In the case of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), internal linking has to be one of the most effective and underutilized methods of increasing your ranking.

However, this is a question that marketers, content creators and business owners frequently ask themselves:

How do I know how many internal links I need on a page to optimize it?

This guide will put it all in simple terms, so it can be understood by anyone, be it a beginner or an expert.

What Are Internal Links?

Internal links are links that direct visitors to another page of the same domain. As an example, connecting your blog article with a product page or related article.

Examples of Internal Links:

• A blog post linking to a contact page
• A product page linking to a related FAQ
• A homepage linking to featured services.

They assist users in navigating your site and they enable search engines such as Google to know the structure and relationship between pages.

Why Internal Linking Matters for SEO

Now, before we get into numbers, we should look at why internal links matter to SEO.

Improves Crawlability

Google uses bots (crawlers) to scan your website. Internal links make such bots find and index your pages quicker.

Distributes Page Authority

Internal links enable you to transfer the SEO juice on your page to other pages when one of your pages gets backlinks (links by other sites).

Enhances User Experience

Proper internal linking makes visitors to your site spend more time there as they are directed to other content related or valuable.

Boosts Keyword Relevance

It helps Google to know what the linked page is about by the use of anchor text (the clickable text).

So, How Many Internal Links Per Page Is Best?

There is no definite number, but there are the best practices according to Google recommendations and the ideas of SEO experts.

Google’s Recommendation:

John Mueller of Google has stated that there is no set limit, but that a few thousand on a page may be too many.

Best Practice: Make sure that the internal links on a page are between 5 and 150, depending on the length and the purpose of the page.

Recommended Internal Link Count by Page Type

Here’s a general guide tailored for American websites:

Page Type	Recommended # of Internal Links
Blog Post (1000+ words)	5–15 internal links
Product Page	3–7 internal links
Homepage	10–30 internal links (to key pages)
Long-form Content	10–25 internal links
FAQ Page	5–10 internal links

None of these are hard and fast rules, they are just guidelines to help keep you in balance.

How to Strategically Use Internal Links

Adding too many random links won’t help your SEO. Here’s how to use internal links the right way.

Link to Relevant Content

Always link to pages that are contextually related.

As an example, based on a blog post about running shoes, you can link to:

• A product page for running shoes
• A guide in selecting the correct size of shoe
• A comparison between brands

Use Descriptive Anchor Text

Avoid generic phrases like “click here.”

Instead, use keyword-rich phrases:

• Good: Check out our guide on marathon training
• Bad: Click here

Prioritize Important Pages

To have a page rank higher in the search engines, link it more frequently with other internal pages.

Avoid Overlinking

Internal links should not be excessive since they make a page look spammy and it confuses both the search engines and the users. Stick to a clean, helpful structure.

Tools to Help You Manage Internal Links

In order to maintain a good internal linking strategy, you may use the tools to find the opportunities and the mistakes.

Recommended Tools:

• Ahrefs – Shows internal link opportunities and broken links
• Screaming Frog – Helps audit your entire website structure
• Yoast SEO (WordPress) – Offers internal link suggestions
• Google Search Console – See how pages connect with Google Search Console

Common Internal Linking Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced website owners make these mistakes:

Linking Just for the Sake of Linking

All internal links must have a purpose – not just because there is a quota to meet.

Ignoring Orphan Pages

Orphan pages are pages with no link pointing to them internally. These pages are not easily found by the search engines and normally do not rank well.

Using the Same Anchor Text Everywhere

Vary your anchor text to provide Google with additional information on the pages linked to.

How Often Should You Update Internal Links?

Websites evolve with time and your internal linking strategy should also evolve with it.

Make it a habit to:

• Review older content every 3–6 months
• Add links to new content from older high-traffic pages
• Remove outdated links or fix broken ones

Real-World Example

As an example, suppose that you operate an American online store that sells fitness equipment.

You publish a blog post titled:

“Top 10 Home Workouts for Beginners”

• 1 link to a downloadable workout calendar
• 1 link to your “About Us” page

That is 4 valuable on-site links, all beneficial to users and SEO – without making the page too heavy.

 Bill Yeager, Co-Owner of High Point SEO & Marketing in CT, is a leading SEO specialist, Amazon international best-selling author of the book Unleash Your Internal Drive, Facebook public figure, a marketing genius, and an authority in the digital space. He has been personally coached by Tony Robbins, a fire walker and a student of Dan Kennedy, Founder of Magnetic Marketing. Bill has been on several popular podcasts and the news including Sharkpreneur with Kevin Harrington, FOX, NBC, and ABC by way of his Secret Sauce marketing strategies. Bill enjoys fitness, cars, and spending time with his family when not at work.