Internal Linking in the Online Store

Link guides, categories, and products

A user reading a guide isn’t always ready to make a purchase. The link should answer their next question: what type of product to choose, how the different variants differ, or where to check available models. Place it where there’s a legitimate need to move forward.

Three Useful Links

• From the guide to the category: when the reader has learned the selection criteria and wants to see what's available.
• From the category to the guide: when a choice requires an explanation of specifications or applications.
• From a product to a complementary offering: when the add-on is actually compatible and available.

Check the menu, breadcrumbs, and related product modules separately. Automatic recommendations should be based on a meaningful relationship, not solely on the date a product was added. Don’t add a block of links just to increase their number. If you’re undertaking a more extensive redesign, treat these links as part of your SEO strategy.

Write anchor text that clearly describes the purpose

An anchor is the visible text of a link. When a customer reads it, they should understand what they’ll see after clicking. “Summer hiking boots” says more than “check here” if that’s exactly what the landing page offers. However, don’t promise a product in the anchor text that isn’t available at the specified URL.

Avoid mechanically repeating phrases

Different descriptions of the same page will be appropriate in different contexts. The editor should choose them based on the context of the sentence and the reader’s needs. There is no reason to include the exact same elaborate phrase in every article. Nor is there a universal number of links that must be included in every text.

Google recommends clear, descriptive links and standard HTML links with the href attribute. For more details, see the documentation on links. Also, make sure the link leads directly to the destination URL instead of going through unnecessary redirects.

Check for orphaned pages and broken links

An orphaned page has no internal links leading to it that were detected in the analyzed dataset. The tool’s report alone is not sufficient for a definitive diagnosis: compare the site scan with the list of pages in the CMS, the sitemap, and data on entry pages. The scan may not detect elements that require rendering or a login.

Pre-Implementation Checklist

• Is the important category accessible via the navigation menu?
• Do the links in the guides lead to working and relevant pages?
• Are the address variants consistent with the accepted canonical version?
• After the product lineup was updated, are there any recommendations for products that are no longer available?

Don't redirect every missing product to the home page. First, assess whether there is an equivalent product that meets the same need. If not, the decision to keep the product page or remove it should be based on the product lineup and usability, not on the desire to clear all errors from the report.

Evaluate the impact at the category and sales levels

Record the list of modified pages and the implementation date. Compare similar periods, taking into account the season, product availability, promotions, and concurrent changes to the website. In Search Console, monitor clicks and search queries for the specified categories. In analytics, track traffic from how-to guides and buyers’ subsequent actions, provided that tracking is set up correctly.

Distinguish between observation and evidence

An increase in sales following implementation does not, in and of itself, prove that it was caused by the new links. The price, an advertising campaign, or demand may have changed. If the scale of your website allows it, implement changes in stages and compare similar category groups. A small number of orders requires particular caution in interpretation.

To start, select a few important categories and related guides. Organize the links, test them on your phone, and schedule a review of the results. If you need help setting priorities, start by analyzing your store’s SEO and its key subpages.