Fix Linking

# Fix Linking

Design and audit internal link structures using hub-and-spoke topology,
PageRank flow logic, and anchor text budgets.

## Why Internal Links Matter

Internal links do two things: (1) pass PageRank between pages, and (2) signal
topical relevance via anchor text. A page with zero incoming internal links is
an orphan — invisible to authority flow regardless of content quality.

## Architecture Model Selection

Before auditing links, choose the right architecture model for the site:

| Model | Best For | Site Size | Key Characteristic |
|-------|---------|---------|-------------------|
| Hub-and-Spoke (Topic Cluster) | Content marketing, SaaS, publishers | 50-500 pages | Bidirectional links between pillar and cluster articles |
| Silo Structure | E-commerce, directories, large enterprises | 100+ categories | Vertical-only links within topic silos |
| Flat Architecture | Small sites, portfolios, startups | <100 pages | All pages within 2-3 clicks, cross-linked freely |
| Pyramid | News sites, large blogs, corporate | 500+ pages | Top-down hierarchy, authority concentrates at top |
| Mesh/Matrix | Knowledge bases, wikis, help centers | Any | Free-form linking between any related pages |

### Key Metrics by Architecture

| Metric | Hub-and-Spoke | Silo | Flat | Pyramid | Mesh |
|--------|--------------|------|------|---------|------|
| Target click depth | ≤3 | ≤4 | ≤2 | ≤4 | ≤3 |
| Internal links per page | 5-10 | 3-7 | 8-15 | 3-5 | 8-15 |
| Cross-section links | Many | Few | N/A | Some | Many |
| Authority distribution | Distributed to hubs | Top of silo | Even | Top-heavy | Even |

### Expected ROI from Architecture Changes

| Change | Typical Impact | Timeline |
|--------|--------------|---------|
| Fix orphan pages | +15-30% traffic to those pages | 2-4 weeks |
| Build first topic cluster | +10-25% traffic to cluster pages | 4-8 weeks |
| Reduce click depth by 1 level | +5-15% crawl efficiency | 2-6 weeks |
| Anchor text optimization | +5-10% ranking improvement | 4-12 weeks |
| Full architecture migration | +20-50% overall organic traffic | 3-6 months |

**Recommended for most sites:** Hub-and-Spoke as the primary model, with silo-style isolation between unrelated topic areas.

## Phase 1: Map the Current Structure

Before designing links, understand what exists:

1. **Hub pages.** Pages that aggregate links and distribute authority — homepage, category pages, pillar articles. List them.
2. **Orphan pages.** No incoming internal links from crawlable pages. They receive zero PageRank from the internal graph.
3. **Link depth.** How many clicks from the homepage does each important page require? Depth 4+ pages are effectively buried.
4. **Anchor text.** Repeated identical anchors are fine. Generic anchors ("click here", "read more") waste relevance signal.

Ask the user for their page list or sitemap, or work with what they describe.

## Phase 2: Hub-and-Spoke Design

### Hub Pages (pillar/category)
- Linked from homepage or main navigation
- Link out to all supporting pages in their cluster
- Serve as authority redistribution nodes

### Spoke Pages (supporting/cluster articles)
- Receive at least 2-3 internal links from hub and sibling spokes
- Always link back to their hub page
- Link to 2-4 sibling spokes where contextually relevant
- Never link to competing pages (same keyword intent)

### Cross-Cluster Links
- Only when there is genuine topical relevance
- Use to signal E-E-A-T connections (e.g., case study → methodology page)
- Limit to 1-2 per page to avoid diluting cluster coherence

## Phase 3: Anchor Text Budget

For **internal links**, each p