Link Density
Link Density identifies pages with too few links—revealing opportunities to strengthen internal linking and improve SEO performance.
Quick start
1. Select a Project and optional Cluster from the filters
2. Check the Internal Inbound tab first—these pages lack links from other site content
3. Review Orphaned pages (0 links) as the highest priority
4. Add internal links from related pages to address each issue
Understanding the display
Link Density analyses each page's link profile and flags those with fewer than three links of each type. Pages with three or more links are considered healthy and do not appear.
Link types
Four tabs display different link categories, each tracking a specific type of connection:
| Link Type | Description |
| Internal Inbound | Links from other pages on the same site pointing to this page. Low counts mean the page is poorly connected within the site structure. |
| Internal Outbound | Links from this page to other pages on the same site. Low counts indicate the page doesn't distribute link equity to related content. |
| External Inbound | Backlinks from other websites pointing to this page. Low counts suggest the page lacks external authority signals. |
| External Outbound | Links from this page to external websites. Low counts may indicate missed opportunities to cite authoritative sources. |
Severity levels
Each link type displays a severity filter to prioritise issues:
| Severity | Link Count | Meaning |
| Orphaned | 0 links | No links of this type exist. Highest priority—these pages are disconnected. |
| Low | 1–2 links | Some links exist but below the recommended minimum. Address after orphaned pages. |
What should I do next?
The action depends on which link type shows issues:
| Issue | Action |
| Internal Inbound | Find related pages on the site and add links pointing to this page. Use contextual anchor text that describes the destination content. |
| Internal Outbound | Edit this page and add links to related content on the site. This distributes link equity and improves user navigation. |
| External Inbound | Pursue backlink opportunities through outreach, guest posting, or content promotion. This is a longer-term effort. |
| External Outbound | Add citations to authoritative external sources. This adds credibility and context without requiring external cooperation. |
Prioritisation guidance: Start with Internal Inbound orphaned pages—these represent content that search engines struggle to discover. Internal linking issues can be resolved immediately without external dependencies.
Using the filters
Project
Select the project to analyse. Link Density data is project-specific—each project tracks its own pages and link relationships.
Cluster
Narrow results to a specific content cluster. Useful when focusing on a particular topic area or section of the site. Leave empty to view all pages across the project.
Severity
Filter by severity level within each link type tab. Options are All (both orphaned and low), Orphaned (0 links only), or Low (1–2 links only). The count beside each option shows how many pages match.
Troubleshooting
No data showing
A project must be selected. If no pages appear after selecting a project, the site may have healthy link density across all pages—this is a positive outcome, not an error.
All counts show zero
Link data is generated during content scanning. If no links have been analysed yet, run a content scan from the Sitemap Manager to populate link data.
Page appears but should have links
Link counts reflect the most recent scan. If links were added after the last scan, the page will still appear until the next scan runs. Force a rescan of the specific page to update immediately.
Expected page is missing
Pages with three or more links of a given type are considered healthy and do not appear in that tab. If a page is missing, it already meets the minimum link threshold for that link type.
FAQ
Why is three links the threshold?
Three links represents a practical minimum for establishing page connectivity. Fewer than three suggests the page is poorly integrated into the site structure. The threshold balances signal quality with actionable results.
Does fixing Internal Inbound require editing other pages?
Yes. Internal Inbound issues mean other pages aren't linking to this one. The fix involves adding links from related pages—not editing the affected page itself.
How often does link data update?
Link data updates when content is scanned. Automatic scanning frequency depends on project configuration. Manual rescans update data immediately for specific pages.
Can a page appear in multiple tabs?
Yes. Each tab tracks a different link type independently. A page with no internal inbound links but adequate external outbound links will appear only in the Internal Inbound tab.
Should every page have external outbound links?
Not necessarily. External outbound links add value when citing sources or providing additional resources. Some page types (landing pages, transaction pages) may deliberately minimise outbound links to reduce exit points.
Getting help
Contact support for data discrepancies or unexpected results