Internal linking strategies for ecommerce blogs that boost conversion rates

Struggling to turn your blog readers into customers? You’re not alone. While many BigCommerce store owners publish content regularly, few leverage the full potential of internal linking—the secret weapon that transforms casual browsers into buyers. In fact, strategic internal linking is often the missing bridge between your informational content and the pages that actually drive revenue. Let’s explore how you can dramatically improve both your SEO performance and conversion rates through smarter internal linking.

Why internal linking matters for ecommerce success

Internal linking does more than connect your pages—it creates pathways that guide users toward purchase decisions while signaling to search engines what content matters most on your site. For BigCommerce stores specifically, well-structured internal links can:

• Distribute authority from high-traffic blog posts to product and category pages
• Reduce bounce rates by providing logical next steps for readers
• Increase average session duration and pages per visit
• Improve crawlability, helping search engines index more of your store
• Bridge the gap between informational content and transactional pages

According to BigCommerce’s SEO guidelines, implementing a proper site architecture with strategic internal linking can significantly improve Google rankings and organic visibility. Think of internal links as the road signs of your website—they not only help users navigate but also tell search engines which destinations are most important.

Planning your site structure for effective internal linking

Before randomly adding links, develop a clear site structure plan:

1. Implement a silo structure

Organize your blog content into thematic clusters that align with your product categories. For example:

/blog/summer-fashion/ (Category hub)
  → /blog/summer-fashion/beach-outfits-2023/
  → /blog/summer-fashion/vacation-packing-tips/

This siloed approach helps search engines understand content relationships and creates natural internal linking opportunities. It’s like organizing your store into departments—each department has related items that naturally complement each other.

2. Identify pillar and supporting content

Create comprehensive “pillar” articles for main topics, then link to them from more specific supporting content. For a BigCommerce jewelry store, a pillar page might be “Complete Guide to Engagement Rings” with supporting articles about specific cuts, styles, and materials—all linking back to the main guide and relevant product pages.

BigCommerce’s SEO recommendations emphasize the importance of this hub-and-spoke content model for building topical authority in your niche.

3. Map content to the buyer’s journey

Strategically connect content based on where users are in their journey:

• Awareness stage: Link between informational blog posts
• Consideration stage: Link from comparison posts to category pages
• Decision stage: Link from product-specific content directly to product pages

This strategic mapping helps move readers naturally through your site, just as a good salesperson guides a customer through increasingly specific options until they’re ready to buy.

Best practices for conversion-focused internal linking

1. Use descriptive, keyword-rich anchor text

Instead of generic “click here” links, use specific phrases that include relevant keywords and clearly describe the destination:

❌ “Click here to see our collection.” ✅ “Browse our handcrafted summer dress collection.”

This approach improves both SEO and user experience by setting clear expectations. According to ecommerce SEO experts, descriptive anchor text helps search engines understand both the content being linked to and the relationship between pages.

2. Strategic link placement

Position your internal links where they’ll have the most impact:

• Early in content: Include 1-2 links in the first few paragraphs to reduce bounce rates
• Within instructional sections: Add links when explaining how to use products
• Near calls-to-action: Support CTAs with contextual links to related products
• In conclusion paragraphs: Offer logical next steps at the end of content

For example, if you’re writing about “Summer Skincare Tips,” place a link to your sunscreen category page when discussing sun protection—precisely when readers are thinking about solutions to their problem.

3. Prioritize high-converting pages

Not all internal links are created equal. Give special attention to:

• Top-selling product pages
• Category pages with high conversion rates
• Limited-time offer pages
• Pages with special promotions or discounts

Think of your highest-converting pages as your star salespeople—you want to direct as many qualified prospects their way as possible.

4. Optimize link density

While there’s no universal rule for “perfect” link count, follow these guidelines:

• Include 3-5 internal links per 1,000 words of content
• Avoid linking to the same destination multiple times in one post
• Ensure links appear natural within content, not forced
• Prioritize quality over quantity—each link should serve a purpose

Technical SEO specialists for BigCommerce recommend focusing on relevance over volume, as too many links can dilute the value passed to each destination and potentially confuse readers.

Auditing your existing internal link structure

Regular audits help identify opportunities and fix issues:

1. Identify and fix broken internal links

Use tools like Screaming Frog to scan your BigCommerce store for broken links. According to Intuit Solutions, broken links waste crawl budget and create poor user experiences. Think of broken links as dead ends on your customer journey—frustrating and counterproductive.

2. Find and eliminate orphaned pages

Orphaned pages (content with no internal links pointing to them) represent missed opportunities. Either link to these pages or consider consolidating/removing them.

GrooveCommerce notes that orphaned pages are particularly problematic in ecommerce, where they often contain valuable product information that never gets discovered.

3. Analyze click depth

Pages should ideally be reachable within 3-4 clicks from your homepage. If important pages require more clicks, add more direct internal links from authoritative pages.

To visualize this concept, imagine your website as a physical store—you wouldn’t hide your bestselling products in a back room behind several doors. Similarly, your most valuable pages should be easily accessible.

4. Check for redirect chains

Replace links that point to redirected URLs with direct links to the final destination to preserve link equity and improve site speed.

BigCommerce support documentation recommends using relative URLs for internal links to avoid issues with redirect chains and ensure links resolve correctly regardless of protocol changes.

Leveraging automation for scalable internal linking

As your BigCommerce store grows, managing internal links manually becomes challenging. This is where automation becomes valuable.

CrocoAI’s platform offers BigCommerce-specific features for automation, including:

• Conversion-focused internal linking that strategically inserts links within blog posts to product pages, category pages, and related articles
• Content hub building that creates structured content networks around high-value category pages
• Smart category mapping that ensures content and internal links align with your store’s category structure

Automation tools like these allow you to maintain a consistent internal linking strategy even as your content library expands—similar to how automated inventory systems help manage product relationships in large stores.

Measuring the impact of your internal linking strategy

To ensure your internal linking efforts are paying off, track these key metrics:

1. Internal page CTR: Which links are users actually clicking?
2. Conversion path analysis: How often do users convert after following internal links?
3. Crawl stats: Are search engines accessing more pages after implementation?
4. Page authority distribution: Is link equity flowing to important commercial pages?
5. Average session duration: Are users spending more time on your site?

By monitoring these metrics, you can refine your approach and double down on the linking patterns that drive actual conversions, not just traffic.

Final thoughts: Building an internal linking system that converts

Effective internal linking for BigCommerce blogs isn’t just about SEO—it’s about creating logical pathways that guide users from informational content to purchase decisions. By implementing the strategies outlined above, you’ll not only improve your search visibility but also transform your blog from a traffic generator into a conversion machine.

Remember that internal linking is an ongoing process. As you publish new content, maintain your linking discipline and regularly audit your structure to identify new opportunities. With consistency and strategic implementation, your BigCommerce store will benefit from improved crawlability, stronger topical authority, and most importantly—higher conversion rates.