SEO-AEO Internal Linking

Overview

Analyses a set of pages and produces a prioritised list of internal link opportunities with exact anchor text, a context sentence showing where each link should appear, orphan page detection, anchor text cannibalization warnings, and a link equity map showing how authority flows across the content.

Part of the SEO-AEO Engine.

When to Use This Skill

Use when building internal links between a new pillar page and its cluster articles
Use when auditing an existing site for orphan pages
Use after content-cluster generates a topic map
Use when you need anchor text suggestions with placement context

How It Works

Step 1: Detect Orphan Pages

Flag any page with zero incoming internal links. These are invisible to search engines and must be linked immediately.

Step 2: Build Semantic Overlap Matrix

Match pages by primary keyword similarity and content summary to identify natural linking opportunities.

Step 3: Assign Link Types

Every suggestion gets one of four labels:

Cluster → Pillar — highest priority, consolidates authority upward
Pillar → Cluster — distributes authority downward
Cluster → Cluster — builds semantic depth
Contextual Boost — concentrates equity on a focus page

Step 4: Write Context Sentences

For every link opportunity, write the sentence the anchor text should appear in — naturally placed, not forced.

Step 5: Check Anchor Text

Flag any exact-match anchor used more than once for the same target page as a cannibalization risk. Never use generic anchors like "click here".

Examples

Example: Link Opportunity Output

🔴 High Priority — Link 1 Type: Cluster → Pillar Source: "How to Build a Budget That Actually Works" Target: "The Complete Guide to Automated Budgeting" Anchor: "automated budgeting guide" Context: "For a full breakdown of every method available, see our [automated budgeting guide]." Impact: Consolidates topical authority on pillar page. Orphan Alert: "PennyWise Pricing Page" has no incoming links. Fix: Add link from comparison table in Article 2.

Best Practices

✅ Do: Every cluster article must have at least one Cluster → Pillar link
✅ Do: Write a context sentence for every suggestion — anchor text needs natural placement
✅ Do: Fix orphan pages before adding any new links
❌ Don't: Use the same exact-match anchor for the same target page more than once
❌ Don't: Use "click here", "read more", or "learn more" as anchor text — ever
❌ Don't: Add more than 100 outgoing internal links on any single page

Common Pitfalls

Problem: All cluster articles link to the pillar but not to each other Solution: Add Cluster → Cluster links between semantically related articles to build depth.
Problem: Same anchor text used across multiple pages for the same target Solution: Use partial match and branded anchors for subsequent links after the first exact-match use.

Related Skills

@seo-aeo-content-cluster — generates the cluster map this skill links together
@seo-aeo-schema-generator — uses link map output for BreadcrumbList schema

Additional Resources

Limitations

Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.

seo-aeo-internal-linking