Internal Linking Optimization

Internal links connect individual pages within your domain. They help structure your content in a logical way, improve user navigation, and signal to both search engines and AI systems which pages are most relevant.

• More visibility: Internal links allow you to pass authority from high-performing pages to key conversion and product pages, boosting their visibility in search engines and LLMs.
• Higher rankings: A logical pillar-cluster structure helps search engines better understand and index your content. Frequent internal linking to important pages also reinforces their relevance.
• Improved UX: Internal links help users find what they’re looking for faster. This reduces bounce rates and encourages them to stay on your site longer.
• Efficient use of your crawl budget: A well-structured internal linking strategy prevents broken links or orphan pages from unnecessarily consuming valuable crawl budget.

Step 1: Wir define the project scope

We openly discuss the project scope, priorities, and budget. This creates clarity and ensures we can work with a clear focus.

At this stage, we can also determine whether certain pages should be more visible or if existing rankings can be strengthened through smarter internal linking.

Step 2: We assess the current status

Before we start building internal links, we need to understand how your website is currently structured.

To get a clear picture of your site architecture and content focus, we use professional SEO tools to run an initial analysis.

We also take a close look at the technical setup. Using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs, we crawl your site and uncover areas for improvement:

• Orphan pages: We identify pages that aren’t linked from anywhere on your site, making them invisible to search engines.
• Power pages: Using Google Search Console and backlink data, we pinpoint your strongest pages to later use them as internal link sources.
• Error cleanup: We flag broken links (404 errors) and unnecessary redirects that frustrate users and negatively impact your site's SEO performance.
• Anchor text audit: We review your link texts to spot generic phrases like “click here” and highlight opportunities to add keyword-rich anchors.

Step 3: We develop your link strategy & site architecture

Based on the data, we create a pillar-cluster strategy tailored to your site.

• If your website has enough depth, we define key topic areas (pillar pages) and logically assign related subpages (clusters).
• We plan vertical linking (silos) to keep topic areas clearly separated while ensuring they reinforce one another.
• We also optimize structural elements like breadcrumbs, footer links, and modules (e.g. “related content”) so both users and AI bots can navigate your site more easily.

Step 4: We start optimizing

Now, we put the linking strategy into action.

• Technical foundation: We adjust menus and breadcrumbs to reflect the updated link structure.
• Contextual links: We manually place links within the content, exactly where they make the most sense thematically. High-authority “power pages” are used to support new or strategically important content.
• Anchor text: We refine anchor texts and make them more descriptive (e.g. “running shoes for beginners” instead of “read more”).

Alternatively, we provide a structured checklist so your team can handle the implementation in-house.

• You have a retainer (monthly online marketing budget): In that case, internal linking optimization is already a fixed part of our service. If you're using multiple ganztags. services, we set monthly priorities together to ensure the most important tasks are tackled as fast as possible.
• You had a fixed project budget: Once all agreed services have been delivered and the allocated hours are used up, you have the following options:
  1. The project is complete and no further action is required. Keep in mind, however, that a website is dynamic. Without a clear strategy, new blog posts or product pages can quickly throw off a well-structured internal linking setup.
  2. We agree on a new project budget. This allows us to continuously optimize internal linking and ensure that new content is immediately integrated into the silo structure (so its ranking potential can be leveraged from the start).
  3. You switch to a monthly retainer so you can benefit from additional services.