Internal Linking: Checked Automatically, Never Changed Unasked
Internal links are the only ranking instrument fully under your control – no external link needed, no link-building budget. The module checks your linking continuously against a page model instead of by gut feeling. Nothing changes until you approve.
Internal linking: the only ranking instrument in your own hands
Every link from one page of your website to another is an internal link. Together these links form the scaffolding that carries three things: visitors find the next sensible step, relevance flows to the pages meant to earn money, and Google understands how your website is structured. Google itself names links in its own crawling documentation as one of the main ways new pages get discovered at all – without the internal link, even a strong page can remain undiscovered.
That’s why the module doesn’t work with samples but with a complete page model. From your keyword research, a live crawl with Screaming Frog, your CMS and Google Search Console, a picture of every single page emerges: its role (pillar, cluster page, money page), its topic, its click depth, how many internal links point to it. Only against this model are links proposed – contextual, within body copy, with descriptive anchor texts instead of generic “click here”.
Six symptoms of a broken link structure
These symptoms show up in almost every crawl. Each one costs visibility – inconspicuous on its own, expensive in total.
Orphaned pages
The page exists and is indexable – but no other page links to it from its content. An appendage for Google, invisible to visitors.
Click paths too deep
Important pages only reachable after four or five clicks from the homepage get crawled less often and weighted less – a recognised crawl-budget issue for larger websites according to Google’s own crawl-budget guide.
Links into the void
Internal links to 404 pages, redirects or noindex pages. Each one wastes relevance or leads visitors into a dead end.
One anchor text, two targets
The same link text points to two different pages. Google can’t decide which one is meant – a classic cannibalisation signal.
Missing back-links to the pillar
Subpages don’t link back to their overview page. The topical connection stays invisible to the search engine.
Over-optimised anchor texts
The exact same keyword anchor everywhere looks manipulative. “Click here” is the other extreme – it tells nobody anything.
“I manage around 15 client projects in parallel, and there are two findings I see in almost every crawl: orphaned pages nobody has thought about for years, and two pages fighting each other for the ranking with the same anchor text. Neither ever gets noticed internally – until someone counts systematically.”
— Viktor Pásztor, SEO freelancerThe process in six steps – always ending with your approval
Build the page model
Keyword research, live crawl, CMS and Search Console are merged. Every page is assigned a role, topic and click depth.
Take inventory
What’s already well linked stays untouched. Evaluation happens against the model, not by taste.
Collect findings
Orphaned pages, paths too deep, links to 404, redirect or noindex, duplicate anchor texts, missing back-links to the pillar – sorted by impact.
Create link proposals
Every proposal includes source page, target page, anchor text, position in the text and a rationale. Anchor texts are descriptive and tell the reader what to expect.
Manage planned links
If a link points to a page that doesn’t exist yet, it’s recorded as planned instead of being set into the void. As soon as the target is live, it comes up for review.
Approval
You see every proposal with its rationale and decide. Nothing on the website changes without your yes – that’s the core principle of MCP SEO, not just of this module.
DIY / pro / agency / automated
| Criterion | Do it yourself | SEO pro (manual) | Agency | How I do it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data basis | Gut feeling and CMS search | Crawl when commissioned | Crawl when the audit is due | Keyword research, live crawl, CMS and GSC in one page model |
| Orphaned pages and dead link targets | Rarely get noticed | Found in the audit | Found in the audit cycle | Detected and reported continuously |
| Anchor texts | “Click here” creeps in | Clean, a matter of experience | Depends on who handles it | Descriptive, checked for duplication and over-optimisation |
| Frequency | Whenever there’s time | Occasional, per assignment | On the contract’s cycle | With every new text and continuously across existing pages |
| Control | Full control, full workload | Coordination per assignment | Reporting, often after the fact | Every link waits for your approval |
| Costs | Your time | Hourly rate, €100 with me | Usually part of a monthly retainer | €99–399 per month, depending on module scope, plus credit usage as consumed |
Four rules that are permanently enforced
How much ranking better internal linking brings you depends on your website – I won’t invent percentages. What the module delivers are rules:
≤ 3 clicks
from the homepage to every important page
≥ 2 links
contextual to every indexable page – navigation and footer don’t count
3–8 links
per 1,000 words as a guideline, each one justified
0
unrequested changes – every proposal waits for your approval
The rest is qualitative but tangible: visitors end up in dead ends less often, new pages start with incoming links instead of orphaned, and Google sees a structure that matches your keyword strategy.
Questions about internal linking
What does the Internal Linking module cost?
The module is part of MCP SEO. The system costs €99 to €399 per month plus credits based on usage. If you’d rather have the linking reworked manually, I bill by the hour: €100.
Does the system change links without me noticing?
No. Every link proposal is presented to you for approval with anchor text, position and rationale. Nothing happens on the website without your yes – no exceptions.
What happens with links to pages that don’t exist yet?
They’re recorded as planned: target topic, intended URL, anchor text, position in the text. As soon as the target page is live, the link comes up for approval. If the target never materialises, the entry gets removed instead of pointing into the void.
Does this guarantee me better rankings?
No – and be sceptical of anyone who promises that. Internal linking is one lever among several. What I do promise is a cleanly checked structure without orphaned pages, dead link targets and duplicate anchor texts.
Does this work with my CMS?
The module works with WordPress, Shopify, Shopware and TYPO3. Approved links are set directly in the respective system.
Back to the pillar
Internal linking is a module of MCP SEO, my system for automated SEO routine work. Three neighbouring modules interlock directly: if an internal link points to a redirect or a deleted page, the Redirects module takes over the clean-up. The on-page module keeps titles, descriptions and headings in order. And automatically created SEO texts come with a finished link plan from the start.
Prefer everything done manually from a single source? The on-page optimisation as a manual service covers linking too. What each route costs is listed on the SEO costs.
Request the module for your project
Send me your domain. I’ll look at the crawl and tell you where your linking is leaving visibility on the table. Reply within 24 hours on weekdays – your content and access remain yours throughout.
→ Book your free consultation