AI Summary
Effective internal linking follows a repeatable workflow: audit the site for orphans, group pages into topic clusters, then add contextual links with descriptive anchors that point spokes at your pillar hub and priority pages. Keep important pages within a few clicks of the homepage and monitor the results in Search Console.
- Start with a crawl to find orphan and under linked pages.
- Use a hub and spoke structure to concentrate topical relevance.
- Place contextual links in body content with descriptive anchors.
- Recrawl and track clicks, impressions, and position to confirm impact.
This resource keeps the original video reference and turns it into a hands on workflow you can run on any site. Where our companion article covers what Google says about internal links, this page focuses on the how: the exact steps to audit, structure, and measure internal linking for SEO.
Step 1: audit what you already have
Crawl the site with a tool such as Screaming Frog or Sitebulb and export the internal link data. Look for three things: orphan pages with no internal links in, priority pages that receive very few links, and pages sitting more than three clicks from the homepage. That list becomes your work queue.
Step 2: group pages into topic clusters
Organise related URLs into clusters around a core topic. Each cluster has one pillar hub that covers the topic broadly and several spoke pages that go deep on subtopics. This structure, shown in the diagram above, concentrates topical relevance and gives you an obvious linking map.
Step 3: add contextual links with descriptive anchors
Work through the cluster and add links inside the body content, not just in menus or footers. Point each spoke back to its hub, link spokes to each other where the topics genuinely relate, and link from your strongest pages to the priority targets you identified in the audit.
| Link direction | Purpose | Anchor example |
|---|---|---|
| Spoke to hub | Reinforce the pillar as the topic authority | the complete internal linking guide |
| Hub to spoke | Distribute authority to detail pages | fixing orphan pages step by step |
| Spoke to spoke | Connect closely related subtopics | anchor text best practices |
| Strong page to money page | Push priority pages toward ranking | our technical SEO audit service |
Step 4: keep the structure shallow
Aim to keep priority pages within about three clicks of the homepage. A flat, well connected architecture helps crawlers reach important content efficiently and helps users navigate without dead ends. If a valuable page is buried deep, add a link to it from a relevant hub.
Step 5: recrawl and measure
- Recrawl the site and confirm every orphan now has at least one relevant internal link in.
- Check that priority pages gained internal links from strong, topically related sources.
- Track Search Console clicks, impressions, and average position for the linked pages over the next few weeks.
- Repeat the pass each time you publish new content so fresh pages join the right cluster immediately.
For more depth, read the internal linking complete guide, the internal linking strategy for topic clusters, and the 15 internal linking best practices.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to start internal linking?
Begin with an audit. Crawl the site to find orphan pages and thin sections, list your priority pages, then add contextual links from relevant existing content to those priorities using descriptive anchors.
What is a hub and spoke structure?
A pillar hub covers a core topic broadly and links out to detailed spoke pages on subtopics. The spokes link back to the hub and to each other, which concentrates topical relevance and helps the whole cluster rank.
Where should internal links sit on the page?
Contextual links inside the body content carry more weight for users and crawlers than links buried in footers or generic sidebars. Place them where they naturally help a reader continue their journey.
How do I choose anchor text for internal links?
Describe the destination in plain words and vary the phrasing naturally. Avoid generic anchors like click here, and do not force the exact same keyword on every link, which looks manipulative.
How many clicks from the homepage should key pages be?
Keep priority pages within roughly three clicks of the homepage. A shallow, well linked structure helps both users and crawlers reach important content quickly.
How do I measure if internal linking worked?
Recrawl to confirm orphans are resolved, then track Search Console clicks, impressions, and average position for the linked pages over the following weeks alongside movements in internal link counts.
Claude Vincent is a technical SEO consultant focused on crawlability, rendering, and AI-search visibility. He writes the field guides and case studies at SEO ProCheck, with a bias toward the durable, unglamorous work that decides whether search engines and AI answer engines can actually read and cite a site.
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