Internal links connect pages on your own site. They help search engines discover your pages, understand what each one is about, and see which ones matter most. They also help readers find the next useful thing to read. Anchor text, the clickable words in a link, is one of the clearest signals you control.
Choose descriptive anchor text
Anchor text should tell readers and search engines what’s on the other side of the link. Good anchor text tells readers what to expect, like “our guide to choosing a dog collar.” Vague phrases like “click here” leave them guessing.
Rule of thumb
Write anchors that make sense out of context. If someone saw only the linked words, they should know where the link goes. Keep anchors short, usually a few words, and avoid linking entire sentences.
Using your target phrase in internal anchors is fine, as long as it reads naturally and accurately describes the page. Natural variation works well: “best dog collars,” “how to fit a dog collar” and “our collar picks” can all point to the right pages.
Types of anchor text
- Descriptive Names the topic of the destination page. The best default for links in your body copy.
- Branded Your brand or product name. Common in navigation and footers.
- Naked URL The URL itself. Rarely useful inside your own content.
- Generic “Read more” or “Learn more.” Acceptable on cards where a nearby heading describes the destination, but weak in body copy.
- Image links When an image is the link, its alt text works as the anchor, so describe the destination.
Build a deliberate internal linking structure
- Link from strong pages to the ones you want to rank Your homepage and most-visited posts carry the most weight.
- Connect related pages in both directions A hub page should link to its detailed pages, and each detailed page should link back.
- Update older posts when you publish something new Adding a link from a related, established page helps the new one get found faster.
- Keep important pages close to the homepage Keep them within a few clicks, and make sure none are orphaned with no internal links pointing to them.
How to find gaps
Crawl your site with a tool like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb, or check the Links report in Google Search Console. Look for orphan pages, important pages with few internal links, and links that point to redirects or broken URLs.
Match the anchor text to the link placement
| Placement | Best anchor |
|---|---|
| Links in body copy | Descriptive, matching the destination’s topic |
| Navigation menus | Short page names (“Services,” “Blog”) |
| Breadcrumbs | Page titles |
| Related-article cards | The article title |
| Footer links | Short page or category names |
| Linked images | Descriptive alt text |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the same anchor for two different pages It blurs which page is about what.
- Relying on generic anchors Phrases like “click here” used throughout your copy.
- Packing too many links into one paragraph It dilutes each one and makes the text hard to read.
- Linking to redirected or broken URLs Point internal links at the final destination.