Google's John Mueller called internal linking "one of the biggest things you can do on a website to guide Google and visitors to the pages that you think are important."
Yet most WordPress sites do it wrong, or don't do it at all.
This guide covers everything you need to build an internal linking strategy that actually moves rankings. No fluff. Just the tactics that work in 2026.
Why Internal Linking Strategy Matters
Internal links do three things search engines care about:
1. Discovery. Google finds new pages by following links. No internal links pointing to a page? Google might never find it.
2. Context. Internal links tell Google what a page is about. When your "best running shoes" article links to your "marathon training" guide, Google understands the relationship.
3. Authority distribution. Pages accumulate authority from backlinks. Internal links pass that authority around your site. Strategic linking pushes authority to pages you want to rank.
The data backs this up. A Zyppy SEO study analyzing 23+ million internal links found direct correlation between internal link structure and rankings. Sites that reorganized their internal structure in 2024-2025 saw ranking improvements without building a single new backlink.
The Foundation: Content Clusters
Before adding links, you need structure. The most effective approach in 2026 is the content cluster model.
How Content Clusters Work
A content cluster has three components:
Pillar page. A comprehensive page targeting a broad topic. Example: "Complete Guide to Marathon Training"
Cluster pages. Supporting pages targeting specific subtopics. Examples: "Best Running Shoes for Marathons," "Marathon Nutrition Plan," "12-Week Marathon Training Schedule"
Internal links. Every cluster page links to the pillar. The pillar links to all cluster pages. Cluster pages link to related cluster pages.
This structure tells Google: "We're experts on marathon training. Here's our comprehensive guide, and here are all the specific topics we cover in depth."
Why Clusters Work
Content clusters drive approximately 30% more organic traffic than standalone pieces. They hold rankings 2.5x longer. The reason? Topical authority.
Google doesn't just rank pages. It ranks expertise. A site with one article about running shoes competes against sites with hundreds of running articles. The site with comprehensive coverage wins.
Clusters demonstrate comprehensive coverage through structure.
Building Your First Cluster
Step 1: Choose your pillar topic
Pick a topic that:
- Has significant search volume
- You can cover comprehensively
- Supports multiple subtopics
- Aligns with your business goals
Step 2: Map your subtopics
List every question someone might ask about your pillar topic. These become cluster pages. For "marathon training":
- How long does it take to train for a marathon?
- What should I eat during marathon training?
- Best running shoes for marathon training
- How to prevent injuries while training
- Marathon training for beginners
- Advanced marathon training techniques
Step 3: Audit existing content
You probably already have content that fits into clusters. Categorize existing posts before creating new ones.
Step 4: Create the linking structure
- Pillar page links to every cluster page
- Every cluster page links to the pillar
- Related cluster pages link to each other
- Use descriptive anchor text (more on this below)
Building Your Internal Linking Strategy
With cluster structure in place, here's how to execute linking strategically.
Step 1: Audit Your Current Internal Links
You can't improve what you don't measure. Start with an audit.
Find orphan pages. These are pages with zero internal links pointing to them. Google struggles to find and rank orphan pages. Use Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or your internal linking tool to identify them.
Check click depth. How many clicks from your homepage to reach important pages? Keep priority pages within three clicks. Deeper pages get crawled less frequently and rank worse.
Identify authority pages. Which pages have the most backlinks? These are your authority sources. Links from these pages carry more weight.
Map current linking patterns. Where are you linking heavily? Where are you neglecting? Most sites over-link to homepages and under-link to money pages.
Step 2: Identify Your Priority Pages
Not all pages deserve equal linking attention. Prioritize:
Money pages. Pages that drive conversions: product pages, service pages, pricing pages. These need authority from internal links.
Pillar pages. Your comprehensive guides should be link hubs.
High-potential pages. Pages ranking positions 5-20 for valuable keywords. A few strategic internal links can push them onto page one.
New content. Fresh pages need links to get discovered and indexed.
Step 3: Create a Linking Hierarchy
Think of your site as a pyramid:
Top level: Homepage Second level: Main category/pillar pages Third level: Subcategory pages Fourth level: Individual posts/articles
Authority flows down and across. Your homepage links to pillar pages. Pillar pages link to cluster content. Related content links to each other.
This hierarchy helps Google understand which pages matter most.
Step 4: Optimize Anchor Text
Anchor text (the clickable text in a link) provides context. Getting it right matters.
Be descriptive. "Click here" tells Google nothing. "Marathon training schedule" tells Google exactly what the linked page covers.
Stay natural. Don't force exact-match keywords. If it sounds awkward when read aloud, rewrite it.
Vary your anchors. Using the exact same anchor text repeatedly looks manipulative. Mix it up:
- Exact match: "marathon training schedule"
- Partial match: "training schedule for your first marathon"
- Branded: "our marathon guide"
- Natural: "this detailed breakdown"
Keep it concise. One to four words is ideal. Long anchor text dilutes the signal.
Important note from Google: John Mueller stated that anchor text on internal links doesn't have a "visible effect on rankings" in the same way external anchor text does. Focus on helping users understand where links lead rather than keyword stuffing.
Step 5: Find and Fix Orphan Pages
Orphan pages are invisible to Google. They're also invisible to most site owners. You don't notice what you can't find.
How to find them:
- Crawl your site with Screaming Frog or Sitebulb
- Compare crawled pages to your sitemap
- Pages in your sitemap but not found via crawling are orphaned
How to fix them:
- Add internal links from relevant pages
- Include in navigation or sidebar if appropriate
- Add to HTML sitemap
- If the page isn't valuable, consider deleting or consolidating
Step 6: Link From Authority to Priority
Here's where strategy gets tactical.
Your pages with the most backlinks have the most authority to pass. Find these pages (Ahrefs or similar tools show this) and add links from them to your priority pages.
This is counterintuitive. Most people create new content and hope it ranks. Smart SEOs create new content and immediately link to it from established pages.
The process:
- Identify your top 10 pages by referring domains
- Review each page for natural linking opportunities
- Add links to priority pages where contextually relevant
- Don't force it. Irrelevant links help no one
Step 7: Update Old Content With New Links
Your archive is a goldmine. Those old posts ranking for various keywords? They're perfect linking opportunities.
When you publish new content:
- Identify 3-5 existing posts on related topics
- Add links from those posts to your new content
- Consider adding links from the new content back to older relevant posts
This achieves two things: your new content gets discovered faster, and your old content stays relevant by connecting to fresh material.
Step 8: Set Up Ongoing Processes
Internal linking isn't a one-time project. Build it into your workflow. Automating internal linking helps with consistency:
When publishing new content:
- Add 3-5 internal links within the content
- Update 2-3 existing posts to link to the new content
- Ensure the new content links to your pillar page (if part of a cluster)
Monthly maintenance:
- Run an orphan page report
- Check for broken internal links
- Review anchor text distribution
- Audit priority page link counts
Quarterly review:
- Assess content cluster completeness
- Identify new cluster opportunities
- Review click depth for important pages
How Many Internal Links Per Page?
The honest answer: there's no magic number.
John Mueller's take: He doesn't believe there's an "ideal number." Focus on context and relevance.
The data: Studies suggest 5-10 internal links per 2,000 words performs well. Pages with 45-50 total internal links showed optimal results in one study, with benefits reversing if exceeded.
Practical guidelines:
- Short content (under 1,000 words): 3-5 links
- Standard posts (1,000-2,000 words): 5-10 links
- Long-form guides (2,000+ words): 10-15 links
- Pillar pages: Can have 20+ links (they're linking to many cluster pages)
The real rule: Every link should help the reader. If you're adding links just to hit a number, you're doing it wrong.
Link Placement Best Practices
Where you place links matters.
Prioritize body content. Links in your main content carry more weight than navigation, sidebar, or footer links.
Don't overload your intro. Placing links in your first paragraph risks bouncing readers before they engage. Let them get into your content first.
Contextual relevance. Links should appear where they naturally support the content. Don't cluster multiple links in one sentence.
Avoid footer spam. Google specifically warns against excessive footer links. In 2026, this is treated as spam.
Common Internal Linking Mistakes
Mistake 1: Over-optimized anchor text Using the same exact-match keyword anchor dozens of times looks manipulative. Google's 2025 link spam updates specifically target this.
Mistake 2: Linking to irrelevant content A link from your coffee brewing guide to your tire changing tutorial helps no one. Irrelevant links confuse Google and annoy readers.
Mistake 3: Using nofollow on internal links Nofollow tells Google not to pass authority. Why would you block authority flow within your own site? Keep internal links as dofollow.
Mistake 4: Ignoring deep pages Content buried 5+ clicks from your homepage rarely ranks well. Flatten your architecture for important pages.
Mistake 5: Never updating old content Your archive needs maintenance. Old posts should link to new relevant content. New posts should link to relevant old content.
Mistake 6: Homepage hoarding Many sites link extensively to their homepage and neglect everything else. Your homepage probably ranks fine. Focus links on pages that need help.
Tools to Help
Manual internal linking doesn't scale. Once you have 100+ posts, finding opportunities becomes impossible without tools.
What to look for:
- Semantic understanding (not just keyword matching)
- Orphan page detection
- Anchor text analysis
- Bulk suggestion capabilities
- Minimal site performance impact
Our recommendation: WPLink is the best internal linking plugin for WordPress sites that want semantic AI, runs as a desktop app (zero site impact), and offers one-time pricing (no subscription).
Implementation Checklist
Use this checklist to implement your strategy:
Foundation:
- Map your content into clusters
- Identify pillar pages
- Identify priority pages (money pages, high-potential pages)
Audit:
- Find and list orphan pages
- Check click depth for priority pages
- Identify your highest-authority pages
Execute:
- Fix orphan pages with relevant links
- Add links from authority pages to priority pages
- Optimize anchor text (descriptive, varied, natural)
- Update old content with links to new content
Ongoing:
- Set up new content linking workflow
- Schedule monthly maintenance audit
- Plan quarterly strategy review
The Bottom Line
Internal linking strategy isn't complicated. It's just often neglected.
The sites winning in 2026 aren't those with the most backlinks. They're those with the best information architecture. Content clusters. Strategic authority flow. Consistent internal linking practices.
Start with structure. Execute linking strategically. Maintain it ongoing.
The results will follow.
Ready to automate your internal linking strategy?
WPLink uses semantic AI to find opportunities across your entire WordPress site. Desktop app means zero site slowdown. Lifetime access means no subscription.
Last updated: January 2026