internal link prompt for SEO

Internal link selection prompt template

Choose relevant internal links, anchors, and next-step CTAs for an AI-written article before it becomes an isolated post.

Competitor pattern

Optimization editors expose link and content checks; TrafficWins turns those checks into execution state.

Content teams improving AI drafts before publish

Prompt

Given [article title, keyword, intent, outline, draft] and the complete candidate-page inventory [URL, title, description, headings, status, canonical], select only links that materially help the reader. Never invent or rewrite a URL.

Exclude the current URL, redirects, noindex pages, drafts, login/legal/navigation pages, broken canonicals, and destinations whose source text does not support the proposed anchor. Respect sibling-page ownership and avoid cannibalizing handoffs.

Rank candidates by semantic evidence, reader next step, topic-cluster role, conversion relevance, and placement opportunity. Do not force one link of each type or meet a quota when no useful destination exists.

For each selected link return exact URL, natural non-keyword-stuffed anchor, destination promise, source evidence, target paragraph or section, insertion sentence, and why it is better than the next candidate.

Also return rejected candidates with reasons, orphan pages that deserve inbound links, missing support pages, and conflicts requiring editorial review. Preserve all candidate records in the audit.

Validate that anchors accurately describe destinations, no URL repeats, no section becomes link-heavy, and conversion links appear only after relevant value is delivered.

Expected output

  • Internal-link table
  • Anchor text recommendations
  • Placement guidance
  • Missing support-page list

Workflow

  1. Export candidate URLs.
  2. Paste article title and outline.
  3. Generate link plan.
  4. Add links during TrafficWins review.
  5. Create missing support pages next.