Deep Linking Insights for Local SEO Success

What we see in audits: link distribution

When we look at link reports for sites, we check how many different referring domains point to each page. We often use tools like Majestic to see this. What shows up again and again is a big gap: the homepage has many referring domains, while most inner pages have few or none.

This imbalance matters. If only the homepage has links, the rest of the site can be weak for ranking competitive pages. A well-placed external link to an inner page helps balance the link profile and makes the site stronger for related keywords.

Internal links vs external links

Bradley and other experts like Dori Friend have tested how internal links move power around a site. The finding is clear: strong internal links can carry a lot of weight. So when an inner page receives an external link, that external link can power up the inner page and then pass that power to the main category page through internal linking.

Put simply: an external link to a deep page can be routed to the higher level pages if the site links properly from the deep page up the hierarchy.

When to choose a deep link vs homepage

We use a simple rule: choose the most relevant page that will best match the link’s topic—provided that page has a clear internal path to the pages we want to rank.

Let’s use the hot tub example Bradley discussed. The niche edit was on a health site and the context matched “the health benefits of a hot tub.” The site owner had a subcategory page at /hottubs/benefits and a main category page that links to other subcategory pages. The subcategory page was not easy to rank by itself, but it linked up to the main category page.

Bradley said the logic was sound: link to the subcategory page because it matches the topic exactly. The external link will lift that inner page and the internal links will pass value to the main category and other pages.

Checklist to decide

1. Check topic match. If the external link context matches an inner page exactly, favor that inner page.
2. Confirm internal linking. Make sure the inner page links up to category pages you want to rank.
3. Look at link distribution. Use a tool to see how many referring domains point to the homepage versus inner pages.
4. Check page quality. The inner page must be indexable, well-written, and not thin content.
5. Avoid linking to pages that are blocked by noindex, canonical to another page, or broken.

How to check link distribution (step by step)

Bradley walks through a simple check he does in audits. We can follow the same steps:

1. Open Majestic or your link tool of choice.
2. Enter the root domain.
3. Go to the page list and sort by referring domain count.
4. Look at how many referring domains point to the homepage and each inner page.

If the homepage shows dozens or hundreds of referring domains while inner pages have five or fewer, we have an imbalance. That means deep links can be very helpful.

Practical tips for the niche edit itself

When you buy or place a niche edit, follow these simple steps to get the most from the link:

• Match the anchor text and surrounding content to the topic of the inner page.
• Prefer a link context that reads natural and helpful, not spammy.
• Ask the provider to link to the inner page URL if it’s a clear relevance match.
• After the link is live, check that the target page is indexed and that internal links point correctly to higher-level pages.
• Monitor rankings and organic traffic for the target and linked category pages over time.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Linking to a weak inner page that has no internal links up the chain. If the page is isolated, the link stays trapped.
• Pointing many edits to the homepage only. That keeps inner pages weak and leaves ranking potential on the table.
• Using the wrong anchor or placing the link in unrelated content. Relevance is what we want, so match the topic closely.
• Not checking indexability or canonical tags. If the page is canonicalized to another page, your link might be wasted.

Short case example

Imagine a site that sells hot tubs and has:

• /hottubs/benefits (inner subcategory on health benefits)
• /hottubs (main category that links to all product and info pages)
• / (homepage)

If we place a niche edit on a health blog that talks about hot tub health benefits, it should link to /hottubs/benefits. That link will do two things: it will be very relevant to the topic, and the internal link structure can push that power up to /hottubs and then to related inner pages. That approach often outperforms a generic homepage link.

“Relevance matching is where I see the most value from links.” — Bradley Benner

How to set up internal links to make deep links work harder

Even if you get a great external link to an inner page, it only helps the rest of the site if you link properly inside the site. Do these simple things:

1. From the inner page, add a clear link to the parent category page using a descriptive anchor, like “Hot tub health benefits.”
2. Make sure the category page links out to the other subcategory pages you care about.
3. Use breadcrumb navigation or clear menu links so the path from the inner page to main pages is obvious.
4. Keep the inner page's content useful so searchers stay and engage.

Measuring success

After you point the niche edit to the inner page, watch these signals over the next 30 to 90 days:

• Indexing status for the target URL.
• Changes in organic traffic to the inner and category pages.
• Keyword ranking movement for the terms you want to target.
• User behavior like bounce rate and time on page (if tracking is set up).

It can take weeks to months to see full effects, but early signs often show within a few weeks.

Final checklist before you buy or place a niche edit

1. Does the link context match the inner page topic? If yes, favor the inner page.
2. Is the inner page indexable and not canonicalized away? If not, fix that first.
3. Does the inner page link to the main category and other pages we want to boost? If not, add internal links.
4. Check link distribution: will this link help balance the site’s link profile? If yes, go for it.
5. Choose natural anchor text and a helpful surrounding sentence for the link.

FAQ

Q: Should we always link to an inner page if it matches the topic?

A: Mostly yes, if that inner page is indexable and has internal links up to the pages we care about. Relevance is a big win. If the inner page is isolated or poor quality, fix that first.

Q: What if the inner page is weak and hard to rank?

A: You can still use it as a target if it links up to stronger pages. But we should also improve the inner page content and internal links so it does not stay weak.

Q: Are homepages useless for links?

A: Not at all. Homepages still help. The point is to spread links across the site. Homepages often already have many links, so adding more there yields less marginal benefit than adding links to underlinked inner pages.

Q: How many internal links should the inner page have to the category page?

A: Even one clear, editorial internal link is enough. The link should use a descriptive anchor and appear in a logical place, like the content or breadcrumbs.

Q: Which tools help check referring domains and link distribution?

A: Majestic, Ahrefs, and Moz all show referring domains and page-level link counts. Use any of these to check how links spread across a site.

Wrap up

We keep this simple: relevance wins. If a niche edit can link directly to an inner page that matches the topic, choose that inner page—provided the page can pass that link equity up to the category pages you want to rank. Check link distribution first, confirm the page is indexable, and make sure internal links exist to carry the value. When we follow those steps, deep links often move the needle more than another link to a homepage.

If you want a short action plan: 1) confirm topic match, 2) check internal links, 3) check referring domain counts, 4) place the niche edit to the inner page, 5) monitor results.

We hope this clears up when to use deep links versus homepage links. Keep it relevant, keep your site structure tight, and let internal linking do the heavy lifting.