How internal linking impacts ecommerce SEO performance

Did you know that the strategic use of internal links can increase organic traffic by up to 40% for eCommerce sites? For BigCommerce store owners, understanding and implementing effective internal linking isn’t just an SEO tactic—it’s a critical conversion strategy that impacts your bottom line.

What are internal links and why do they matter for eCommerce?

Internal links are hyperlinks that connect pages within your own website. For BigCommerce stores, these connections between your product pages, category pages, blog posts, and other content serve multiple crucial functions:

• Improved site crawlability: Search engines follow links to discover and index your content—essential for large product catalogs with hundreds or thousands of items
• Strategic distribution of link equity: Directs ranking power to high-priority pages like flagship products or seasonal collections
• Enhanced user navigation: Guides customers through your product ecosystem, creating intuitive shopping journeys
• Clearer site hierarchy: Helps Google understand relationships between your pages, strengthening your site’s topic authority

Think of internal links as the roadways in your digital store—without them, both visitors and search engines might miss entire sections of your inventory.

Strategic benefits of internal linking for BigCommerce stores

1. Boosting product page visibility

Product pages are your conversion engines, but they often struggle to attract organic traffic on their own. By implementing strategic internal links from high-authority blog content to product pages, you can:

• Transfer link equity to boost product page rankings
• Increase discoverability of seasonal or new products
• Reduce orphaned pages that search engines might miss

Best practice: Use descriptive, keyword-rich anchor text when linking to products. Instead of “click here,” use specific phrases like “shop our handcrafted leather wallets.”

For example, if you’ve published a blog post about “Summer Fashion Trends 2023,” you could naturally link to your swimwear category with anchor text like “trending sustainable swimwear” rather than generic phrases like “check these out.”

2. Creating powerful content silos

Content silos group related pages together through strategic linking, sending strong topical relevance signals to search engines.

For BigCommerce stores, building content hubs around high-value categories significantly improves your chances of ranking for competitive terms. This structured approach aligns perfectly with CrocoAI’s Content Hub Builder, which automatically creates content clusters centered on your most valuable product categories.

To visualize this: imagine your “Outdoor Furniture” category as the center of a wheel, with spokes connecting to blog posts about “Weatherproof Materials,” “Patio Design Ideas,” and “Seasonal Furniture Care”—all linking back to relevant products. This creates a powerful topical cluster that signals your authority on outdoor furniture to search engines.

3. Improving user engagement metrics

Internal links that guide users through logical next steps can dramatically improve key engagement metrics that influence rankings:

• Reduced bounce rates
• Increased pages per session
• Longer average session duration
• Higher conversion rates

According to BKA Content’s research on BigCommerce SEO, thoughtful internal linking creates natural “pathways” that keep users engaged with your content and moving toward purchase decisions.

Practical implementation for BigCommerce stores

For product pages:

1. Link to related products: Showcase complementary items or accessories (like suggesting a phone case for a smartphone)
2. Link to relevant buying guides: Help customers make informed decisions with educational content
3. Link to category pages: Provide broader context for product collections and encourage further browsing

For category pages:

1. Link to subcategories: Create clear navigational paths for shoppers with specific interests
2. Link to top-selling products: Highlight your best performers to capitalize on proven demand
3. Implement breadcrumb navigation: Reinforce site structure for users and search engines, making it easier to understand your store’s hierarchy

For blog content:

1. Link to product pages: Use natural mentions within informational content to direct purchase-ready readers
2. Cross-link between blog posts: Build content clusters around key topics to strengthen topical authority
3. Link to category pages: Connect informational content to shopping opportunities when readers are ready to explore products

Internal linking tools and techniques

Audit your current internal linking structure

Before creating new links, understand your existing link architecture:

• Use Google Search Console to identify orphaned pages (high-value pages with few internal links)
• Employ Screaming Frog to map your entire internal link structure and identify dead ends
• Leverage BigCommerce’s built-in XML sitemaps to ensure all pages are crawlable by search engines

As Page Genie notes, regular audits help identify missed opportunities where high-performing pages could better distribute their link equity to conversion-focused content.

Optimize anchor text

The clickable text of your links (anchor text) provides critical context to both users and search engines:

• Use descriptive, relevant keywords that clearly indicate what users will find
• Vary anchor text naturally to avoid over-optimization penalties
• Ensure anchor text accurately describes the destination page

For example, linking to your summer dress collection could use varied anchor texts like “lightweight summer dresses,” “breathable cotton dresses,” or “trending sundresses for 2023.”

Implement schema markup

While not directly related to internal linking, schema markup enhances the effectiveness of your link strategy by:

• Providing clearer context about page relationships
• Improving rich snippets in search results
• Enhancing product visibility in Google Shopping

BigCommerce’s platform supports various schema implementations that work alongside your internal linking strategy to improve search visibility.

Common internal linking mistakes to avoid

1. Over-linking

Too many links on a page dilute link equity and can confuse both users and search engines. Aim for quality over quantity, with 2-3 high-value links per content section. Think of link equity as a limited resource—direct it intentionally to your most important pages.

2. Inconsistent linking patterns

Random or haphazard linking undermines your site structure. Develop a consistent strategy that reinforces your information hierarchy. For example, always link from blog posts to relevant product categories, and ensure navigation remains consistent across your site.

3. Ignoring anchor text optimization

Generic anchor text like “click here” or “read more” wastes valuable opportunities to reinforce keyword relevance. Instead, incorporate descriptive phrases that include target keywords while maintaining natural readability.

4. Neglecting mobile experience

Ensure internal links are easily clickable on mobile devices, with sufficient spacing between link targets. With mobile commerce continuing to grow, links that are difficult to tap create frustrating user experiences that impact both conversions and SEO.

Real-world success with strategic internal linking

Chair King Backyard Store saw a 42% increase in users and 28% growth in revenue after migrating to BigCommerce and implementing a strategic internal linking structure. Their approach focused on creating clear pathways between informational content and product pages, significantly improving user engagement metrics.

Similarly, TheBattery.com achieved $1M in revenue within 10 months, with 77% of sales coming from organic traffic—largely due to their effective use of BigCommerce’s SEO-friendly architecture and internal linking. According to BigCommerce’s case study, their strategic internal linking was crucial in establishing strong category authority in a competitive market.

Automating internal linking for BigCommerce

For store owners managing large product catalogs, manual internal linking can be time-consuming. Automation tools like CrocoAI’s conversion-focused internal linking system can strategically insert links within blog posts to product pages, category pages, and related articles, significantly reducing manual work while maximizing SEO benefits.

This automation becomes particularly valuable for stores with:

• Large product catalogs (100+ SKUs)
• Regular blog publishing schedules
• Seasonal inventory changes requiring frequent link updates

Next steps to improve your internal linking strategy

1. Conduct an internal link audit to identify opportunities and gaps in your current structure
2. Create a linking plan that prioritizes high-value pages needing more visibility
3. Optimize existing content with strategic internal links based on your audit findings
4. Develop guidelines for future content creation to ensure consistent linking practices
5. Monitor performance to refine your approach over time, tracking changes in organic traffic and user engagement

By implementing these internal linking strategies specifically designed for BigCommerce stores, you’ll not only improve your SEO performance but also create a more intuitive shopping experience that guides customers toward conversion.

Remember that effective internal linking isn’t about manipulating search rankings—it’s about creating a logical, user-friendly site structure that helps both customers and search engines navigate your online store efficiently. When done right, it creates a win-win situation where improved SEO performance naturally follows enhanced user experiences.