You’ve got posts published. Great. But are they talking to each other?
Internal linking is how you connect one post to another within your blog. It helps readers discover related content, keeps them on your site longer, and tells search engines which posts matter most. Plus, it’s way simpler than most SEO tactics.
Here’s the thing: you don’t need a complicated strategy right away. You just need to understand why it matters and where to start.
Why Internal Links Matter (More Than You’d Think)
Internal links do three things:
1. Help readers find related content. Someone reading about blog setup might want to know about writing posts next. You link to it, they click, they keep reading. Simple.
2. Tell search engines what’s important. When multiple posts link to one article, Google notices. It’s like voting—the more links a post gets from your other posts, the more important Google assumes it is.
3. Keep people on your site. If someone’s about to leave but sees “You might also want to check out…” and it’s relevant? They’ll probably click. That’s more time on your blog, which looks good to search engines too.
Most people underestimate how much internal linking affects their rankings. I’d say it’s one of those small things that adds up fast once you start doing it consistently.
Prerequisites
You’ll need:
- At least 3-5 published posts (hard to link between posts if you don’t have any)
- Access to your WordPress editor
- Basic understanding of how to edit posts
Where to Add Internal Links
You can add links almost anywhere, but some spots work better than others. Don’t overthink this—it’s more about being helpful than following rules.
In Your Content (Most Common)
This is where most internal links live. You’re writing a sentence, you mention something you’ve covered before, you link to it.
The trick is making it feel like part of the content, not an interruption. If you have to force it, skip it.
At the End (Related Posts Section)
A lot of people add a “You might also like” or “Related posts” section at the end. This works because readers who finish your post are probably interested in more.
You can do this manually by typing:
Related: How to Write Your First Blog Post | Setting Up Your Blog Navigation
Or if your theme supports it, there might be a widget or block that automatically shows related posts. Check your theme settings—some Badass Network setups include this.
In Your Navigation or Sidebar
Your main menu and sidebar widgets are technically internal links too. These are high-visibility spots, so use them for your most important content—your About page, your best posts, your services.
Most people don’t change these often, which is fine. Just make sure they’re linking to pages you actually want visitors to see.
How to Add Internal Links in WordPress
It’s the same process you’d use for any link. Here’s the quick version:
Highlight the text
Highlight the text you want to turn into a link. Pick something descriptive—not just “click here.” Something like “our guide to theme customization” works better.
Click the link icon
Click the link icon in the formatting toolbar. It looks like a chain link, usually near the Bold and Italic buttons.
Type or paste the URL
You can use the full URL (like https://badassnetwork.com/yourblog/post-title) or just start typing the post title and WordPress will suggest matching posts from your blog.
Hit Enter
Done. The text is now linked.
What Makes a Good Internal Link
Not all links are created equal. Here’s what you’re aiming for:
Descriptive anchor text. The words you’re turning into a link should tell people what they’re clicking to. “Learn more about blog SEO” is clear. “Click here” is vague.
Relevant connections. Link to posts that actually relate to what you’re talking about. If you’re writing about WordPress theme customization, linking to a post about meal prep doesn’t make sense (unless your blog is about both, I guess).
Natural placement. Don’t shoehorn links in just to have them. If it feels forced, readers notice and they’ll ignore it.
Don’t overdo it. You don’t need 15 links in a 500-word post. That’s overwhelming. Aim for 2-4 internal links per post, depending on length. If you’ve got a 2000-word guide, maybe 5-8 makes sense. Use your judgment.
Building Your Link Strategy (Without Overthinking It)
You don’t need a spreadsheet. Honestly. Here’s what most people do when they’re starting out:
Link new posts to older ones. Every time you publish something new, think about which older posts relate to it. Add 2-3 links to those posts in your new content.
Go back and update older posts. Every month or so, look at your older posts and add links to newer content. This keeps everything connected and gives old posts a relevance boost.
Identify your cornerstone content. These are your most important posts—the ones that define your blog or get the most traffic. Link to these more often than others. If you’ve got a killer post about “getting started with blogging,” reference it whenever it fits.
Create content clusters. This sounds fancy, but it just means writing multiple posts about related topics and linking them together. Example: if you write about blog setup, theme customization, and first posts, link all three to each other. They form a little network of related content.
Some people get really strategic about this, mapping out which posts link where. If that sounds fun, go for it. But you’ll get 80% of the benefit just by adding a few relevant links whenever you write or edit.
Common Questions
Depends on length, but 2-4 is a good baseline for most posts. Longer guides can handle more. Don’t force it if there’s nothing relevant to link to.
Usually not. Once is enough. If you mention the same topic again, you don’t need to link it again—readers already saw it the first time.
Then don’t worry about it. You can’t link to content that doesn’t exist. As you publish more, you’ll naturally have more linking opportunities. This gets easier over time.
Both. Your About page, Services, Contact—those are all fair game for internal links if they’re relevant. Pages are part of your site too.
Most people don’t, and I’d recommend keeping them in the same tab. You want readers moving through your site, not managing 10 open tabs. External links (to other websites) are different—those you might open in a new tab.
Checking Your Current Links
If you’ve been blogging for a while and want to see how you’re doing, here’s a quick audit:
Pick 5 random posts. Open them up. Count how many internal links each one has. If most have zero or one, you’ve got room to improve. If they’ve got 3-5, you’re probably in good shape.
Also notice: are you always linking to the same posts, or spreading it around? If every post links to your About page but nothing else, that’s a sign you could be connecting your content better.
WordPress doesn’t have a built-in tool to show all your internal links, but you can manually check. Or just start adding links going forward—you don’t have to fix everything retroactively.
Tips You’ll Actually Use
- Link early in your posts. People’s attention drops as they scroll. If you’ve got a great related post, link to it in the first few paragraphs, not just at the end.
- Use different anchor text. If you’re linking to the same post from multiple places, don’t use the exact same phrase every time. Vary it a little. Keeps it from feeling robotic.
- Think like a reader. Would you click this link if you were reading? If not, maybe it’s not worth including. The best internal links answer a question the reader might have.
- Don’t bury links in huge walls of text. Short paragraphs make links more visible. If your link is in line 18 of a 20-line paragraph, most people won’t see it.
- Prioritize your best content. Not every post deserves equal link love. Some posts are just better, more useful, or more comprehensive than others. Link to those more often.
Troubleshooting Your Links
If nobody’s clicking your internal links: Your anchor text might be too vague, or the links aren’t relevant enough. Try making the link text more specific about what’s on the other side.
If you’re not sure what to link to: Go to Posts > All Posts in WordPress and scan your titles. Sometimes just seeing the list sparks ideas for what connects to what.
If your links look weird or broken: Check that you’re using the full URL or WordPress’s search feature. Partial URLs sometimes break. Also make sure you didn’t accidentally highlight extra spaces before or after the text.
If you’ve got posts with zero links: That’s actually pretty common early on. Go back every few weeks and add 1-2 links to older posts as you publish new content. It’s an ongoing thing, not a one-time task.
What You’ve Done
You now understand why internal linking matters, where to add links, and how to do it without overthinking. You’ve got a simple strategy: link new posts to old ones, update old posts with new links, and focus on making connections that actually help readers.
Next step: Pick 3 of your existing posts and add 2-3 internal links to each. That’s it. You’ll immediately see how it works.
Internal linking isn’t glamorous, but it’s one of those things that quietly improves your blog over time. Most people skip it because it feels tedious—which means if you do it, you’re already ahead.
Related Resources
- Writing SEO-Friendly Blog Titles — Your titles need to attract clicks and include your keywords
- Setting Up Your Blog Navigation — Your menu is internal linking too
- Creating Your First Blog Post — Get more posts published so you have more to link between
Need Help?
If your links aren’t working or you’re not sure how to find your old posts to link to:
- Check our support docs at badassnetwork.com
- Include which post you’re trying to link from and to
- We can walk you through it