Check your internal linking structure

SiteCurl counts the internal links on each page in your scan. Internal links are links that point to other pages on the same domain. Pages with very few are flagged since they limit both user nav and search engine crawling.

The check looks at anchor tags with href values pointing to the same domain. It skips external links, anchor links within the same page, and links to files like PDFs or shots.

SiteCurl shows the internal link count per page so you can spot pages that are poorly tied to the rest of your site.

Internal links serve two groups. For users, they give paths between related content. A blog post that links to related posts keeps readers engaged. A product page that links to similar products raises time on site. Without internal links, users can only use your main nav to move around, which limits how they find deeper content.

For Google, internal links define your site's shape. Google follows internal links to find pages and to learn ties between them. A page with many internal links pointing to it is treated as more key than one with few. This is often called 'internal PageRank' and it directly affects which pages rank higher.

Pages with no internal links pointing to them are called 'orphan pages.' Google crawlers cannot find them through normal crawling. They may be indexed only through the sitemap, and even then they get minimal rank weight.

The spread of internal links matters. If your home page links to 5 category pages but those pages do not link to each other, you have a shallow site shape. Adding cross-links between related sections helps both users and crawlers move deeper.

Pages with few internal links are harder for Google to find and harder for users to reach. If a page can only be reached through three clicks from the home page, it gets less crawl focus and less link value.

Internal links spread rank power across your site. Your home page often has the most external links pointing to it. Internal links pass some of that value to deeper pages. Without them, that value stays stuck on the home page while other pages struggle.

For users, internal links are the main way to find content past the nav. A blog post that links to related content keeps readers on your site. A product page that links to extras or similar items raises the chance of a sale.

Content sites and blogs gain the most from strong internal linking. Each new post should link to older related posts, and older posts should be updated to link to newer ones. Without this, older content drifts apart and loses traffic over time.

Online stores with deep product lists need internal links between related products, between products and categories, and between blog content and products. Without these ties, long-tail product pages may never get crawled.

SaaS marketing sites often have landing pages that sit alone. These pages may rank for a keyword but do not link to the blog, help center, or other pages. Adding internal links raises the total value of the site shape.

Step 1: Add links within your content. When writing or editing a page, link to related pages on your site where the context fits. A blog post about SEO should link to your SEO checker page. A product page should link to related products.

Step 2: Add related content blocks. At the bottom of blog posts, add a 'Related posts' block with links to 3 to 5 relevant posts. On product pages, add 'You might also like' links. These keep users engaged and pass link value to deeper pages.

Step 3: Update older content. When you post new content, go back to older related pages and add links to the new page. Internal linking should work both ways, not just from new content to old.

Step 4: Check your nav. Make sure your main nav covers your most key pages. If a key page is not in the nav, it needs extra internal links from the body content of other pages.

Only linking from new content to old. If you write a new blog post and link to three older posts, those older posts still do not link to the new one. Go back and add reverse links so the tie works both ways.

Too many links on a single page. Adding 50 internal links to one page waters down the value of each link. Keep links relevant and natural. Five well-placed links are worth more than 50 random ones.

Using the same anchor text for each link. Anchor text tells Google what the target page is about. Varying your anchor text (instead of always using 'click here' or the same phrase) gives Google more context about the linked page.

After adding internal links, run a new SiteCurl scan. The internal link count per page should rise. Focus on pages that had the fewest links and check that they now tie to relevant content.

You can also check your site shape in Google Search Console under the Links report. The 'Internal links' part shows which pages have the most and fewest internal links.

Internal links are the glue of your site. They help users find related content and help Google learn which pages matter most. Each page should link to at least a few other relevant pages. Review internal links when you post or update content.