Internal link optimization template for SEO
Name the hub, the spoke, and the anchor — so the links earn the rank, not the guess.
- Google Search Console
- Ahrefs
- Notion
- Google Sheets
Optimize internal links for our onboarding topic.
- Pulled the links8 onboarding posts, 1 hub, 3 links to hub
- Named the hub/blog/onboarding-fix — the pillar
- Named the spoke8 subtopic posts, all linking to hub
- Named the anchor"onboarding fix" — the keyword
The optimization named the hub (/blog/onboarding-fix), the spoke (8 subtopic posts), and the anchor ("onboarding fix"). The links shipped — 8 new internal links — and the hub rose from page 3 to page 1 in 21 days. The template earned the rank because it named the hub, not counted the links.
An internal link optimization template is the optimization that earns the rank. It fixes the hub, the spoke, and the anchor — so the links read as a source, not a guess. An SEO who counts the links earns the guess; an internal link optimization template that names the hub and the spoke earns the rank and the traffic.
What is internal link optimization?
A reusable optimization shape for the links — the hub, the spoke, the anchor — that earns the rank and the traffic. The template fixes the shape so the links read as a source, not a guess.
Build the optimization
- Hub named — the one page the links build
- Spoke named — the one page the hub links
- Anchor named — the one text the link uses
Ship the links
- Name the hub, do not count the links
- One spoke per hub, not five
- Add the anchor, do not skip it
What hub does internal link optimization name?
The one page the links build — the guide, the hub, the pillar — that earns the rank. The hub is the part that earns the rank, because an SEO who counts the links earns the guess; an SEO who names the hub earns the rank.
What spoke does internal link optimization name?
The one page the hub links — the subtopic, the spoke, the page — that earns the rank. The spoke is the part that earns the rank, because a hub without the spoke earns the count and loses the rank; a hub with the spoke earns the traffic.
What anchor does internal link optimization name?
The one text the link uses — the keyword, the phrase, the anchor — that earns the rank. The anchor is the part that earns the rank, because a spoke without the anchor earns the link and loses the rank; a spoke with the anchor earns the traffic.
How the internal link optimization template fits your stack
The agent reads your links and the content, drafts the hub, the spoke, and the anchor, and ships the optimization. It pairs with the internal link copy pack and the internal linking opportunity scan templates.
- Google Search Console
- Ahrefs
- Notion
- Google Sheets
Who uses this internal link optimization template
- SEO leads
- Name the hub, do not count the links.
- Content leads
- One spoke per hub, not five.
- Founders
- Add the anchor, do not skip it.
How to run this internal link optimization template in Metaflow
Pull the links
The pages, the link map, the hubs.
Name the hub
Agent names the one page.
Name the spoke
The one page the hub links.
Name the anchor
The one text the link uses.
What you provide
- Link map
- Content inventory
- Hub pages
What you get back
- Internal link optimization
- Hub named
- Spoke named
- Anchor named
Why use this internal link optimization template?
Names the hub, does not count the links
One spoke per hub, not five
Adds the anchor, does not skip it
Pairs with the internal link copy pack and opportunity scan templates
Internal link optimization template FAQs
How do you optimize internal links?
Name the one hub, the one spoke, and the one anchor. The links read as a source, not a guess, which is why they earn the rank, not the count.
What is internal link optimization?
The optimization that earns the rank — the hub, the spoke, the anchor. An SEO who counts the links earns the guess; an SEO who names the hub and the spoke earns the rank and the traffic.
How do you structure internal links for SEO?
Name the one page the hub links — the subtopic, the spoke. A hub without the spoke earns the count and loses the rank; a hub with the spoke earns the traffic, because the spoke is what earns the rank.
What makes internal link optimization convert?
A hub that earns the rank, a spoke that earns the traffic, and an anchor that earns the click. The template that counts earns the guess; the template that names the hub earns the rank.
Similar SEO templates
Key takeaways
- Names the hub, does not count the links
- One spoke per hub, not five
- Adds the anchor, does not skip it