportant content

2. EXTERNAL LINKING — In Depth

What is External Linking?

When you link from your site to a page on a different domain.

Why It’s Important:

●       Gives context and credibility to your content

●       Helps users verify your claims

●       Signals to Google that you're citing reliable, relevant sources

External Linking Best Practices

Practice	Details	Example
Link to trusted sources only	Avoid spammy or low-quality websites	Authority sources like Google, Moz, .gov, .edu
Use target="_blank"	Opens links in new tabs to retain users	Keeps them on your site while viewing the link
Use rel="nofollow" or sponsored" for paid/affiliate links	Prevents passing PageRank improperly	<a href="..." rel="nofollow">
Use relevant, keyword-rich anchor text	Helps with context and SEO clarity	“Google PageSpeed Insights tool”
Regularly audit for broken links	Broken external links hurt UX and SEO	Use Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, or SEMrush Site Audit
Limit total outbound links per page	Too many can look spammy	Stick to valuable and editorially-placed links

External Linking Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Why It’s Bad
Linking to spammy domains	Hurts your site’s credibility and trust
No nofollow on affiliate links	Can get flagged for unnatural linking
Outdated content links	Shows you don’t maintain your site
Linking too frequently to the same domain	May look like a link scheme or unnatural pattern

3. ANCHOR TEXT – Proper Use

Type	SEO Value	Example
Exact match	High (if used sparingly)	“technical SEO checklist”
Partial match	Balanced, preferred	“guide to SEO audits”
Branded	Good for trust	“Visit Moz”
Generic	Low SEO, poor UX	“Click here”, “this page”
Image alt links	Should contain descriptive alt text	<img src="..." alt="best seo tool comparison">

Best Practice: Use a natural mix of anchor text types to avoid over-optimization.

4. LINK STRUCTURE & SEO FLOW

How Link Equity Flows:

●       Links from homepage or authoritative pages carry more PageRank

●       Internal links distribute ranking signals across your site

●       Too many outgoing links from a page dilute equity per link

Smart SEO Linking Strategy

Tip	Result
Use hub pages to link to clusters	Boosts topical relevance and rankability
Pass link juice to underperforming pages	Helps new/low-ranking pages gain visibility
Use HTML links, not JS-based links	Ensures Googlebot can crawl them
Prevent redirect chains	Improves crawl efficiency and link value

5. LINK MONITORING & TOOLS

Recommended Tools for Link Health:

Tool	What It Does
Screaming Frog SEO Spider	Find broken links, link depth, anchor text issues
Ahrefs Site Audit	External and internal link monitoring
SEMrush	Link audits + toxic backlink checks
Sitebulb	Great for crawl depth and orphaned pages
Google Search Console	Internal link structure overview
Broken Link Checker (browser extension)	Quick browser-based link check

6. COMBINING INTERNAL + EXTERNAL STRATEGY

Strategy	Benefit
Use external links for authority and citations	Builds trust with readers and Google
Use internal links to drive engagement and control flow	Keeps users on-site and spreads ranking power
Prioritize internal links to transactional pages	Increases conversions
Add external links in content, not just footers	Provides contextual relevance

Final Master Checklist: Internal & External Linking

Task	Completed
Descriptive anchor text for all links
Internal links from high-authority pages
Fix broken internal and external links monthly
External links to high-authority sources
Nofollow on affiliate/sponsored links
Orphan page audit every 30 days
Avoid anchor keyword cannibalization
Crawl depth kept under 3 clicks
External links open in new tabs