Internal linking mistakes are some of the most common and underrated SEO blunders—and they can cost you rankings, traffic, and authority. You might be producing great content and securing quality backlinks, but if your internal linking strategy is broken or misaligned, you’re basically pouring water into a leaky bucket.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll uncover the top internal linking mistakes most websites make—and more importantly, how to fix them.
Whether you’re managing a content-heavy blog, a SaaS knowledge base, or an eCommerce store with thousands of product pages, mastering internal links is essential.
Why Internal Linking Deserves Your Attention
Before we dive into the mistakes, let’s understand the value of internal links. These are links that go from one page to another within the same domain.
Search engines use internal links to:
- Discover new content on your site
- Understand the relationship between pages
- Allocate link equity (aka PageRank)
- Decide which pages are most important
Meanwhile, users rely on them for:
- Easier navigation
- Discovering related topics
- Staying longer on your website
Done right, internal linking improves crawlability, boosts SEO authority, and enhances user experience. Done wrong, and you’ll end up with fragmented page value, inaccessible content, and lower rankings.
Let’s fix that.
9 Common Internal Linking Mistakes That Could Be Hurting Your SEO
Now that we understand why internal linking is critical for both SEO and user experience, let’s take a closer look at the most common mistakes that quietly undermine its effectiveness
1. Linking to Broken or Redirected Pages
Let’s start with one of the most damaging—and surprisingly common—internal linking mistakes: linking to pages that no longer exist or have been redirected.
Picture this:
You publish a blog post in January and link to another resource on your site. A few months later, that resource gets deleted, renamed, or moved to a different URL. But the original internal link? It’s still there, pointing to a dead end.
Over time, this happens more than you’d expect—especially on content-rich sites, eCommerce platforms with seasonal pages, or growing blogs with frequent content updates.
Why it’s a problem:
- Broken links disrupt the user journey.
- They prevent bots from crawling through your site effectively.
- They signal poor maintenance, hurting credibility.
And if your links lead to a long redirect chain (e.g., Page A → Page B → Page C), that’s even worse. Search engines may give up on crawling it.
How to Fix It (the Right Way)
✅ Run regular site crawls using tools like:
- Screaming Frog – a desktop crawler that identifies broken links and redirect chains.
- Semrush Site Audit – great for ongoing monitoring and visual reports.
- Ahrefs Site Explorer – helps spot broken internal backlinks and track link equity flow.
✅ Set up alerts for 404 errors in Google Search Console. These reports help you catch broken internal links early, especially after publishing or removing content.
✅ Update or remove links every time you delete, move, or merge a page. Don’t rely on redirects to clean up after you—they’re meant to be a backup, not the default.
✅ Avoid linking to redirected URLs. Instead, always link directly to the final destination to preserve link equity and keep crawl paths clean.
Pro Tip:
If you’re planning a site migration or major URL change, map out all your old and new URLs in advance. After launching, run a full crawl to catch any missed updates and ensure all internal links point to live pages.
2. Over-Optimizing Anchor Text
We all know anchor text plays a role in SEO. But stuffing the same keyword-rich phrase repeatedly? That’s a trap.
What it looks like:
Let’s say you’re trying to rank for “content marketing tools.” You start linking to your tools page using that exact anchor 30 times across 20 posts.
Why it’s a problem:
- It looks manipulative to Google.
- It leads to a poor user experience.
- It ignores natural language.
What to Do Instead
Vary your anchor text to keep it natural and effective. Here’s how:
- Partial match: “Best tools for content creators”
- Branded: “OutreachZ’s tool collection”
- Descriptive: “Here’s a list of content strategies we trust”
Make sure every internal link adds value. Link in a way that feels organic and contextually relevant to the content around it.
Pro Tip:
Use anchor text as a mini-preview. It should tell both users and search engines exactly what they’ll find on the linked page—without sounding forced or repetitive.
3. Orphan Pages (No Internal Links Pointing to Them)
An orphan page is a page that has no internal links pointing to it. It exists, but it’s floating in space.
Why orphan pages are dangerous:
- Google may not find or crawl them.
- They don’t receive link equity from other pages.
- They’re often invisible to users unless accessed directly.
How to fix it:
- Crawl your site with a tool like Screaming Frog and compare against your sitemap to find orphan pages.
- Identify which pages are worth keeping.
- Link to them from:
- Blog posts
- Category pages
- Hub or pillar pages
- Related articles
- Use a spreadsheet to track which pages still lack internal links.
Pro Tip: When you publish a new piece of content, immediately link to it from 2–3 older pages that already have authority.
4. Too Many Internal Links on a Single Page
You might think the more links, the better. Not quite.
What happens when you overload a page:
- Search engines may struggle to determine which links are valuable.
- Authority is spread too thin.
- User experience declines. Readers get overwhelmed.
While there’s no strict limit, 100 internal links on a page is considered excessive unless you have good reason.
How to fix it:
- Prioritize links to important pages—like those that convert or are part of your content hubs.
- Use dropdowns or accordions for large menus or listicles.
- In content-heavy pages, structure links within clearly marked sections (e.g., “Related Articles”).
Pro Tip: Use visual hierarchy (headings, bullet points) to make linked content scannable.
5. Burying Important Pages Too Deep in the Site Structure
Here’s a classic crawlability mistake: your most important pages—the ones driving conversions, backlinks, or engagement—are tucked away several levels deep in your website’s hierarchy. It’s like placing your best-performing content in a locked room at the end of a long hallway.
Why It Hurts
- Low crawl priority: Search engines give more attention to pages that are easier to find. The deeper a page is buried, the less often it’s crawled or indexed.
- Weakened link equity: Link authority doesn’t flow equally. Pages too far from the homepage may not get enough equity passed through internal links to rank well.
- User friction: Visitors rarely dig through multiple menus or layers to find content. If they can’t reach a page quickly, they’ll likely exit your site without discovering it.
This problem is especially harmful for e-commerce stores or content-heavy blogs, where buried pages could be generating sales, leads, or engagement — if only they were more visible.
How to Fix It
- Flatten your site structure: Ideally, no critical page should be more than 3 clicks away from the homepage. This improves discoverability and helps with crawling.
- Use strategic internal links: Add links to deep pages from key locations — like the homepage, top-level category pages, popular blog posts, and sidebars.
- Build internal link hubs: Create pillar pages or content clusters that act as organized directories. These naturally connect to related, deeper pages in a meaningful way.
- Include breadcrumb navigation: Breadcrumbs help users understand where they are within your site and allow search engines to grasp the hierarchical structure better.
Pro Tip:
Audit your content to find pages that are hidden too deep. Then, link to them from top-performing posts or pillar pages. The more internally visible a page is, the more signals it sends to Google that it matters.
6. Using Non-Descriptive Anchor Text
We touched on over-optimization earlier, but this is the opposite problem—anchor text that says nothing.
Common offenders:
- “Click here”
- “Read more”
- “This page”
Why it matters:
- Search engines don’t know what the page is about.
- It provides zero context to the user.
It’s a missed opportunity for relevance.
How to fix it:
Instead of this:
“To learn more, [click here].”
Do this:
“Discover [our complete guide to on-page SEO best practices].”
Pro Tip: Pretend your anchor text is the only thing someone sees—would they still know what to expect?
7. Outdated Internal Links After URL Changes
One of the most overlooked internal linking mistakes happens when you change URLs—but forget to update the links pointing to them.
What Typically Triggers This Issue
- Switching from HTTP to HTTPS
- Restructuring URLs, like moving from example.com/blog/seo-guide to example.com/seo/guide
- Content pruning, merging, or consolidating multiple pages into one
- Rebranding or CMS migrations
These changes are often necessary for growth—but if not handled carefully, they can silently break your internal link network.
What Goes Wrong
- Internal links start pointing to 404 errors or hit redirect chains.
- Instead of passing value directly, they bounce through unnecessary redirects, weakening link equity.
- Users land on dead ends or outdated pages, leading to frustration and drop-offs.
- Over time, it reduces crawl efficiency and weakens your site’s internal structure.
How to fix it:
- Always set up 301 redirects when changing URLs. This ensures that both users and search engines are sent to the correct location.
- However, don’t rely on redirects forever. Aim to update the original source link so it points directly to the new URL—cleaner, faster, and more efficient.
Use tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or Semrush to run a site-wide crawl and identify outdated internal links. - Maintain a URL change log (especially after site migrations or large-scale content updates) so your team knows what to fix.
- Schedule quarterly audits to catch and clean up outdated links before they become a bigger problem.
8. Linking Without Relevance
An internal link is only effective when it genuinely adds value to the content around it. If it feels forced or out of place, it’s doing more harm than good—for both users and search engines.
What it looks like:
You’re writing about “email marketing strategies” but link to an unrelated product page on “HR software” just to boost visibility.
Why it’s bad:
- Misleads the reader
- Hurts your topical authority
- Looks spammy to search engines
How to fix it:
- Only link when it enhances the topic or adds value.
- Don’t link for the sake of linking.
- Ask: “If I were the reader, would I find this link helpful here?”
Pro Tip: If a page has no logical context, create one. Add a section like “Related Topics” and tie it in with content that makes sense.
9. Lack of Strategic Internal Link Structure (No Content Hubs or Siloing)
Internal links without purpose are like roads that lead nowhere. When every page links to every other page without a plan, it creates chaos instead of clarity.
What This Looks Like
- No defined pillar pages to anchor your content
- A lack of topic clusters to group related articles
- Random internal linking across posts with no clear structure
Why It Hurts
- Search engines struggle to understand your site’s hierarchy and topical relevance
- Your most important pages miss out on internal link equity
- Users don’t get a logical flow through related content, leading to confusion or drop-offs
How to Fix It
Develop a clear content hub strategy—a framework that organizes your internal links around thematic areas:
- Identify pillar topics (e.g., “SEO”) that serve as the main hub for related content
- Create cluster pages that go deeper into subtopics (e.g., “internal linking mistakes,” “on-page SEO,” “technical audits”)
- Link cluster content to the pillar, and vice versa, to establish relevance and authority
- Organize your site using topic-based silos, ensuring every section has a clear path and purpose
Pro Tip:
Use visual mapping tools like Lucidchart or GlooMaps to plan your internal link architecture. Seeing your structure laid out can help you spot gaps, overlaps, and missed opportunities.
Conclusion: Internal Linking Isn’t Just SEO—it’s Strategy
You don’t need to be an SEO genius to fix internal linking mistakes. You just need a repeatable process, a solid understanding of your content structure, and a commitment to keeping your links clean and useful.
Every internal link is a vote of confidence for your own content. It tells search engines what matters and helps readers move seamlessly across your website.
So, start small:
- Run a crawl.
- Fix your top broken links.
- Strengthen your pillar pages with support from related posts.
And then, build from there.
Internal links don’t just support your SEO. They supercharge it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: How many internal links should I include per page?
Aim for 3–10 internal links per 1,000 words. Focus on relevance and user value—link only when it makes sense.
Q2: What’s the best anchor text strategy for internal links?
Use descriptive, natural anchor text. Avoid exact-match spam. Mix in partial match, branded, and contextual anchors for balance.
Q3: Can internal linking help reduce bounce rate?
Absolutely. Strategic internal links guide users to more content, keeping them on your site longer and lowering bounce rates.
Q4: What is an orphan page and why does it matter?
An orphan page is one that has no internal links pointing to it. These pages often get ignored by search engines and won’t rank well.
Q5: Should I nofollow internal links?
In most cases, no. Nofollow is generally reserved for untrusted or user-generated content. Internal links should be followed to help search engines crawl your site.