Kong Metrics
Back to Blog
on-page-seo quick-wins

How to Audit SEO Internal Linking Using Only GSC Data

Kong Metrics Team · · 2 min read

Internal linking is one of the most powerful, yet underutilized, levers in SEO. By linking from a high-authority page on your site to a lower-authority page, you pass “PageRank” (link equity) and help Google understand the topical hierarchy of your website.

Most SEOs use expensive third-party crawling tools (like Sitebulb or Screaming Frog) to audit their internal links.

However, if you are on a budget or want to execute a rapid-impact campaign, you can build a highly effective internal linking strategy using nothing but your existing Google Search Console data.

The goal of internal linking is to funnel authority from your strongest pages to the pages that need a boost.

To find your strongest pages, open GSC (or Kong Metrics), navigate to the Pages report, and sort by Total Impressions or Clicks over the last 12 months. These top 10 or 20 pages are your “Power Pages.” They have the most authority in Google’s eyes.

Boosting Page 2 Keywords

Now, you need to find the pages that desperately need that authority.

This is where the Kong Metrics Striking Distance report becomes invaluable. The tool instantly identifies keywords ranking on Page 2 (Positions 11-20) that have high search volume but low clicks. These pages are stuck; they need a push to cross the threshold onto Page 1.

The Execution Strategy

  1. Identify the Target: Select a high-value Striking Distance keyword from your Kong Metrics dashboard (e.g., “Best CRM for Startups” ranking at #12).
  2. Find the Source: Look at your list of Power Pages. Find one that is topically related (e.g., your massive “Guide to Startup Software” ranking at #1).
  3. Create the Link: Edit the Power Page. Add a natural sentence that includes the exact match anchor text “best CRM for startups,” and hyperlink it directly to your Striking Distance URL.

The No-Cost Audit

By systematically working through your Kong Metrics Opportunity Scoring list and funneling authority from your top GSC pages, you create a closed-loop optimization system.

You don’t need to run a 5-hour site crawl to find orphan pages. You simply use your actual performance data to connect your most powerful assets with your highest potential opportunities. It is the highest-ROI technical SEO task you can execute.