Internal links
Internal links are the links from one page on your site to another. They are one of the most underused SEO levers, because unlike most ranking factors they are entirely within your control.
This check maps how your pages link to each other so you can see which pages are well supported and which are neglected.
Inlinks and outlinks
Two simple terms:
- Inlinks are internal links pointing to a page. More inlinks from relevant pages signal that a page is important.
- Outlinks are internal links pointing from a page to others.
The crawler counts these per page, by distinct source page, so ten links from one page do not overstate support.
Why internal links matter for SEO
- Discovery. Crawlers find pages by following links. A well-linked page is easy to find; a poorly linked one may be missed.
- Distributing value. Internal links pass ranking value between your pages. Linking from strong pages to important ones lifts them.
- Signaling importance. The pages you link to most, from your best pages, are the ones you are telling search engines matter.
- Helping users. Good internal links guide people to related content and keep them on the site.
Internal links are not backlinks
This is worth stating plainly. This check measures links within your own site. It does not, and cannot, show you backlinks, which are links to your site from other websites. Finding backlinks requires a web-wide index of the whole internet, which a site crawler does not have. If you need backlink data, that is a job for a different kind of tool. What a crawler gives you is a complete, accurate map of your internal linking, which is the part you can actually change.
What good internal linking looks like
- Your most important pages get the most inlinks, from relevant content.
- Links come from topically related pages, not scattered at random.
- Anchor text is descriptive, so the link tells readers and engines what the target is about. See anchor text.
- Important pages sit at a reasonable click depth from the homepage, not buried many clicks deep.
How to improve internal linking
- Add inlinks to under-supported important pages from relevant, well-linked pages.
- Link from strong pages, like the homepage or popular posts, to pages you want to lift.
- Reduce click depth for key pages so both users and crawlers reach them quickly.
- Fix orphan pages, which have no inlinks at all. See orphan pages.
How Crawlpit Monster reports it
The report shows inlink and outlink counts per page, and each page's detail view lists the specific pages linking in and out. Sorting the page table by inlinks surfaces the pages with the fewest, which are the ones most likely to need support.
Common mistakes
- Leaving key pages under-linked, so they rank below their potential.
- Generic anchor text like "click here," which tells engines nothing about the target.
- Burying important pages deep in the structure, many clicks from the homepage.
- Confusing internal links with backlinks and expecting off-site data this check does not provide.
Frequently asked questions
Are internal links the same as backlinks?
No. Internal links are within your own site. Backlinks come from other websites and need a different kind of tool to find.
How many internal links should a page have?
There is no fixed number. The principle is that important pages should have more inlinks from relevant pages than minor ones.
Can this show who links to me from other sites?
No. It maps your internal linking only. External backlinks require a web-wide index.
Where do I see a page's inlinks?
In the page detail view, which lists the pages linking to it, so you can add or adjust internal links.