Direct answer
Internal links establish navigable relationships among pages. Good links are ordinary anchors with real href values, descriptive wording, and destinations that advance the current task.
A strong structure combines global navigation, hubs, breadcrumbs, contextual links, and sitemaps while avoiding orphan pages and uncontrolled URL spaces.
Practical steps
- Define parent and sibling relationships in the content model.
- Link from hubs and relevant body copy using language that explains the destination.
- Check that every indexable page has an incoming crawlable link and a coherent breadcrumb path.
- Review sampled inlink distribution and fix root causes rather than forcing equal link counts.
Example
A migration guide can link directly to the redirect checker where the reader validates a chain, then to the measurement playbook for post-launch comparison.
Common mistakes
- Using client click handlers without href links.
- Repeating keyword-rich links in every footer.
- Calling a page orphaned from an incomplete crawl without stating the sample limit.
Limitations
- Link graphs from bounded crawls are incomplete.
- More internal links are not automatically better; relevance and reader value matter.
Primary sources
- Understand the JavaScript SEO basics — Google Search Central; 2026-03-04; 2026-08-14.
- Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content — Google Search Central; 2025-12-10; 2026-08-14.
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