SEO On-Page: Internal Links

Guides internal linking strategy for SEO: crawlability, link equity distribution, and user navigation.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Scope (On-Page SEO)

• Internal links: Contextual links; descriptive anchor text; related posts; hub pages

• Breadcrumbs: Implement for large sites (e.g. ecommerce); see breadcrumb-generator

Initial Assessment

Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read it for site structure and key pages.

Identify:

• Site structure: Hub pages, pillar content, supporting pages

• Orphan pages: Pages with no or few internal links

• Priority pages: Pages that need more link equity

Best Practices

Link Structure

Principle Guideline

Depth Important pages within 3 clicks from homepage

Orphan pages Avoid; ensure every page has at least one internal link; see site-crawlability for technical detection and crawl issues

Hub-to-spoke Link from hub/pillar pages to cluster articles; topic cluster structure

Contextual Place links in relevant body content, not just footers

Anchor Text

Principle Guideline

Descriptive Use anchor text that describes the target page

Variation Avoid over-optimization; use natural variation

Keyword Include target keyword when natural

Placement

Location Use

First paragraph Primary link to related content

Body Contextual links throughout

Related/Recommended End-of-article links

Navigation Key site sections

Common Issues

Issue Fix

Orphan pages Add internal links from hub pages or navigation; site-crawlability for technical audit

Too many links Focus on most important; avoid link stuffing

Generic anchors Use descriptive "learn more about X" instead of "click here"

Broken links Audit and fix 404s; see site-crawlability for technical audit

Output Format

• Internal link audit (if auditing)

• Link opportunities for key pages

• Anchor text recommendations

• Structure improvements

Related Skills

• article-page-generator: Related posts, contextual links, end-of-article recommendations

• website-structure: Plan page structure and hierarchy; informs internal linking

• site-crawlability: Internal links enable crawling

• url-structure: URL structure affects link patterns

• content-strategy: Topic clusters inform link structure; pillar <-> cluster; cluster <-> cluster

• breadcrumb-generator: Breadcrumbs are internal links; category hierarchy