Why internal linking matters on Shopify
Many Shopify stores grow fast: new products, new collections, seasonal pages, and lots of filtering or merchandising. Over time, important pages become harder to find for crawlers and for shoppers. A strong internal linking strategy fixes that by making your structure obvious and repeatable.
The goal: a simple system that scales
The best internal linking framework is not complicated. It is a repeatable set of links that appear on your highest-value pages: collection pages and product pages. If you can keep those links consistent, the rest of your store becomes easier to crawl and easier to browse.
1) Breadcrumbs as high-signal internal links
Breadcrumbs are one of the strongest internal link patterns because they are: consistent, contextual, and present on many key pages. They reinforce your hierarchy and pass authority back to parent collections and category hubs.
- For crawlers: a stable path that explains category relationships
- For shoppers: instant orientation and a fast way back up a level
- For large catalogs: scalable linking without building huge menus
2) Category hubs (collection landing pages)
Category hubs are the missing layer in many Shopify stores. They are “topical” landing pages for major categories that link out to subcategories and highlight key products. Hubs reduce orphan pages and help search engines understand your topic clusters.
What to include on a hub page
- A short intro that explains the category in plain language
- Links to subcategories (your next best targets)
- A small “best sellers” section to surface high intent products
- A few internal links to related hubs (only when relevant)
How hubs improve category depth
If every deep collection is only reachable through endless scrolling or inconsistent menus, crawlers may treat them as lower priority. Hub pages create a clean path: top category → subcategory → product. That structure is easy to interpret, and it scales as your catalog grows.
3) Related links that do not spam
Related links work when they help discovery, not when they look like a link farm. Keep them tight, relevant, and predictable. Think of them as “next steps,” not “everything we could link to.”
- Link to siblings only when relevant: similar product types, use cases, or styles
- Keep blocks small: 3 to 6 links is usually enough
- Use descriptive anchor text: avoid generic “click here”
- Place them intentionally: near the top for subcategories, near the bottom for “related”
4) Shopify pitfalls to avoid
Inconsistent product paths
A product can appear in multiple collections. If your breadcrumbs and internal links switch paths unpredictably, signals become noisy. Pick a stable hierarchy rule (menu-based, tree-based, or visitor path-based) and stick to it.
Duplicate URLs and mixed signals
When internal links point to multiple URL variants for the same page, you dilute relevance. Align your internal links with your canonical strategy, and keep JSON-LD consistent with the visible breadcrumb trail.
5) Quick internal linking audit (10 minutes)
- Pick one important collection and one best-selling product
- Confirm the product breadcrumb is stable across different entry paths
- Confirm the collection links back up to a parent hub or top category
- Check related links blocks: only a few, clearly relevant
- Confirm breadcrumb JSON-LD exists and matches the visible trail
Summary
Use breadcrumbs for structure, hub pages for topical authority, and small related-link blocks for discovery. This internal linking system is simple, predictable, and scalable for large Shopify catalogs. It helps crawlers understand your category depth and helps shoppers find products faster.
Recommended reading
- Category Hub Pages in Shopify: The Missing Layer Between Collections and Products
- Shopify Breadcrumbs SEO Guide: Internal Linking, JSON-LD, Best Practices
- Optimizing Collection Navigation for Large Catalogs
Try it on your store
Install Breadcrumbs & Categories to map a stable hierarchy and generate breadcrumbs that act as high-signal internal links across collections and products.