Internal Linking: Help the Next Useful Page Get Found.

Give each link a reason

Choose the next page a reader needs rather than inserting links to satisfy a quota. An explanation of pricing can link to a service scope; a buying guide can link to the appropriate category; a troubleshooting step can link to a prerequisite.

Google’s link guidance recommends crawlable anchors and descriptive text. The reader should know what to expect before opening the destination.

Build a small inventory

List the important pages, their intended audience, and the pages that currently link to them. Check whether any valuable page is isolated or linked only through an unhelpful label. Start with a manageable section instead of attempting to reorganize the entire website.

Edit links in context

<!-- Illustrative descriptive internal link -->
<p>Before choosing a lamp, check our
  <a href="/desk-lamp-sizing/">desk lamp sizing guide</a>.
</p>

The sentence explains why the destination matters. Replace the example with your actual page and verify the path. A link that lands on an error page or an unrelated article makes the sentence less useful.

Audit the practical journey

1. Open a representative guide or category.
2. Follow the next likely step without using the site search.
3. Check whether the destination answers what the link promised.
4. Repeat with keyboard navigation and on a mobile-sized screen.
5. Record unclear labels, broken paths, and missing useful connections.

Avoid turning navigation into noise

Do not make every sentence a link or repeat a long list of destinations on every page. A focused reading path is easier to understand. Use hubs when they genuinely organize a subject, and keep their lists current.

After a page moves, update the internal links to the preferred destination rather than relying on an extra redirect indefinitely. Recheck links whenever you merge or retire content. The goal is a usable site structure with clear relationships, not a particular number of links.