Link Management

Loose links are draining your authority and frustrating visitors. Broken connections waste crawl budget whilst poor internal linking leaves ranking power scattered across disconnected pages.

The Link Management tool connects your content strategically, patches weak spots, and creates clear pathways that drive traffic and rankings.

What poor link management costs you

Neglected links hurt both users and search performance:

• Lost authority flow from poor internal linking structure
• Frustrated visitors who can't find related content easily
• Ranking penalties from broken links and poor user experience
• Wasted opportunities to guide visitors through your content journey

Fix every link, lift every page

Create intelligent link structures that boost authority and engagement:

• Strategic internal linking that spreads ranking power effectively
• Quality external connections showing expertise and earning trust
• Automatic broken link detection protecting reputation and crawl budget
• AI-powered link suggestions revealing opportunities you'd miss manually

Four link types that rule your SEO

Internal Inbound: Links from your other pages pointing to this content

• Build topical authority and user pathways
• Distribute ranking power strategically

Internal Outbound: Links from this page to your other content

• Keep visitors engaged longer
• Create logical content journeys

External Inbound: Links from other websites to your pages

• Build domain authority and referral traffic
• Signal content quality to search engines

External Outbound: Links from your pages to external resources

• Demonstrate expertise and thoroughness
• Build trust through quality source connections

How to manage your links strategically

Getting started with link management

Accessing the tool:

1. Navigate to Link Management from the main menu
2. Content organised by clusters, topics, and subtopics
3. Integrated with Topical Cluster tool for automatic population
4. Use filters to focus on specific content areas

Understanding the interface

Key sections explained:

• Filters: Project, cluster, status, and search options at top
• Content Cards: Each representing topic or subtopic with link data
• Link Sections: Separate areas for internal and external links
• Opportunities Section: AI-suggested link improvements

Using the filter system

Focus your link management:

• Project: Select specific project to work with
• Cluster: Filter by content cluster themes
• Status: View published content, drafts, or both
• Search: Find content by name or URL quickly

Working with content cards

Each card contains:

• Title and URL: Content name and web address
• Type Badge: Shows topic or subtopic classification
• Action Buttons: Generate Links and Add Link options
• Link Categories: Separate sections for link types
• AI Opportunities: Suggested link improvements

Generating links automatically

Scan existing content:

1. Click Generate Links button on any content card
2. System scans page content identifying all existing links
3. Links automatically categorised by type (internal/external, inbound/outbound)
4. Provides complete overview of current link structure

Adding new links manually

Create strategic connections:

1. Click Add Link button on target content card
2. Complete the form with:
   • Target URL: Destination web address
   • Link Type: Internal/external and inbound/outbound classification
   • Anchor Text: Clickable text appearing on page
   • Follow Type: Technical search engine instruction setting
3. Click Save Link to create connection

Adding a New Link Manually

Managing existing links

Edit links:

1. Find link in appropriate section
2. Click three-dot menu (⋮) next to link
3. Select Edit from dropdown
4. Make changes and click Update Link

Delete links:

1. Locate link in relevant section
2. Click three-dot menu (⋮)
3. Select Delete and confirm removal

Discovering link opportunities

AI-powered suggestions:

1. Click Find Opportunities in Opportunities section
2. System analyses content for relevant connection possibilities
3. Review suggestions showing:
   • Target content for linking
   • Relevance score indicating match quality
   • Explanation of link value

Adding suggested anchor text

Implement AI recommendations:

1. Click Find Anchors next to opportunity
2. Review suggested natural placement points
3. See anchor text and surrounding context
4. Click "+" to use suggestion (pre-fills Add Link form)

Four ways to build link authority

1. Create strategic internal pathways

Build content connections that guide users and search engines:

• Hub page development linking main topics to related subtopics
• Related content connections between complementary pages
• User journey mapping creating logical progression paths
• Authority distribution spreading ranking power effectively

2. Enhance credibility with quality externals

Show expertise through trusted source connections:

• Reputable source linking to authoritative websites
• Complementary content that adds value for readers
• Trust signal building through quality external connections
• Expertise demonstration via comprehensive resource referencing

3. Protect rankings with proactive monitoring

Maintain link health automatically:

• Weekly broken link scanning catching problems early
• Automatic health reporting across entire site
• Quick fix identification for immediate problem resolution
• Crawl budget protection through proactive maintenance

4. Optimise with AI-powered insights

Discover opportunities you'd miss manually:

• Content relationship analysis revealing natural connection points
• Anchor text optimisation for better search performance
• Topic clustering connections linking related themes effectively
• Strategic gap identification showing missing link opportunities

Strategic link building approach

Internal linking best practices

Create effective content pathways:

• Descriptive anchor text clearly indicating destination content
• Balanced link distribution avoiding page overload
• Regular link auditing maintaining connection quality
• Context-relevant connections ensuring logical content flow

Strategic linking guidelines:

• 5-10 internal links per 1,000 words optimal
• Topic-related connections supporting content themes
• User intent alignment matching visitor information needs
• Authority page priority linking to most important content

External linking strategy

Build trust and authority:

• Quality source verification ensuring reputable destinations
• Content relevance maintenance supporting page topics
• Regular link validation confirming ongoing quality
• Strategic follow attribution using appropriate link types

Link attribute management

Understanding follow types:

• Follow: Standard links passing SEO value (default)
• NoFollow: Links not counting for ranking purposes
• Sponsored: Paid links or advertisement connections
• UGC: User-generated content link designation

Maintaining link health

Broken link management

Automatic monitoring system:

• Weekly scanning identifying broken connections
• Clear problem identification with "Broken" badges
• Quick resolution process through edit interface
• Alternative destination suggestions where appropriate

Fixing broken links:

1. Identify links with "Broken" status badges
2. Click three-dot menu and select Edit
3. Update URL to working destination or remove entirely
4. Monitor for resolution in next scanning cycle

Regular maintenance schedule

Recommended review frequency:

• Weekly monitoring through automatic broken link reports
• Monthly strategic review of high-value page connections
• Quarterly comprehensive audit of entire link structure
• Annual strategy assessment aligning with content goals

Performance monitoring

Track link effectiveness:

• Click-through rates on internal link pathways
• User engagement metrics showing content journey completion
• Search ranking improvements from better internal linking
• Conversion rate impacts from strategic user guidance

Advanced link strategies

Content hub development

Build topical authority clusters:

• Pillar page creation with comprehensive topic coverage
• Spoke content development diving deeper into subtopics
• Strategic interlinking connecting related content pieces
• Authority concentration focusing link power on key pages

User journey optimisation

Guide visitors strategically:

• Awareness stage linking to educational content
• Consideration stage pathways to comparison and evaluation content
• Decision stage connections to conversion-focused pages
• Retention stage links to ongoing value content

Competitive link analysis

Learn from successful competitors:

• Internal structure analysis understanding their link strategies
• External connection review identifying quality source opportunities
• Anchor text pattern research for natural optimisation
• Gap identification finding link opportunities they're missing

Common questions answered

How often should I review my link structure?

Weekly automatic monitoring plus quarterly strategic reviews maintain optimal link health and performance.

How many internal links should each page have?

Generally 5-10 relevant internal links per 1,000 words, prioritising quality and relevance over quantity.

Should I link to competitor content?

Consider context—linking to competitors can show thoroughness, but neutral authoritative sources often provide better strategic value.

What makes effective anchor text?

Descriptive, relevant phrases (2-5 words) that clearly indicate destination content whilst incorporating keywords naturally.

How do I handle external links that become irrelevant?

Replace with more current, relevant sources or remove entirely if no suitable alternative exists.

Can too many internal links hurt SEO?

Yes, excessive linking can dilute authority and confuse users. Focus on relevant, strategic connections.

What's the difference between follow and nofollow links?

Follow links pass SEO value and authority; nofollow links don't count for search ranking purposes but can still drive traffic.

How do I know if my link strategy is working?

Monitor user engagement metrics, search rankings, and conversion rates to assess link strategy effectiveness.