Internal Linking Structure
What it means:
Internal linking is the practice of linking one page on your website to another page within your own site. These are not backlinks from other websites—these are the pathways that connect your own content together. For example, if your home page links to your “Roof Repair in Virginia Beach” page, and that page links to your “Emergency Roof Leak Services” blog post, that’s internal linking in action.
Why it matters:
Google crawls your website by following links. A smart internal linking structure:
Helps Google understand the hierarchy and relationships between your pages
Passes authority (“link juice”) from higher authority pages to others
Improves user experience by helping visitors find related, relevant content
Increases time on site and engagement—both of which support SEO
If your website is a house, internal links are the hallways. Without them, visitors (and Google) can’t easily explore the different rooms.
How siloed pages supercharge internal linking:
When your website is structured into content silos—groupings of related content based on services or locations—you can link pages within each silo and across silos to guide both users and search engines.
Let’s say you run a plumbing company and your site has silos for services and cities:
Service silo example:
/drain-cleaning
/pipe-repair
/water-heater-installation
You would link those pages to each other using anchor text like:
“If your clogged drain is caused by corroded pipes, our pipe repair services can help.”
Location silo example:
/drain-cleaning-virginia-beach
/drain-cleaning-norfolk
/drain-cleaning-chesapeake
These pages can link together contextually:
“Not in Virginia Beach? We also offer drain cleaning in Norfolk and Chesapeake.”
You can also create “hub pages” for each silo that serve as an overview and link out to all child pages. These pages often rank well themselves and help distribute link equity across your site.
DIY Tips for Internal Linking That Works:
✅ Use keyword-rich anchor text:
Instead of “click here,” use relevant terms like “emergency roof repair in Chesapeake” or “mold remediation checklist.” This helps Google understand the linked page’s content and supports keyword rankings.
✅ Link from high-authority pages to newer or lower-ranked pages:
If your blog post on “The Top 5 Roofing Mistakes” gets a lot of traffic, link from that post to your underperforming “Flat Roof Installation” page. This passes authority and visibility.
✅ Keep links natural and useful:
Don’t link just for SEO. Add internal links where they make sense for users. For example, if you’re writing a page about crawl space waterproofing, link to your page about sump pump installation if you mention it in context.
✅ Use navigation menus and footers wisely:
Top navigation and footer links help users access important pages from anywhere on your site. Make sure your main service and location pages are included here for site-wide exposure.
✅ Build topic clusters (mini silos):
Support main service pages with blog posts that target related long-tail keywords, then link them together. For example:
/mold-remediation
/blog/how-to-spot-mold-in-your-home
/blog/what-black-mold-looks-like
/blog/prevent-mold-in-summer
Each blog post should link back to the main “Mold Remediation” page and to each other where relevant.
✅ Check for broken or orphaned pages:
Pages without internal links pointing to them are called orphan pages, and they’re hard for both users and search engines to find. Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify and fix them.
✅ Create an internal linking map (manually or with tools):
Plan your content silos and connections in a spreadsheet or a visual map. Keep track of which pages link to each other so you can optimize over time.
Pro tip:
As your site grows, make internal linking part of your publishing process. Every time you add a new page or post, ask:
“Which older pages should I link from to this new one?”
“What related content should I link to from this page?”
Final Thought:
A strong internal linking structure doesn’t just help your SEO—it keeps visitors engaged, moving through your site, and more likely to take action. Combined with a siloed architecture, internal links act like a roadmap that tells Google exactly what your site is about, which pages are most important, and where your authority should flow.