Should You Create Internal Links Pointing to the Page Itself to Boost SEO?

The question raised concerns a practice sometimes observed in SEO: adding internal links on a page that point to that same page. The underlying idea would be to reinforce the weight or context of the page in the eyes of search engines.

According to Google, this technique provides no added value. A link from a page to itself doesn't provide any additional information to the search engine, which already knows the content and context of the page it's analyzing.

Effective internal links are those that create connections between different pages of a website. They help distribute internal PageRank, establish a content hierarchy, and facilitate navigation for both users and crawling bots.

• Self-referencing links don't add SEO weight to the page
• Internal links work by connecting different pages to each other
• Link anchor text matters more when it comes from another page
• Internal linking should serve user experience and site structure

This statement is perfectly consistent with the logical functioning of search engines. Algorithms analyze links as votes of confidence between distinct pieces of content. A link from a page to itself represents an informational loop with no added value.

In practice, we indeed observe that SEO-performing sites invest their energy in strategic internal linking between complementary pages, rather than in self-references. Relevant link anchors from thematically related pages remain one of the most powerful levers of on-site optimization.

There's an important nuance: in certain CMS or templates, the header logo points to the homepage even when on that page. This common practice is not penalizing, but it doesn't constitute an SEO optimization either.

• Audit your site to identify and remove unnecessary self-referencing links that don't contribute to user experience
• Invest time in creating strategic internal linking that connects your complementary pages
• Optimize link anchors from other pages to your priority content with relevant keywords
• Establish a topical silo architecture where pages on the same subject mutually reinforce each other
• Prioritize internal PageRank distribution to your strategic pages (landing pages, pillar content)
• Keep only self-referencing links that have genuine UX utility (such as a "back to top" link or certain navigation elements)
• Document your internal linking strategy to maintain consistency over time

Implementing an optimal internal linking strategy requires a deep understanding of site architecture, semantics, and PageRank distribution. These optimizations, while fundamental, demand technical expertise and an overall vision that can sometimes be difficult to gather in-house.

For sites with a large volume of pages or complex structure, support from a specialized SEO agency can prove invaluable. An external and experienced perspective helps identify optimization opportunities, establish a coherent link strategy, and ensure implementation that complies with current best practices.