Is Your Internal Linking Hurting Your SEO? Here's How to Check

A bad strategy is often worse than no strategy at all. Let's look at the common mistakes that could be holding your site back.

You've done the hard work. You read my guide on why internal linking is an SEO secret weapon and started connecting the dots across your site. But instead of seeing a boost, your rankings are flat, or maybe they've even gone down. You're left wondering, "Did I do this wrong?"

It's a common and frustrating situation. As an SEO consultant, I've seen it many times: a well-intentioned business owner who, in an effort to improve their SEO, has accidentally created a confusing and counterproductive internal linking structure that is actively harming their performance.

The truth is, a bad internal linking strategy can be worse than having no strategy at all. It can confuse Google, frustrate your users, and dilute your website's authority. So, let's take a deep dive into the most common mistakes I see and how you can fix them.

The Short Answer:

Yes, your internal linking can absolutely hurt your SEO if it's not done with clear intent. Based on countless discussions in SEO forums, the biggest mistakes are overlinking (which dilutes power) and linking to irrelevant pages (which confuses Google). The key is to think "quality over quantity," ensuring every link is genuinely helpful to the user and serves a clear strategic purpose.

Mistake #1: Overlinking and Creating a "Link Soup"

This is the most frequent error. In an effort to connect pages, you add so many links to your footers, sidebars, and within your text that the page becomes a sea of blue links.

Why It's a Problem for SEO and Users

• It Dilutes Your Authority: Every page on your site has a finite amount of "link equity" (or authority) to pass along. If you have 50 links on a page, each link passes a tiny, insignificant amount of value. As Google's John Mueller has said, if you link to everything, then nothing is important.
• It Confuses Search Engines: A chaotic link structure makes it impossible for Google to understand your site's hierarchy. It can't figure out which pages are your most important "pillars" and which are supporting "clusters."
• It Creates a Terrible User Experience: For a human reader, a wall of links is visually cluttered and creates "decision fatigue." Overwhelmed by too many choices, users often end up clicking on nothing at all.

How to Tell If You Have Too Many Links

You likely have too many links if you see these signs: more than 1-2 links per short paragraph, warnings from SEO audit tools, or a page that just looks spammy and cluttered.

Mistake #2: Using Vague or Repetitive Anchor Text

Using generic anchor text like "click here" or "read more" is a huge missed opportunity. At the other extreme, using the exact same, keyword-stuffed anchor text every single time can look unnatural.

• Why it's a Problem: Anchor text is a powerful signal that tells both users and Google what the destination page is about. "Click here" provides zero context.
• The Fix: Use descriptive anchor text that naturally fits within your sentence. For example, instead of "To learn about our services, click here," write "You can explore my full range of freelance SEO services." It's also a best practice to vary your anchor text slightly to keep it looking natural.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Your Site Structure (Orphan Pages & Dead Ends)

A lack of a clear strategy is the root cause of most internal linking problems. This often leads to two specific issues:

• Orphan Pages: These are pages with no internal links pointing to them. You've created a valuable asset, but you haven't built any roads to it, making it invisible to both Google and your users.
• Ignoring Hierarchy: Just because a blog post is filed under a "category" doesn't mean it's properly linked. Your blog posts (the "clusters") should always link back to your main service or collection pages (the "pillars") to pass authority and create a logical topic cluster.

Final Verdict: Intent is King

Internal linking is not just a technical task to be checked off a list. It is a strategic process that requires a clear understanding of your content and your customer's journey.

Before you add a single link, ask yourself one question: "Is this genuinely helpful for the person reading this page?" If the answer is yes, then you are on the right track. By focusing on creating a helpful, logical, and user-friendly experience, you will naturally create an internal linking structure that Google will reward.

Your Internal Linking Questions, Answered

• Should you ever create orphan pages intentionally? Sometimes. A common use case is for a special landing page for a paid ad campaign or a private "thank you" page after a purchase. These are pages you don't want showing up in public navigation. In these cases, it's best to use a "noindex" tag to tell Google not to include them in search results.
• What's the difference between an orphan page and a "dead-end" page? An orphan page has no links coming into it. A "dead-end" page has links coming in, but no links going out to other pages on your site. Both can create a poor user experience, but orphan pages are generally more harmful to your SEO because their content is so difficult for Google to find.
• How often should I audit my internal links? For most small businesses, doing a quick check for broken links and new orphan pages once a quarter is a great practice. You should also do a review whenever you make significant changes to your site, like launching a new service section or redesigning your navigation.
  

Ready to Build a Powerful, Cohesive Website?

Fixing your internal linking and building a strategic content structure can feel overwhelming. If you'd rather have an expert handle it for you, my SEO Audit Service is the perfect place to start. We'll identify all your linking opportunities and create a clear roadmap for success.

For more honest advice, you can explore all the guides on my Small Business SEO Blog ›