Whether you’re crafting an internal linking strategy, conducting a website or internal link audit, or simply seeking to add internal links to a freshly published post, understanding how to assess a website’s internal link structure is an essential part of any on-page SEO content strategy.
Fortunately, there are various methods to accomplish this task, ranging from those demanding significant manual effort to those swiftly uncovering internal links to a page within minutes.
What are Internal Links?
Internal links are hyperlinks that connect one page of a website to another page within the same domain. These links provide navigation, guide users to relevant content, and establish a hierarchy and relationship between different pages on your site.
What is an Internal Link Audit
An internal link audit involves analyzing the internal linking structure of a website to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. It’s a systematic evaluation that helps optimize internal linking for better user experience and on-page SEO.
Benefits of Internal Link Audits
Internal link audits offer several benefits:
- Improve conversions: Strategic internal linking can guide visitors through the conversion funnel, directing them to relevant product pages, service offerings, or conversion points.
- Assist search engine crawling: Internal links provide pathways for search engine bots to discover and index content efficiently, ultimately improving the visibility of your website in search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Improve user experience: Well-placed internal links help users navigate your website seamlessly, reducing bounce rates and increasing engagement by directing them to valuable content.
- Improve rankings: A well-structured internal linking strategy can distribute link equity (ranking power) across your website, boosting the authority and visibility of key pages in search results.
How to Find Internal Links to a Page: 3 Ways
Discovering internal links to a page helps you optimize your website structure and enhance user experience. Here are three effective methods to find them:
Perform a Manual Checkup
An alternative method for assessing internal links within a page involves a manual inspection, albeit the slowest approach, suitable primarily for managing a small number of posts.
The process entails individually opening each page or post on your website or blog and scanning its contents. As you encounter links, hover over them to determine their destinations.
While manually inspecting, especially if your posts revolve around a unified topic, you may identify numerous internal linking opportunities. This method also demands considerable time and extensive clicking, rendering it the least efficient tactic.
A manual checkup becomes advantageous when confronted with conflicting data from various tools. For example, discrepancies may arise where a link is flagged as a broken link by automated tools, only to find it functional upon manual verification.
Use Google Search Console
Access your Google Search Console and navigate to the Links section located at the bottom of the left-hand menu. Here, you’ll find a compilation of both external and internal links present on your website.
Select “More” within the internal links report, and a comprehensive list of your pages along with the corresponding count of internal links per page will be displayed.
You can also click on individual pages to ascertain which pages are linked to them.
However, a limitation of this method lies in the inability to determine the precise location of the link on the page or the anchor text employed. The approach primarily involves sifting through the list to identify whether a specific page already links to the one you intend to enhance with additional internal links.
Use a Tool to Find Internal Links
Utilize specialized tools like Link Whisper or Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to conduct a comprehensive analysis of internal links across your website. These tools provide insights into the total number
of internal links, their anchor text, and the pages they connect to.
Here is an example of how to use the Link Whisper plugin, which is compatible with both WordPress and Shopify platforms. Simply integrate it into your website and activate your license key to get started.
Once configured, navigate to the Link Whisper section within your website’s dashboard and access the Reports feature. Here, you’ll receive a detailed breakdown of your website’s links, including the total count and, notably, the number of internal links.
The Internal Links Report provides a breakdown of inbound and outbound internal links for each page. Utilize the dropdown menu to identify these pages and view the associated anchor text.
This allows you to manage links by deleting unnecessary ones and identifying pages in need of additional internal links, as well as those not currently connected to other pages.
Link Whisper can also suggest posts for link inclusion. Simply click the “Add” button to view a list of recommended posts.
This tool also identifies orphaned pages for easy removal with just a few clicks.
Conclusion
Optimizing internal linking is a fundamental aspect of SEO and website usability. By implementing the strategies outlined in this article, you can effectively find internal links to a page, improving user experience, search engine visibility, and ultimately, the success of your website.
FAQs
How do internal links impact SEO?
Internal links play a significant role in SEO by distributing link equity, helping search engines discover and index content, and establishing a website’s hierarchy and structure.
Can too many internal links be harmful?
While internal linking is beneficial, excessive internal links can dilute the effectiveness of your website’s link equity and overwhelm users. Focus on quality over quantity when implementing internal links.
What is the difference between internal links and external links?
Internal links connect pages within the same website domain, while external links point to pages on other websites. Both types of links are essential for SEO but serve different purposes in directing traffic and establishing authority.
