Context
Use this skill when content exists but organic performance is stagnating. Internal linking is one of the highest-leverage, lowest-effort SEO actions: it requires no new content, just strategic connections between existing pages. Run this after a content cluster plan or when GSC data shows pages with impressions but low rankings.
Procedure
- Inventory all content URLs with their primary keyword and topic assignment.
- Identify orphan pages: pages with zero or very few internal links pointing to them.
- Map priority pages that need authority: high-value pages ranking position 5-20.
- For each priority page, find 3-5 existing pages that are topically relevant and could link to it.
- Define anchor text for each link: keyword-relevant but varied (avoid repeating exact-match anchors).
- Specify placement: which paragraph or section in the source page should contain the link.
- Validate that no page has excessive outbound internal links diluting its authority.
Output Format
# Internal Linking Plan: [Domain]
## Orphan Pages (No/Few Inbound Links)
| URL | Primary Keyword | Inbound Links | Recommended Action |
|-----|----------------|--------------|-------------------|
| | | 0-1 | Connect from [source pages] |
## Priority Page Link Plan
### [Priority Page URL]
- Primary keyword: [keyword]
- Current position: [X]
- Current inbound internal links: [X]
- Target inbound links: [X]
| Source Page | Anchor Text | Placement (Section/Paragraph) | Context |
|-----------|------------|------------------------------|---------|
| [URL] | [text] | [H2 section or paragraph #] | [why this link makes sense] |
## Link Density Check
| URL | Word Count | Current Internal Links | Recommended Max | Action |
|-----|-----------|----------------------|----------------|--------|
| | | | | Add/Remove/OK |
## Authority Flow Summary
- Pages receiving most link equity: [list]
- Pages distributing most link equity: [list]
- Recommended adjustments: [specific changes]
QA Rubric (scored)
- Orphan coverage (0-5): all orphan pages identified and connected.
- Anchor text variety (0-5): no repeated exact-match anchors, contextually natural.
- Placement specificity (0-5): exact section or paragraph specified for each link insertion.
- Authority flow logic (0-5): link plan supports priority page rankings without over-optimization.
Examples (good/bad)
- Good: "Add link from '/blog/geo-vs-seo' paragraph 3 to '/services/geo-audit' with anchor 'GEO audit process'. This connects the educational piece to the service page with commercial intent."
- Bad: "Add more links to the homepage." (no specific source, anchor, or placement)
Variants
- Quick audit variant: orphan page identification + top 5 priority page link plan only.
- Full restructure variant: complete site-wide link audit with authority flow analysis and link density optimization.