Strategic internal linking techniques for BigCommerce product pages to boost SEO

Have you noticed your BigCommerce store’s product pages aren’t ranking as well as they should? The culprit might be your internal linking strategy—or lack thereof. While many store owners focus on external backlinks, the power of strategic internal linking is often overlooked despite being completely within your control.

Why internal linking matters for your BigCommerce store

Internal linking creates pathways for both users and search engines to navigate your site. For BigCommerce stores specifically, a well-structured internal linking strategy:

• Distributes link equity throughout your product catalog
• Improves crawlability of your entire store
• Helps establish topical relevance between related products
• Guides customers through logical purchase journeys

Let’s explore how to implement effective internal linking techniques specifically optimized for BigCommerce product pages.

Creating a logical silo structure for your BigCommerce catalog

The foundation of effective internal linking is a well-organized site architecture. For BigCommerce stores, this means creating clear category hierarchies:

1. Main category pages act as content hubs
2. Subcategory pages create logical groupings
3. Product pages connect back to relevant categories

This hierarchical approach, often called “siloing,” helps search engines understand the relationships between your products and creates natural internal linking opportunities.

According to research from PageGenie, organizing pages hierarchically clarifies site relationships for search engines and dramatically improves navigation for users. This structured approach makes it easier for both human visitors and search engine crawlers to find and understand your content.

Optimizing anchor text for product page links

The words you use in your links (anchor text) significantly impact how search engines understand the linked page. For BigCommerce product pages:

• Use descriptive, keyword-rich anchors instead of generic phrases like “click here” or “read more”
• Include product-specific terms that match user search intent
• Vary your anchor text to prevent over-optimization penalties

For example, rather than “View this product,” use “Shop our organic cotton t-shirts” to provide context and keywords.

As PageGenie’s research emphasizes, avoiding generic anchor text is crucial for both SEO and user experience. When a visitor sees a descriptive link like “Browse our waterproof hiking boots,” they immediately understand what they’ll find if they click, which improves engagement metrics and helps search engines better categorize your pages.

Breadcrumb navigation: A BigCommerce advantage

BigCommerce’s native breadcrumb navigation is a powerful internal linking tool that:

• Creates additional internal links throughout your store
• Helps search engines understand your site hierarchy
• Improves user experience by providing clear navigation paths

Ensure your BigCommerce theme displays breadcrumbs on all product pages, and customize them if needed to reflect your optimal site structure. The Groove Commerce blog highlights breadcrumbs as a key factor in improving both user experience and internal link equity distribution.

Think of breadcrumbs as a trail of breadcrumbs that help users (and search engines) understand exactly where they are in your store’s hierarchy. For example, Home > Women’s Clothing > Dresses > Summer Dresses > Floral Maxi Dress creates a clear path that reinforces category relationships and provides multiple navigation options.

Related products linking strategies

BigCommerce’s related products feature provides automatic internal linking, but you can optimize it by:

1. Manually curating related products for your high-value pages
2. Using custom rules to ensure relevance (not just cross-selling)
3. Implementing schema markup to enhance the semantic meaning of these relationships

This strategy creates contextually relevant internal links that signal to search engines which products belong together topically.

For example, a camping tent product page might show related products like sleeping bags, tent stakes, and waterproofing spray. These connections not only make sense to shoppers but also help search engines understand your product relationships and category structure.

Embedded product cards in blog content

One of the most effective internal linking strategies is embedding product cards within relevant blog content. This approach:

• Creates contextually relevant links to product pages
• Increases the likelihood of conversion
• Builds topical authority around product categories

CrocoAI’s platform specializes in automatically generating SEO-optimized articles with embedded product cards that link directly to BigCommerce product pages, creating powerful internal linking opportunities without manual effort.

For instance, a blog post about “How to Choose the Perfect Running Shoes” could embed product cards for various running shoe models you sell, with each card linking directly to the corresponding product page. This creates natural internal links in a context where readers are already engaged with related content, making them more likely to click through and purchase.

Avoiding common internal linking mistakes on BigCommerce

Even experienced store owners make these internal linking errors:

1. Over-linking: Too many internal links on a single page dilutes link equity and confuses users. Aim for a reasonable number (typically 5-10 internal links per 1,000 words).

2. Using full URLs instead of relative paths: In BigCommerce, use relative URLs (e.g., /category/product) rather than absolute URLs for better performance. As noted in BigCommerce’s support documentation, relative URLs are resolved correctly without impacting speed or crawlability.

3. Neglecting deep product pages: Don’t just link to top categories—create pathways to deeper product pages that might otherwise be several clicks away from your homepage.

4. Inconsistent link placement: Place important internal links within the main content, not just in sidebars or footers where they may carry less weight.

Leveraging BigCommerce’s URL structure for internal linking

BigCommerce allows you to customize your URL structure, which impacts internal linking effectiveness:

1. Enable clean, short URLs in your store settings
2. Use consistent URL patterns across similar product types
3. Include primary keywords in URLs for better anchor text relevance

According to BigCommerce’s own SEO guide, optimized URL structures significantly improve internal linking effectiveness and search engine crawlability.

A well-structured URL like /outdoor-gear/camping/4-person-weatherproof-tent immediately communicates to both users and search engines what the page is about and where it fits in your site hierarchy. This clarity enhances the value of internal links pointing to this page.

Building content hubs around product categories

For maximum SEO impact, create content hubs centered on your main product categories:

1. Designate a primary category page as the hub
2. Create supporting content (buying guides, how-tos) that links to this hub
3. Link from the hub to relevant products and subcategories
4. Interlink supporting content to strengthen the topical cluster

This approach builds topical authority and creates multiple pathways for both users and search engines to discover your product pages.

Imagine creating a content hub around “Sustainable Kitchen Products” where your main category page links to relevant subcategories and products, while also connecting to blog content like “How to Create a Zero-Waste Kitchen,” “Sustainable Cooking Utensils Guide,” and “Eco-Friendly Food Storage Solutions.” Each piece of content links back to the hub and to relevant products, creating a powerful network of internal links that establishes your authority on the topic.

Measuring the impact of your internal linking strategy

After implementing these strategies, track their effectiveness using:

1. Google Search Console’s “Links” report to see internal link distribution
2. Site crawling tools to identify orphaned pages or linking opportunities
3. Analytics data to track user flow through your internal links
4. Ranking improvements for targeted product pages

Make adjustments based on this data to continuously refine your internal linking structure.

Look for patterns in your analytics: Are users following your internal links? Which links drive the most engagement? Are certain product pages receiving insufficient internal links? This data-driven approach allows you to optimize your strategy over time.

Taking your BigCommerce internal linking to the next level

While manual implementation of these strategies can be effective, scaling them across hundreds or thousands of products can be challenging. Tools like CrocoAI provide BigCommerce-specific solutions that automate strategic internal linking while maintaining relevance and quality.

By implementing conversion-focused internal linking that strategically connects blog content to product and category pages, you create a powerful SEO foundation that both search engines and customers will appreciate.

Whether you tackle internal linking manually or leverage automation, remember that a strategic approach specifically tailored to BigCommerce’s platform capabilities will yield the best results for your store’s visibility and performance in search results.