Free Internal Linking Planner Template (CSV)

This internal linking planner helps you decide which pages should link to which, with what anchor text and where on the page. Each row is one planned link. It is useful when you publish a new page, build a topic cluster or tidy up an older site with orphan pages. Download the CSV, list your important target pages first, then find relevant source pages that can link to them.

How to use this spreadsheet

List target pages. Add the pages you most want to strengthen, with their target keywords.

Find relevant source pages. Use a site search or crawler to find pages that discuss the same topic.

Choose anchor and placement. Write descriptive anchor text and pick a spot in the body copy where the link helps the reader.

Add and check the links. Add the links, update the status to Added, then confirm each one is live and working and mark it Checked.

Columns in this spreadsheet

Column	What to enter
Source URL	The page where the link will be added.
Source page topic	A few words on what the source page is about, to check the link is relevant.
Target URL	The page receiving the link.
Target keyword	The main keyword the target page is meant to rank for.
Anchor text	The clickable words. Descriptive and natural; vary the wording across different source pages.
Link placement	Where the link goes, for example body copy in a named section, intro, or related links block.
Status	To do, Added or Checked (link live and working).
Notes	Context, the date added or anything to revisit.

Example rows

Illustrative entries showing how to fill the sheet in. Replace them with your own data.

Source URL	Source page topic	Target URL	Target keyword	Anchor text	Link placement	Status	Notes
https://example.com/blog/bread-at-home/	Beginner bread guide	https://example.com/workshops/bread/	bread making workshop	join a bread making workshop	Body copy, after the kneading section	To do	Example row. Natural next step for readers who want hands-on practice.
https://example.com/blog/cake-problems/	Fixing common cake problems	https://example.com/courses/eggless-cakes/	eggless cake baking course	our eggless cake course	Body copy, eggless cakes section	Added	Example row.
https://example.com/baking-classes/	Main baking classes page (pillar)	https://example.com/workshops/bread/	bread making workshop	bread making workshops	Class list section	Checked	Example row. Pillar linking down to a cluster page.
https://example.com/workshops/bread/	Bread workshop page	https://example.com/baking-classes/	home baking classes	all our baking classes	Intro paragraph	To do	Example row. Cluster page linking back up to the pillar.
https://example.com/blog/baking-tools/	Baking tools for beginners	https://example.com/blog/bread-at-home/	how to make bread at home	how to make bread at home	Related links block	To do	Example row. Prefer an in-text link if a section mentions bread.

Planning tips

Start with your most important target pages List the pages that drive enquiries or sales, then look for relevant pages that can link to them.
Find source pages with a site search Search site:example.com "topic" in Google, or use a crawler, to find pages that already mention the topic.
Link pillars and clusters both ways The pillar should link to each cluster page and each cluster page back to the pillar.
Check for orphan pages Compare your sitemap with a crawl; pages with no internal links are hard for users and crawlers to find.
Use normal HTML links Google follows <a href> links. Links that only work through JavaScript click handlers may not be crawled.

Frequently asked questions

How many internal links should a page have?

There is no fixed number. Add links where they genuinely help readers move to related content, and avoid long lists of links that nobody would use.

Is exact-match anchor text safe for internal links?

Descriptive anchors are helpful for internal links. Still, vary the wording naturally across pages so the text reads well in each context.

Do footer and menu links count?

They are crawled and help navigation, but links placed within relevant body content give more context about the target page.