Imagine your website as a city in progress. Every time you create a new blog post, gallery, or service page, it’s like adding a building to that city. But here’s the problem—many of those buildings go up in isolation. There are no roads connecting them, no neighborhoods forming around shared themes, no clear downtown. It’s just a sprawl.
Internal links are how you build neighborhoods—cohesive pockets of content that naturally belong together. Think of an up and coming urban district: a couple of coffee shops, loft apartments, a yoga studio, maybe an indie bookstore. Each one is different, but together, they tell a story and attract a specific kind of visitor. Your website can (and should) do the same.
Why Google Loves Organized Neighborhoods
Google, like people, loves places that feel intentional. When related pages link to each other with clarity and purpose, it signals, “Hey, this is a focused area of expertise.” When they don’t? It feels random, disconnected, and hard to understand.
Internal linking isn’t just about navigation—it’s about signaling meaning and relevance. It’s about showing Google the relationships between your content so it can better rank the pages that matter most.
Most photographers don’t realize just how powerful this is. So let’s get into what’s really going on with internal links for SEO—and how a better strategy can lift up your whole site.
Internal links might not feel sexy, but they are the structure that makes your site coherent, scannable, and search-engine smart. As a photographer-turned-SEO educator, I know firsthand that most creatives aren’t optimizing their internal links—and that’s holding their site back.
If you’re already writing blogs and building beautiful portfolios for your services, you’re halfway there.
Let’s connect the dots, clean up the chaos, and show you how to use internal links for SEO to get more visibility without more content.
What Most Photographers Are Getting Wrong About SEO Links
As creative business owners we are natural storytellers, but most treat SEO like a technical checklist instead of a narrative structure (More on holisitic SEO and why it’s amazing for conversions)The biggest missteps I see?
- Random linking with no strategy
- Linking only out to other content, not in to your own key pages
- Overloading blogs with unrelated internal links
- Using weak anchor text like “click here” or “this post”
Here’s the thing: internal links aren’t just there to help Google crawl your site. They show Google which content matters most, and they guide your visitors where you want them to go.
The right link can carry more SEO weight than an entire paragraph of copy.
How Internal Links Actually Work for SEO(and Why They Matter for Creatives)
Think of your website like a web of energy. Some pages—like your home page or a high-traffic blog—are power hubs. Others are newer, quieter, or buried in your nav. Internal links let you move that energy (aka authority) around intentionally.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- Linking your most-read blog to your matching services page can pass SEO power where it matters. So family photography blogs to your family photography service page.
- Adding internal links to a new blog series or location guide from relevant older posts can help it gain visibility faster.
- Cross-linking location guides, portfolios, and FAQs helps Google see the topical relationship—and shows your authority in a niche.
Prioritize your main evergreen pages first—your home page, core service pages, and a handful of standout blog posts that have a unique, focused topic. Each of these pages should target a distinct keyphrase that doesn’t directly compete with your other content.
If you’re still in the planning stage and unsure how to assign unique keyphrases to each page, my free keyphrase planning webinar is a great place to start.
A Strategic Link Structure: What Goes Out and What Comes In
It’s not just about where you add links—it’s about building an intentional map. Here’s how to start:
Your Link Strategy Audit (Let’s Do This!)
- List your top 5 priority pages (services, about, pricing, main blogs).
- For each one, check:
- What pages link to it? (internal only)
- What pages does it link out to?
- Look for imbalances. Are some key pages orphaned (no links in)? Are you over-linking from weaker blogs?
📝 Bonus tip: Sketch this on paper or use a tool like Miro to map connections. It’s oddly satisfying.
Anchor Text: Your Secret SEO Weapon
Anchor text is the clickable text in your links—and it tells both Google and your reader what to expect.
Best practices:
- Be descriptive: Instead of “read more,” say “view our Asheville wedding pricing guide.”
- Keep it natural: Write for humans first, search engines second.
- Mix it up: Don’t use the exact same phrasing every time.
Anchor text is like a good photo caption—it adds context without getting in the way.
Bonus tip: When adding links under headers, keep your header tags optimized. This helps with SEO structure and keeps your content scannable.
Internal Links and SEO Best Practices That Actually Work
To get results without keyword stuffing or gimmicks, here’s what I teach (and use myself):
- 2-5 internal links per post is usually plenty
- Every important page should have at least 3 internal links pointing to it
- Link from relevant content only—don’t force it
- Update older posts regularly to link to newer, high-priority content
Need a refresher on SEO Basics before diving in? I’ve got a ton of free SEO resources ready for whereever you’re currently at.
This Is the Fun Part (Yes, Really)
Here’s the shift: internal links aren’t a technical chore. They’re the design language of your website. You’re telling a story with flow, focus, and momentum.
And unlike ads or social posts, these little tweaks build over time. A thoughtful internal link added today can bring you search traffic for years.
So here’s your challenge: block off 30 minutes, grab a coffee, get your dog settled, and map your content flow. Where’s the SEO power stuck? What needs a nudge?
You already have the content. Now you’re simply connecting it.
You’ve got this—and you don’t need to master it all today. But if you start here, with intentional internal links for SEO, you’re building a foundation that supports everything else.
SEO doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It just has to be strategic. And honestly? That part’s kind of fun.
