Internal linking is one of the most underrated tools in your SEO toolkit. While most business owners obsess over getting backlinks from other websites, they often overlook the power of connecting their own pages to tell Google exactly which parts of their site are the most important.
Think of your website like a map of Brisbane. If all your roads lead to the CBD (your high-value service pages), it’s easy for visitors and Google’s search bots to find what matters. Without these links, your best content becomes an 'orphan page'—stuck out in the middle of the bush with no road access.
Why this matters for your Brisbane business
When you link from a blog post about 'Summer Gardening Tips' to your 'Lawn Mowing Services' page, you aren't just being helpful; you’re passing 'link equity' (SEO juice) to the page that actually makes you money. This guide will show you how to do it properly without looking like a spammer.---
Prerequisites: What you’ll need
- Access to your website's CMS: (WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, etc.)
- At least 5-10 pages of content: It’s hard to link if you don't have anywhere to go!
- A basic list of your keywords: Know what terms you want to rank for (e.g., 'Plumber in Chermside' or 'Best coffee beans Australia').
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Step 1: Identify your 'Pillar' pages
Before you start clicking 'insert link', you need a plan. Your pillar pages are your most important pages—usually your main service pages or a comprehensive guide. What to look for: These are the pages that directly lead to inquiries or sales. For a local Brisbane accountant, this might be the 'Small Business Tax Returns' page. Pro tip: Don't try to make every page a pillar. Pick 3 to 5 key areas you want to dominate in search results.Step 2: Find content that is already performing
Go into your Google Search Console (if you don't have this set up, give us a shout—it's essential). Look for pages that are already getting some impressions or clicks. The logic: These pages already have some 'authority' in Google’s eyes. By adding a link from these successful pages to your newer or lower-ranking pillar pages, you’re effectively sharing the wealth.Step 3: Choose your 'Anchor Text' wisely
This is where most people get stuck, and honestly, the interface in WordPress or Shopify doesn't help much. 'Anchor text' is the clickable blue text of a link.- The Bad Way: 'To see our services, [click here].'
- The Good Way: 'We offer professional [emergency plumbing in Brisbane] for residential homes.'
Google uses this text to understand what the destination page is about. Use descriptive, keyword-rich text, but keep it natural. If it feels like you're forcing it, you probably are.
Step 4: Use the 'Search' trick to find linking opportunities
Here is a pro tip from setting this up dozens of times. You don't have to manually read every blog post to find where to add links. Go to Google and type this into the search bar:site:yourwebsite.com.au "keyword"
For example, if I wanted to find all the times I mentioned 'SEO' on the Local Marketing Group site, I’d search site:lmgroup.au "SEO". Google will show you every page where you’ve used that word. Now, just go into those pages and turn that text into a link to your main SEO service page. Easy!
Step 5: Add links to your new content
Every time you hit 'Publish' on a new blog post or project gallery, you should add at least 2-3 links to other parts of your site. The 'Three-Way' Rule:- Link from your new post to an old, high-authority post.
- Link from your new post to a main service (pillar) page.
- Go back to an old post and link it to your new post.
(Yes, this step is annoyingly fiddly. Bear with it. This 'back-linking' to new content is what helps Google index your new pages in hours instead of weeks.)
Step 6: Audit for 'Orphaned' pages
An orphaned page is a page that has zero incoming internal links. Google’s crawlers struggle to find these, and they almost never rank well.If you use a tool like Yoast SEO (for WordPress), it actually tells you which pages are orphans. If you're doing this manually, just keep a simple spreadsheet of your URLs and check them off as you add links to them.
Step 7: Check your 'Nofollow' settings
Don't worry if this screen looks different—Google and website builders change their layouts constantly. When you add a link, you might see a toggle that says "Mark as nofollow". Crucial Advice: For internal links, NEVER toggle this on. You want search engines to follow these links. 'Nofollow' is only for when you're linking to a site you don't necessarily trust or for paid advertisements.---
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Linking to the Homepage too much: Everyone knows how to find your homepage. Use internal links to push people deeper into your services.
- The 'Wall of Blue': Don't put 20 links in one paragraph. It looks like spam to Google and it’s annoying for your customers to read.
- Broken Links: If you change a URL (e.g., changing /services to /our-brisbane-services), all your old internal links will break. Always set up a 301 redirect if you change a page address.
Troubleshooting
"I added the links but my ranking didn't move!" SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Internal linking helps Google crawl your site better, but it can take 2-4 weeks for the 'juice' to flow and reflect in the rankings. Also, ensure your content is actually high-quality—a link to a bad page won't save it! "My website builder won't let me change the colour of the links." This is a common frustration with some 'drag and drop' builders. It’s usually hidden in the 'Design' or 'Typography' settings under 'Link Decorations'. Make sure your links are a different colour or underlined so people actually know they can click them!Next Steps
- Pick your top 3 service pages.
- Find 5 blog posts that relate to those services.
- Add one clear, keyword-rich link from each blog post to the relevant service page.
If you find this all a bit too technical or you simply don't have the time to audit hundreds of links while running your business, we can help. Our team at Local Marketing Group specialises in cleaning up site structures for QLD businesses. Contact us here and let’s get your site's 'roads' pointing in the right direction.