SEO-AEO Internal Linking
Overview
Analyses a set of pages and produces a prioritised list of internal link opportunities with exact anchor text, a context sentence showing where each link should appear, orphan page detection, anchor text cannibalization warnings, and a link equity map showing how authority flows across the content.
Part of the SEO-AEO Engine.
When to Use This Skill
- Use when building internal links between a new pillar page and its cluster articles
- Use when auditing an existing site for orphan pages
- Use after content-cluster generates a topic map
- Use when you need anchor text suggestions with placement context
How It Works
Step 1: Detect Orphan Pages
Flag any page with zero incoming internal links. These are invisible to search engines and must be linked immediately.
Step 2: Build Semantic Overlap Matrix
Match pages by primary keyword similarity and content summary to identify natural linking opportunities.
Step 3: Assign Link Types
Every suggestion gets one of four labels:
- Cluster → Pillar — highest priority, consolidates authority upward
- Pillar → Cluster — distributes authority downward
- Cluster → Cluster — builds semantic depth
- Contextual Boost — concentrates equity on a focus page
Step 4: Write Context Sentences
For every link opportunity, write the sentence the anchor text should appear in — naturally placed, not forced.
Step 5: Check Anchor Text
Flag any exact-match anchor used more than once for the same target page as a cannibalization risk. Never use generic anchors like "click here".
Examples
Example: Link Opportunity Output
🔴 High Priority — Link 1 Type: Cluster → Pillar Source: "How to Build a Budget That Actually Works" Target: "The Complete Guide to Automated Budgeting" Anchor: "automated budgeting guide" Context: "For a full breakdown of every method available, see our [automated budgeting guide]." Impact: Consolidates topical authority on pillar page. Orphan Alert: "PennyWise Pricing Page" has no incoming links. Fix: Add link from comparison table in Article 2.
Best Practices
- ✅ Do: Every cluster article must have at least one Cluster → Pillar link
- ✅ Do: Write a context sentence for every suggestion — anchor text needs natural placement
- ✅ Do: Fix orphan pages before adding any new links
- ❌ Don't: Use the same exact-match anchor for the same target page more than once
- ❌ Don't: Use "click here", "read more", or "learn more" as anchor text — ever
- ❌ Don't: Add more than 100 outgoing internal links on any single page
Common Pitfalls
- Problem: All cluster articles link to the pillar but not to each other Solution: Add Cluster → Cluster links between semantically related articles to build depth.
- Problem: Same anchor text used across multiple pages for the same target Solution: Use partial match and branded anchors for subsequent links after the first exact-match use.
Related Skills
@seo-aeo-content-cluster— generates the cluster map this skill links together@seo-aeo-schema-generator— uses link map output for BreadcrumbList schema
Additional Resources
Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.