In technical SEO, links are pathways that guide users and search engines through your site. Internal links help distribute authority and improve crawlability, while external links provide credibility signals and context.
For ecommerce operators and developers, the right linking strategy can directly impact revenue by making products easier to find, improving indexing, and reducing crawl waste.
Our guide breaks down the fundamentals of internal and external linking. You’ll also see a step-by-step framework that you can apply in your ecommerce store.
Internal vs. External Links
Before getting into advanced concepts like ecommerce faceted navigation, let’s break down the basics of internal and external links.
Internal Links
Internal links connect one page on your domain to another. For example, you can link product categories to product pages or blog posts to related guides. Internal links:
- Help search engines discover and prioritize content
- Pass authority from high-value pages (like your homepage) to product pages
- Improve the user experience by keeping customers engaged
Strategically placed internal links allow visitors to bounce around your site in an orchestrated way. The goal is to guide their journey and draw them to content or product offerings that they may find appealing.
External Links
External links connect your site to a different domain. Outbound links to trusted resources show credibility, while inbound external links (backlinks) act as a vote of confidence in your store. External links:
- Provide additional context for readers
- Signal authority and trustworthiness to search engines
- Can influence referral traffic if placed strategically
While you have control over what outbound links you place on your site, you have very little influence over which sites link back to your store. However, high-quality backlinks are a powerful ranking signal that can help increase your visibility.
Creating a reputable site and publishing authoritative content will encourage other domains to link back to you.
Step-by-Step Process for Internal Linking
When implementing or fine-tuning internal links, you should:
- Audit Existing Links: Use a crawler to map current internal links and check for orphan pages with no links pointing to them
- Prioritize High-Value Pages: Ecommerce faceted navigation is a frequent struggle, so you need to prioritize pages that add value to your rankings
- Use Contextual Anchors: Avoid generic “click here” text and use descriptive anchors instead
- Create a Logical Hierarchy: Keep crawl depth at three or fewer for product pages and ensure every SKU is accessible
- Balance Links Per Page: Too many links dilute authority, so aim for a clean distribution that prioritizes the best pages
Resist the urge to sprinkle every page with dozens of internal links. A few well-placed links will have a much stronger impact.
Step-by-Step Process for External Linking
When reviewing external links leading from your site to other URLs, you should:
- Vet Outbound Links: Check outbound links periodically to avoid broken URLs
- Earn Inbound Links: Publish buyer’s guides, comparison pages, or studies to obtain backlinks
- Monitor Link Quality: Use tools like SEMrush to track backlinks and disavow toxic links that may erode your domain authority
Be careful not to place external links too high on the page. You don’t want to drive users away from your site as soon as they have arrived. External links are best for supporting claims or backing up statistics.
Ecommerce-Specific Considerations
Ecommerce faceted navigation and parameters are technical SEO factors that can be impacted by links. Here’s a closer look at both of these elements and how you should approach them.
Ecommerce Faceted Navigation
Faceted navigation lets customers filter products by size, color, price, or other criteria. While great for the user experience, it can increase the number of URLs that Google has to crawl.
If left unchecked, ecommerce faceted navigation can cause crawl bloat. Internal links should avoid raw parameters. Make sure they point to canonical category pages, not URLs with faceted filters.
Ecommerce Parameters
Parameters are often necessary for sorting and tracking, but they should not be the targets of internal linking. Search engines may index these duplicates, creating dilution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Internal or External Links More Valuable?
Both types of links provide value in different ways. External links can support claims or route users to valuable statistics. Internal links make it easier for visitors to navigate your site and explore other pages.
Why Does Faceted Navigation Matter for Ecommerce SEO?
Faceted navigation lets shoppers filter by size, color, or price. While great for usability, it can create thousands of parameter-based URLs. If left unchecked, search engines may waste crawl budget indexing duplicates instead of your main product or category pages. Linking only to canonical URLs helps preserve SEO equity and ensures your most profitable pages are crawled and ranked.
How Many Internal Links Should a Page Have?
There’s no magic number, but links should be intentional. A cluttered page with 200 links dilutes authority and overwhelms users. Instead, focus on a logical hierarchy where product, category, and content pages reinforce each other. Make sure every SKU is no more than three clicks deep. That usually means 5-15 contextual links per page.
Build a Winning Linking Strategy With Net Profit Marketing
A well-executed plan reduces crawl waste and improves rankings. You can also use links to drive more revenue from organic traffic.
Net Profit Marketing specializes in ecommerce SEO and knows how to use links to your advantage. Schedule an audit with our team, and let’s boost your visibility.
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