Internal Links Per Page: The SEO Sweet Spot (And When It’s Too Many)

Internal links are one of those SEO things that feel… almost too simple. Like, surely Google cares more about backlinks, content quality, Core Web Vitals, all the shiny stuff.

And yeah, it does.

But internal links are still the wiring inside your site. If the wiring is messy, pages don’t get found, authority doesn’t flow where you want it, users bounce, and your “best” pages weirdly underperform.

The tricky part is the question everyone asks and nobody answers the same way:

How many internal links per page is the right number?

There is a sweet spot. And there is definitely a point where you are just vomiting links onto a page and calling it “SEO”.

Let’s pin it down in a practical way.

What “internal links per page” actually means (and what it doesn’t)

An internal link is any link from one page on your site to another page on your site.

That includes:

• Links in the body content
• Links in navigation menus
• Links in sidebars
• Links in footers
• Table of contents links (jump links are a different thing, but many setups create URLs Google can treat as separate variants)
• Related posts blocks

But when SEOs talk about “internal links per page”, they usually mean contextual links in the main content. The ones surrounded by text that tells Google what the linked page is about.

Navigation and footer links matter too, but they behave differently because they appear sitewide and can become boilerplate. Contextual links are where you get the most control.

So when you’re counting, count both. But judge them differently.

Why internal link count matters (for SEO and for humans)

Internal links do three big jobs:

1. They help Google discover and crawl pages

If an important page is only linked from a sitemap or buried behind filters, it can get crawled less often. Or take ages to be properly understood.

A page with multiple relevant internal links pointing to it tends to get found and revisited more reliably.

2. They pass internal authority (PageRank, basically)

You don’t need to overcomplicate this.

Links move value.

If your homepage and top posts have most of your backlinks, internal links are how you push some of that value into product pages, comparison pages, category pages, and money pages.

3. They shape topical relevance

Anchor text and surrounding context help Google understand relationships.

A cluster of pages that link to each other naturally and consistently signals, “Hey, this site actually knows this topic.”

This is why internal linking is a core part of on page SEO, not some optional finishing step. If you’re actively working on your pages, you’ll end up thinking about links anyway. (If you want a structured way to tighten pages up, this guide on how to improve page SEO is a solid reference.)

So… how many internal links per page is ideal?

Here’s the honest answer: it depends on the page type and length.

But that answer is also annoying, so let’s turn it into usable ranges.

The general sweet spot (for most blog posts and content pages)

For a typical content page, think:

• 5 to 15 contextual internal links in the body is a healthy range for most posts.
• If the post is long (1500 to 3000 words), 10 to 25 contextual internal links can be completely natural.
• Total internal links (including nav/footer/related widgets) can easily be 50 to 200+, and that’s not automatically “bad”.

The “too many” problem usually happens when the body content has 30, 40, 60 links and they’re not actually helping anyone.

A more useful rule than a fixed number

Instead of chasing a magic count, use this:

One internal link per 150 to 300 words is usually a natural density for informational content.

Not a law. Just a gut check.

If you write 1,800 words and you have 3 internal links in the body, you’re probably under-linking.

If you write 900 words and you have 28 internal links in the body, you’re almost certainly overdoing it.

When more internal links is actually good

There are situations where higher internal link counts make sense.

1. Hub pages and “ultimate guides”

If you have a pillar page that’s meant to route people into subtopics, it should link out a lot. That’s the job.

Example: a guide on “On Page SEO” linking to pages about titles, headings, image SEO, internal linking, schema, etc.

In that case, 30+ internal links (mostly contextual, some as a list) can be perfect.

2. Category pages or resource directories

These pages exist to link.

Just make sure they’re not thin. Add intro content, sorting logic, and explain what each linked item is for.

3. Ecommerce faceted navigation (careful though)

Ecommerce sites can generate a ton of internal links. This is normal, but it can also create crawl traps.

This is less about “too many links” and more about “too many useless URLs”. Different problem, but they often show up together.

When internal links per page becomes “too many”

You’re in the danger zone when you see stuff like this:

1. Links that don’t match the sentence

If a link is shoved into a sentence where it doesn’t belong, that’s usually a sign someone is chasing a quota.

Google can pick up on unnatural patterns. Users definitely can.

2. Repeating the same anchor text over and over

If every page links to your “best AI SEO tool” page using the exact anchor “best AI SEO tool”, it starts to look manufactured. Also, it’s not how humans write.

Mix it up. Use partial matches. Use descriptive anchors. Sometimes just use the brand name or a natural phrase.

3. Huge “SEO footer” blocks

You know the ones.

Dozens of keyword links in the footer that nobody clicks.

In 2026, this is mostly legacy behavior. It’s not the worst sin, but it’s usually not helping. And it can dilute focus.

4. Pages that feel like Wikipedia, but not in a good way

Wikipedia has a ton of links, but they’re editorially useful.

If your page has a link every eight words, it becomes hard to read. And you’re basically telling users, “Please leave this page immediately.”

5. Crawl budget and link equity dilution (real, but often misunderstood)

Google doesn’t “penalize” you for having 200 internal links on a page.

But more links means the value passed by each link can be thinner. Plus, Google may decide some links are less important, especially if they’re boilerplate or repetitive.

So the issue is rarely “Google hates too many links.” It’s more like, “You’re spreading attention and internal authority too thin, and the important stuff isn’t standing out.”

A simple framework: internal link targets by page type

Here’s a practical cheat sheet.

Blog posts (800 to 2000 words)

• Body links: 6 to 18
• Focus: link to 2 to 5 supporting articles and 1 to 3 conversion pages (product, comparison, service)

Long-form guides (2000 to 5000 words)

• Body links: 12 to 30
• Focus: build topical coverage, create cluster connectivity, add “next step” links

Product pages

• Body links: 3 to 10 (often fewer, but highly intentional)
• Focus: link to use cases, FAQs, setup docs, comparisons, and trust pages

Comparison pages

• Body links: 5 to 20
• Focus: link to each product page, relevant features, and supporting evidence posts

Homepage / top nav landing pages

• This varies wildly because navigation drives a lot of links.
• Focus: are you funneling authority into the pages you actually want to rank?

How to know if your internal linking is working (without guessing)

You can get surprisingly far with a simple on page and internal link audit:

1. Pick a page you want to rank.
2. Search your site for related mentions.
3. Add links where it makes sense.
4. Track if impressions and average position move over the next few weeks.

If you want a more systematic check, run the page through an on page audit tool that flags linking gaps, over-linking patterns, and structure issues. Something like an on page SEO checker is useful here because it forces you to look at the page as a system, not just “add more links”.

The internal linking mistakes I see constantly (and how to fix them)

Mistake 1: Linking only to other blog posts

A lot of sites have “blog to blog” internal links and almost nothing pointing to their money pages.

Fix: for every informational post, add at least one link that moves the reader toward an outcome. A template, a tool, a product page, a comparison.

If you’re building content to grow an SEO product, this is non negotiable.

Mistake 2: Orphan pages

Pages with zero internal links pointing to them (or only found in the sitemap) tend to underperform.

Fix: build a habit. Every time you publish a new post, link to it from 2 to 5 older posts that are already getting traffic.

In addition, consider using an SEO content optimization checklist to ensure your content is fully optimized for search engines.

Mistake 3: Over-optimizing anchors

Exact match anchors everywhere is the fastest way to make your site feel like it was assembled by a bot.

Fix: write anchors like a person. Sometimes it’s “AI SEO editor”. Sometimes it’s “editing your content inside an AI workflow”. Sometimes it’s just “this guide”.

If you’re using an editing workflow, having a dedicated tool or interface helps keep things consistent. For example, if you’re polishing posts and inserting links as you go, an AI SEO editor style workflow makes it easier to add links where they actually belong, instead of bolting them on later.

Mistake 4: Sitewide internal links to everything

Mega menus with 80 links, footer blocks with 200 links, sidebar widgets stacked on every post.

Fix: simplify global navigation. Push most discovery into contextual links, category pages, and proper hub pages.

The “too many internal links” question, answered more directly

If you want a blunt rule you can hand to a writer or editor:

• Under 1000 words: aim for 5 to 10 contextual internal links
• 1000 to 2000 words: aim for 8 to 16
• 2000+ words: aim for 12 to 25
• If you go beyond that, you need a reason. A real one.

And when is it too many?

• When the page becomes annoying to read.
• When links stop being relevant.
• When you’re linking just to link.
• When your key conversion pages are buried among dozens of low value links.

Internal linking and AI content: a quick reality check

If you publish a lot of AI assisted content (or fully AI generated content), internal linking becomes even more important.

Why?

Because AI can produce decent standalone articles, but it often fails at building a coherent site structure across dozens or hundreds of pages. You end up with content islands.

The fix is not “add 50 internal links per page.”

The fix is smarter linking. Topic clusters. Intent matching. Linking to pages that actually deepen the journey.

This is also where automation can help, if it’s done with restraint. Platforms like SEO Software bake internal linking into the content workflow, so new articles don’t publish as isolated pages. It’s not just generating text, it’s connecting it.

If you’re comparing tools for content production and optimization, you’ll notice some tools treat internal links as an afterthought. Others treat it like part of the system. (Related, if you’re in research mode: SEO Software vs Surfer SEO and SEO Software vs Jasper go into those workflow differences.)

A quick “internal links per page” checklist (the one I actually use)

Before publishing, skim your page and ask:

1. Did I link to the most important related page on my site, the one that helps the reader take the next step?
2. Did I link to at least 2 supporting articles that build topical depth?
3. Are my anchors descriptive, varied, and not spammy?
4. Can I remove 20 percent of the links and the page gets better? If yes, remove them.
5. Are there any sections where I shoved links in back to back? Break it up. Or cut them.

That’s it. Simple, but it catches most problems.

The takeaway

The SEO sweet spot for internal links per page is not a magic number. It’s a balance.

Enough links that Google understands the relationships and users can keep moving.

Not so many that the page turns into a directory of distractions.

If you want a target, aim for around 1 contextual internal link per 150 to 300 words, then adjust based on the page’s purpose. Hub pages can handle more. Product pages usually need fewer, but more intentional ones.

And if internal linking is currently a messy, manual chore on your site, it might be time to systematize it. Tools that combine content creation with linking logic can save you a lot of cleanup later. You can check out SEO Software if you want a more hands off approach to publishing content that’s already connected from day one.