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:

1. Site structure: Hub pages, pillar content, supporting pages
2. Orphan pages: Pages with no or few internal links
3. 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