Appendix A: Periodic Internal Linking Checklist
QUARTERLY CHECKLIST
Time Required: 2-4 hours
Tools: Google Search Console, Screaming Frog
Tasks:
□ Identify the 10 pages with the most organic traffic (Google Search Console > Performance > Pages)
- Review each one. Does it link to your current PVNs?
- Add contextual links where missing.
- Document changes in your matrix.
□ Check PVN traffic (Google Search Console > Performance > Compare to previous quarter)
- If any PVN dropped more than 15%, audit its internal links.
- Check if it lost links due to removed or modified source content.
- Restore or add new links to recover.
□ Update old content with links to new PVNs
- Take 3-5 evergreen articles with significant DR (from Ahrefs).
- Add links to PVNs that have emerged or changed priority.
- Use descriptive, contextual anchor text.
□ Publish or update one pillar content
- Create or update a pillar page that serves as an authority hub.
- Ensure it links to all relevant PVNs.
- Document added links in your matrix.
□ Review internal broken links (Screaming Frog > Response Codes > Client Error 4xx)
- Fix or remove all internal links pointing to 404s.
- Document any recurring patterns.
□ Check anchor text variety (Screaming Frog > Export all internal anchor texts)
- Detect repetitive patterns or generic anchors ("click here," "learn more").
- Plan replacements for the next content update cycle.
□ Verify new content linking
- For content published in the last quarter:
- Confirm each new page has at least 3 internal links from existing content.
- Confirm each new page links to at least 1-2 PVNs.
- Add links where missing.
SEMIANNUAL CHECKLIST
Time Required: 4-8 hours
Tools: Screaming Frog, Sitebulb (optional), Ahrefs or Moz
Tasks:
□ Full site crawl (Screaming Frog or Sitebulb)
- Review average click depth. Has it increased since last audit?
- Identify cause if depth has increased (new categories, parameter URLs, etc.).
- Check orphan pages (Unique Inlinks = 0). Link, merge, or noindex each one.
□ Recalculate DR/PA for main pages (Ahrefs or Moz)
- Find new pages with high authority.
- Add at least one contextual link from each new high-authority page to a PVN.
- Check if any previously high-authority pages have lost authority.
□ Audit linking matrix
- Review pairings implemented in the last semester.
- Check if PVNs improved in traffic or rankings (Search Console).
- Adjust priorities for the next semester.
- Add new PVNs that have emerged.
- Remove pages that are no longer PVNs.
- Add new source pages that have gained authority.
□ Review link distribution
- Identify pages with high DR and more than 15 outgoing links.
- Evaluate if some of those links are superfluous.
- Concentrate equity by reducing links or redirecting them toward PVNs.
□ Audit internal nofollow (Screaming Frog > Link Details > Filter for internal nofollow)
- Remove nofollow from internal links unless on login pages or non-indexable content.
- Document any remaining nofollow for future review.
□ Update architecture diagrams
- Reflect structural changes in:
- Tree diagram (click depth hierarchy)
- Heat map (link distribution)
- Cluster map (thematic grouping)
- Use draw.io for tree and cluster diagrams, Google Sheets for heat maps.
ANNUAL CHECKLIST
Time Required: 1-2 days
Tools: Google Search Console, Ahrefs or Moz, Screaming Frog, CMS
Tasks:
□ Redefine your PVNs
- Review business goals for the next year.
- Identify new products, services, or content areas that should be PVNs.
- Remove pages that are no longer priorities.
- Update the PVN list and matrix.
□ Audit menus and main navigation
- Remove navigation links to low-relevance sections.
- Concentrate link equity from home page and main categories on current PVNs.
- Consider if navigation structure should change.
□ Evaluate internal linking KPIs Year over year comparison:
- Pages indexed (Search Console > Index > Pages)
- Ratio of active pages receiving organic traffic
- Average time to index new URLs (sample of 10 URLs published in the year)
- Average positions of PVNs (Search Console)
- Organic traffic growth for PVNs
□ External review or peer review
- If possible, have another professional review your linking architecture.
- A fresh perspective often catches issues you've become blind to.
- Consider a peer review within your network or a paid audit.
□ Content strategy alignment
- Plan content strategy for the next year.
- For each new content piece, pre-assign:
- At least 3 existing pages that will link to it
- At least 1 PVN it will link to
- Build this into your editorial calendar.
□ Migration readiness assessment
- Are you planning any redesigns, platform migrations, or URL changes?
- If so, review the migration protocol and start planning early.
- Document current structure thoroughly before any changes.
□ Document annual linking plan
- Write a one-page summary of your linking strategy for the coming year.
- Include: PVN list, priority source pages, key metrics to track, and schedule.
- Share with your team.
PUBLICATION CHECKLIST (For Every New Content)
Time Required: 15 minutes per piece
Tools: CMS, Screaming Frog (optional for verification)
Pre-Publication:
□ Identify 3 existing pages with thematic relevance and significant DR that will link to the new content. □ Note proposed anchor texts for each. □ Ensure the new content includes at least 1-2 internal links to PVNs. □ Use descriptive, varied anchor texts.
At Publication:
□ Add the new page to your linking matrix. □ Record: URL, publication date, PVNs linked to, source pages linking to it.
Post-Publication (Immediate):
□ Edit the 3 existing source pages and add links to the new content. □ Use the proposed anchor texts.
Post-Publication (48 hours):
□ Check in Google Search Console that the URL was discovered. □ If not, request manual indexing. □ Verify internal links are crawlable (no nofollow, no JavaScript blockers).
Post-Publication (1 week):
□ Check if the new content has received any organic traffic. □ Add additional links from other relevant pages if needed.