How to Analyze Competitors’ Internal Linking Structure for Better SEO
To analyze competitors’ internal linking structure, use SEO tools to map their pages, identify linked anchor text patterns, discover top-linked pages, and spot content hierarchy strategies. This insight reveals how competitors distribute link equity and structure content for search engine performance.
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Key Takaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is internal linking important in SEO?
Use tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or Sitebulb to crawl their site and extract link data such as source, destination, anchor text, and frequency.
How do I find my competitors’ internal links?
Use tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or Sitebulb to crawl their site and extract link data such as source, destination, anchor text, and frequency.
What is a good internal linking strategy?
A strong strategy connects related content through contextual links, uses keyword-rich anchor text, and prioritizes linking to key pages like pillars and conversion drivers.
What are orphan pages and why do they matter?
Orphan pages are not linked to internally. Search engines may not find or index them, and they miss out on valuable link equity.
Can I copy my competitor’s internal linking structure?
While you shouldn’t copy outright, analyzing and learning from their successful strategies lets you build an improved version tailored to your content.
Step by Step Plan
Crawl Your Competitor’s Website
Use tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to create a visual map of internal links and uncover linking opportunities.
Identify Top-Linked Pages
Determine which pages receive the most internal links — likely their pillar content or highest converting articles.
Analyze Anchor Text Usage
Observe how often and where competitors use keyword-rich anchor text internally. This gives insight into on-page SEO targeting.
Analyze Anchor Text Usage
Look at URL structure and breadcrumbs to see how content clusters are organized. Top-performing sites use topic clusters to boost authority.
Spot Orphan Pages and Missed Opportunities
Highlight pages with few or no internal links. If your competition ignores these, it may be a chance to outrank them with better structure.
Comparison Table
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