Internal Links Optimization

Why should I use Internal Links Optimization?

A short news item and a 4,000-word guide should not have the same number of internal links. Writers either forget to add them or add the same two links to every post, and over time long, valuable articles end up with almost no internal links while others are full of them.

Internal Links Optimization gives every post a target based on its length, because longer content can support more links. Writers see the target in the editor while they work, and editors can find the posts that need attention from the Dashboard, without counting links by hand.

Optimization status in the post editor

The Internal Links Optimization panel appears in the sidebar of the post editor, in both the block editor and the Classic Editor. It shows the number of internal links in the post, divided into manual links and links generated by your auto link rules, and tells you whether the total is within the recommended range. If it is not, the panel shows the range to aim for.

The panel needs no action. It loads its data when you open the post and refreshes every time you save.

Recommended number based on content length

The recommended number of internal links depends on the length of the content. Longer posts get a higher target, and a small tolerance allows the count to be slightly above or below it and still be considered optimized.

Optimization status in the Dashboard

The Internal Links tab of the Dashboard applies the same check to every analyzed post. A Status column shows the current number of internal links next to the recommended number, with a green indicator for optimized posts and a red one for posts that need work. Sort or filter by this column to find the posts that need more internal links. The Link Graph can also color its nodes by optimization status.

Choose where the panel appears

You can choose the post types where the panel is displayed. By default it appears on posts and pages.

Configurable optimization parameters

You can change the parameters of the calculation from the Settings menu, to match the recommendation to your content. For example, a site with long technical guides may prefer one link every 700 characters, while a news site may prefer one every 1,500.

How to use Internal Links Optimization

1. Open a post in the editor and expand the Internal Links Optimization panel in the sidebar.
2. If the post is not optimized, add or remove internal links until the count falls within the recommended range, then save.
3. To review existing content, open Link Manager > Dashboard > Internal Links and sort by the Status column.
4. If the recommendation does not fit your content, adjust the parameters of the calculation in the Settings menu.