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Internal links are hyperlinks that connect different pages within the same website. These links allow users to navigate between pages and help search engines crawl and index your site.
However, mistakes in your internal linking structure can negatively impact user experience, site crawlability, and search engine optimisation (SEO). This article will guide you through the most common internal linking errors and provide tips to fix them.
Why Internal Links Matter
Before diving into the pitfalls to avoid, let’s first understand why proper internal linking is important:
Helps search engines understand site structure. Internal links act as a site map to show Google the relationships between different pages. With clear connections, search bots can crawl your site more efficiently.
Enhances user experience. Internal links allow users to easily find related or supporting content as they navigate your site. This improves engagement and time on site.
Distributes authority. Internal links pass “link juice” to help pages gain authority and rank better in search results.
With the benefits clear, let’s explore some of the most frequent internal linking mistakes. For our examples we are using the Semrush tool.
Broken Links
These are hyperlinks that lead to error messages or unavailable pages. Users get frustrated when clicking on broken links. And search engines may penalise sites with too many broken links.
How to fix:
Run a link checker tool and as mentioned above we use Semrush to identify broken links. Delete or redirect ones leading to non-existent pages.
Do regular site maintenance to catch and repair broken links due to deleted or renamed pages.
Manually check links, especially in old content, to ensure they work.
Too Many Links on a Page
Overcrowding a page with excessive internal links looks spammy to search engines. It also overwhelms users with too many options.
How to fix:
Audit pages to identify ones with a high link density.
Prune unnecessary links and keep only the most relevant ones per page.
Break up long content into multiple pages instead of cramming everything into one page.
Redirect Chains and Loops
When a page redirects to another page that also redirects, it creates a lengthy chain. Redirect loops occur when two pages redirect back and forth to each other infinitely.
How to fix:
Use the Site Audit Tool to discover redirect chains and loops on your site. You can find this under the Issues tab when using Semrush.
Eliminate long chains by redirecting directly from the original page to the target destination.
Fix loops by ensuring Page A redirects to Page B but Page B does not redirect back to Page A.
Incorrect Use of Redirects
Permanent redirects (301) pass link equity so use sparingly. Temporary redirects (302) do not pass juice, so don't use for internal links you want to pass authority.
How to fix:
Audit redirects to avoid overusing 301s or mistakenly using 302s internally.
Replace temporary redirects with internal links pointing directly to the target page.
Minimise permanent redirects by updating internal links to point to the correct new URLs.
Excessive Use of nofollow Links
The nofollow attribute prevents passing of link equity. Avoid using it for internal links unless you have a specific reason.
How to fix:
Audit internal links for nofollow attributes and remove for links you want search engines to crawl.
Use noindex instead of nofollow if you want to prevent pages from appearing in search results.
Reserve nofollow for external links or other specific use cases where you don’t want to pass authority.
Orphan Pages
These are pages with no internal links pointing to them, making them isolated and harder to find.
How to fix:
Identify orphan pages and link to them from related content.
Create navigation menus and sitemaps to connect orphan pages.
If pages are unimportant, redirect them or remove altogether.
Pages with Too Few Internal Links
Pages with just one or two internal links have a hard time ranking well as they lack authority being passed to them.
How to fix:
Find pages with insufficient internal links.
Build links to these pages by mentioning them in related content where relevant.
Create hub pages with lists linking out to supportive content to pass authority.
Excessive Crawl Depth
This refers to pages buried too deep in your site architecture. Pages more than 3-4 clicks from the homepage are difficult for users and bots to crawl.
How to fix:
Use tools like Screaming Frog, Lumar (DeepCrawl), and Google Search Console to identify pages with a high crawl depth
Bring deeper pages closer to the homepage by linking to them from top-level pages.
Consider restructuring your information architecture if many pages have a crawl depth issue.
Poor Anchor Text
Anchor text in internal links should be descriptive and relevant. Avoid over-optimised, generic, or missing anchor text.
How to fix:
Audit anchor text of internal links.
Revise generic anchors like “click here” to use keywords where relevant.
Don’t overdo keyword anchor text or make it unnatural.
Add anchor text to links missing any descriptive text.
Irrelevant Links
Internal links should direct users to closely related and useful content. Linking to unrelated or irrelevant pages frustrates users.
How to fix:
Manually review internal links to check for relevance.
Remove or update links clearly leading to unrelated pages.
Ensure linking aligns with user intent and enhances the user journey.
Utilise SEO Tools to Help with Internal Link Building
Semrush and Ahrefs are two of the most powerful SEO tools available today. They provide comprehensive solutions to research keywords, track rankings, perform competitive analysis, uncover backlink opportunities, audit technical SEO issues, and much more.
With robust keyword research features, you can identify high-volume, low-competition terms to target. Detailed rank tracking shows how you stack up against competitors for key searches. Backlink analysis reveals link building opportunities to earn high quality backlinks from authoritative domains. On-page optimisation checks help diagnose technical SEO problems. The wide range of SEO capabilities make Semrush and Ahrefs essential for SEO success, but if you are new to the game working with an experienced link building agency is certainly worth the investment.
Focus on providing links that connect related content and guide users to valuable information. This will also allow search bots to efficiently crawl and index your site. With smart internal linking that aligns with SEO best practices, your website will be on the path to higher rankings and organic visibility.
Use our link building services covering London and of course internationally to help you create stronger links to and within your site.
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