How to Fix Every Internal Linking Issue
The Internal Link Analysis maps how authority flows through your site — which pages get the most internal links, which are orphaned, how deep important content sits from the homepage, whether anchor text is descriptive, and whether the link graph supports your topical priorities. Internal linking is the single most under-used SEO lever. This index covers every finding and the fix.
By finding type
Each finding has a specific fix pattern. Pick yours below:
🏝️ Fix orphan pages (zero internal links) PLANNED
Pages indexed only because they're in the sitemap, with no internal links pointing at them. Google deprioritises them. Either link them in from relevant content or remove them. The decision tree: traffic > 0 = link in, traffic = 0 = remove or noindex.
⬇️ Fix pages too deep from homepage PLANNED
Important pages 4+ clicks from the homepage get less authority and crawl frequency. The 3-click rule for revenue pages. Hub-and-spoke architecture vs flat structure. When to flatten and when to deepen for topic relevance.
📝 Fix vague anchor text PLANNED
"Click here", "read more", "learn more" tell Google nothing about the target page. Use descriptive anchor text matching the target's primary topic. The over-optimisation risk (exact-match every time) vs under-optimisation (generic every time). The 70/20/10 rule.
🔗 Fix broken internal links PLANNED
Internal 404s waste crawl budget and damage user experience. The bulk-find pattern, the bulk-fix pattern, and how to set up CI checks that catch new broken links before deploy. Special case: links to redirected URLs that should be updated to point at the new canonical.
⚡ Fix poor link equity flow PLANNED
Your homepage gets 80% of external links but distributes them poorly. The PageRank-flow model in plain English. Reshaping the link graph to push authority where you want it — usually revenue pages and the top 10% of content.
🕸️ Fix over-linking and link bloat PLANNED
Pages with 200+ internal links dilute the value of each. Footer link farms, mega-menus with everything, "related content" widgets that show 30 items. How to prune to high-signal links only.
🎯 Build topical link clusters PLANNED
Hub pages that point to spoke pages and back. Topic clusters that tell Google "this site has depth on X." The schema: 1 pillar page + 5-10 supporting pages, all interlinked, with the pillar getting the most external links.
🚫 Fix accidental nofollow on internal links PLANNED
A theme or plugin added rel="nofollow" to internal links. The PageRank sculpting trap (it doesn't work). When nofollow on internal links is legitimate (login, cart) and when it's blocking authority flow.
By page type
Internal linking strategy differs by where you're applying it:
🏠 Fix homepage internal linking PLANNED
Your highest-authority page should link out strategically. The pattern: top revenue pages above the fold, hub pages in main nav, recent content in body, comprehensive footer for crawl coverage.
📰 Fix blog post internal linking PLANNED
Every post should link to 3-5 other relevant pages: 1-2 to commercial pages, 2-3 to other content. The contextual-link rule: links should appear in the body where they're earned, not stuffed into a "Related" widget.
🛒 Fix product page internal linking PLANNED
Cross-sells, related products, category breadcrumbs, "customers also viewed". The balance between conversion focus (fewer distractions) and SEO depth (more contextual links).
What our Internal Link Analysis evaluates
The analysis maps every internal link across your crawled URLs, measures click-depth from the homepage, scores anchor-text descriptiveness, calculates per-page incoming and outgoing link counts, and identifies orphans, broken internal links and over-linked pages. For the complete reference, see the Internal Links Guide or sample report.
🔗 Map your link graph first
Run the analysis. Most sites have one or two architectural issues that, once fixed, lift rankings on 50+ pages.
Run Internal Link Analysis →