Internal linking is a critical part of any effective SEO strategy. It helps search engines understand your site structure and allows link equity (PageRank) to flow naturally from one page to another. When done strategically, internal links strengthen important pages, improve topical relevance, and make content easier to discover.
From my own experience managing and auditing multiple websites, improving internal linking alone has led to noticeable gains in organic traffic.
In some cases, I saw up to a 30–40% improvement in page visibility after fixing weak internal link structures. Internal linking not only supports rankings but also improves crawl efficiency and indexing, especially for large or content-heavy websites.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to check internal linking opportunities in Ahrefs using the Site Audit tool, based on a process I personally use and trust.
Steps to Check Internal Linking Opportunities in Ahrefs Site Audit
1. Go to Ahrefs Site Audit
Log in to your Ahrefs account and click on Site Audit from the top navigation bar. Make sure your website is already added as a project. If the project is not set up, you won’t be able to access internal linking data.
2. Navigate to Your Project
From the Site Audit dashboard, locate your website project and click on it. This will open the overview page where all crawl-related data is stored.
3. Open the Latest Crawl Report
Click on the latest crawl report to ensure you are analyzing the most recent data. Internal linking insights depend heavily on up-to-date crawl information.
4. Go to Internal Linking Opportunities
In the left-hand sidebar, find and click on Internal link opportunities. This section highlights pages where Ahrefs has identified contextual internal linking possibilities based on keyword relevance and existing content.
5. Apply Filters
To refine the data, use the available filters:
- Source Page: Shows the page where the internal link can be added. This helps you identify content that already has contextual relevance.
- Keywords: Displays the anchor text or keyword Ahrefs suggests based on semantic relevance.
- Target Page: Indicates the page that would benefit from receiving the internal link, usually a page with ranking potential or limited internal links.
Using these filters together allows you to prioritize high-impact internal links rather than adding links randomly.
6. Analyze and Export the Data
Review the suggestions carefully and assess whether the recommended links make sense contextually.
Once you’re satisfied, click the Export button in the top-right corner and download the report in your preferred format for implementation or sharing with your team.
Conclusion
Checking internal link opportunities in Ahrefs involves running a site audit, opening the latest crawl, reviewing internal link suggestions, applying relevant filters, and exporting the data for execution.
When you regularly check internal linking opportunities in Ahrefs Site Audit, you gain clear, data-backed insights into where internal links can improve rankings, crawlability, and overall site structure without relying on guesswork.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I check internal linking opportunities in Ahrefs?
For active websites, checking once every month or after publishing a batch of new content works well.
Does Ahrefs suggest internal links based on keyword relevance?
Yes, Ahrefs uses keyword and semantic relevance to suggest contextual internal linking opportunities.
Can internal linking improve pages that are not ranking yet?
Yes, internal links can help distribute authority to underperforming or newly published pages, improving their chances of ranking.
Is internal linking more important for large websites?
Internal linking is especially important for large sites because it helps search engines crawl and index deeper pages efficiently.
Should I add all internal links suggested by Ahrefs?
No. Always review suggestions manually and add links only where they fit naturally within the content context.
