Overview
Design internal links as deliberate structure that routes authority to money pages and makes topics legible to engines.
Business problem
Links are added ad hoc, so authority pools on the wrong pages and clusters are illegible to search and AI.
Decision supported
Where to add, remove or re-point internal links.
Inputs & outputs
Inputs
- Full URL inventory
- Topic map
- Current link graph
- Money-page list
Outputs
- Target link graph
- Orphan list
- Re-point plan
Step-by-step process
-
1
Inventory
List every page and its topic and role.
-
2
Cluster
Group into hub-and-spoke topic clusters.
-
3
Route
Direct authority from strong pages to money pages.
-
4
Repair
Fix orphans, broken links and dead-end pages.
Maturity model
-
L1
Organic
Links wherever they happened.
-
L2
Clustered
Hubs and spokes exist.
-
L3
Routed
Authority flows to money pages by design.
-
L4
Maintained
New pages join the graph automatically.
KPIs
- Orphan count
- Clicks to money page
- Cluster completeness
Common mistakes
- Sitewide footer links as a strategy
- Orphaned new pages
- Over-linking with identical anchors
SearchScore insight
Recommended next steps
Where this fits - and what's next
The SearchScore path from a problem you feel to visibility you can measure.