Reverse-silo internal linking: route new backlink power safely

The problem: backlinks land on one page, not the pages you sell from

When you earn or buy a backlink, it points to one specific URL. That page may climb in search results, but the rest of your site might barely move. That’s normal: search engines see the vote (the link) landing on one page, so that page gets most of the early benefit.

When people say “authority,” they usually mean a mix of trust and strength a page earns because other sites link to it. A strong page can rank more easily, and it can also pass some of that strength to other pages through internal links.

The common mistake is turning the linked page into a dead end. You get a fresh, powerful external link to a blog post, but the post doesn’t guide readers (or crawlers) toward your category hubs and the pages that actually drive revenue. The result: you paid for attention, but you didn’t build a path for that attention to reach the parts of the site that matter.

Reverse-silo internal linking fixes that. The goal is simple: route the new strength from the linked article back to your hub pages first, and then toward your money pages, without stuffing your content with awkward, repetitive links.

A quick example: you place a strong backlink to a helpful guide. If that guide includes one or two genuinely useful internal links up to the main category page, that category can start lifting related product or service pages over time, instead of the guide being the only winner.

What reverse-silo internal linking means (in plain English)

Reverse-silo internal linking is a simple idea: when a new backlink lands on one article, you push some of that new authority inward to the pages that matter most. Instead of letting the linked article keep all the benefit, you use a few well-placed internal links to guide visitors (and search engines) toward your key pages.

Classic silo linking is usually top-down. You build a category hub page, link out to supporting articles, and those articles link back up. Reverse-silo flips the starting point. The linked article becomes the entry door, and your internal links act like signs pointing toward the main sections of your site.

A “hub” is a strong category or topic page that organizes a group of related pages. It often answers the big question and helps people choose what to read next. A “money page” is the page that drives action: a product page, service page, pricing page, or lead page.

This pattern often looks more natural than pointing fresh backlinks straight at money pages. Editorial links usually go to helpful content, not sales pages. With reverse-silo internal linking, you keep that natural landing page, then guide relevance and link equity to hubs first, and only then to money pages in a way that feels useful.

When to use this pattern (and when not to)

Reverse-silo internal linking works best when a new backlink lands on a page people actually read. Think: a detailed guide, a how-to post, a research summary, or a news-style update with real context and a natural way to mention related topics.

It’s especially useful when the backlink points to a content page instead of your product or service page. In that setup, reverse-silo internal linking helps you pass the new authority into the pages that rank and convert, without turning your money pages into link magnets.

When it makes sense

Use this pattern when the linked page can act as an internal “authority source”:

• It’s on the same topic as your hub and money pages.
• It has real depth (not just a few paragraphs and a stock photo).
• It already gets some organic visits, or at least matches clear search intent.
• It can include 1 to 2 helpful internal links without feeling awkward.

When to avoid it

Skip reverse-silo internal linking when the backlink lands on thin or mismatched content. Examples include a short company update, a generic “what is X” page that says little, or a post written for a different audience than your buyers.

Also avoid pushing link equity to low-intent pages (like “about” or random glossary entries) unless they genuinely support your hub.

A simple rule: relevance first, then intent. If the linked article and the hub solve the same problem, link them. If the hub is relevant and naturally leads users toward a clear next step, then add one more link onward to a tightly related money page. If either step feels forced, don’t do it.

Map your targets: hubs first, money pages second

After a new backlink lands, the easy mistake is to point every internal link straight at a sales page. A cleaner approach is to treat your hub page as the main collector, then let it pass strength to the money pages in a way that matches how people browse.

Start by sorting your site into three buckets for each topic:

1. The hub (category page or guide that covers the whole area).
2. Supporting articles (narrow answers).
3. Money pages (product, service, pricing, demo).

For every page that earns the backlink, pick one primary destination hub. This keeps your structure simple: one linked article, one home-base hub.

Then choose up to three secondary destinations, but only close matches. If the backlink page is about “cold email subject lines,” the secondary targets should still be about cold email, not your entire CRM suite.

Write a one-line purpose for each destination page. It forces you to link because it helps, not because you can.

• Hub purpose: help visitors understand the topic and choose the right approach.
• Money page purpose: help ready buyers compare options and take action.
• Supporting article purpose: answer one specific question and guide readers back to the hub.

Step-by-step: the reverse-silo linking pattern (minimal version)

The goal stays the same: a new backlink hits one article, and you pass some of that strength to the pages that actually matter for sales or signups, without turning your site into a web of forced links.

Start by picking one “best hub” for the topic (a category page or a strong guide that can represent the whole cluster). Then pick one money page that fits the hub.

The 5-link pattern

Keep it small and obvious. A minimal setup usually looks like this:

1. From the linked-to article, add one contextual link to the best hub (inside a paragraph where it helps the reader).
2. On the hub, add one supporting link to the most relevant money page (near a section that naturally introduces the offer).
3. On the money page, add one link back to the hub (in a short “Related resources” block or a quick contextual mention).
4. Choose one or two other supporting articles in the same topic and point them into the hub (only if they truly belong there).
5. Stop unless the hub is missing critical navigation. More links aren’t better if they confuse readers.

A quick sanity check

After you add the links, read the pages like a customer. If the links help someone find the next useful page, you’re doing it right. If you added a link only to push authority, remove the weakest one.

Anchor text that feels natural and avoids over-optimization

The safest anchor text is the kind you’d write even if SEO didn’t exist. Treat internal links like reader help: clear, specific, and not stuffed with keywords.

Use mostly descriptive anchors, not exact-match phrases. Exact match can be fine occasionally, but repeating it across several pages is where things start to look engineered.

Anchor styles that usually read naturally:

• Plain-language: “see the full checklist” or “pricing options”
• Partial match: “internal linking pattern” or “category page structure”
• Branded: your brand name or product name
• Light generic: “this guide” or “this page” (use sparingly)

Match the anchor intent to the destination. Hubs should get broader anchors that suggest a roundup (like “all beginner guides” or “template library”). Money pages should get decision anchors (like “compare plans” or “request a quote”), not a pile of exact-match terms.

Placement matters as much as wording. Put the link where a reader would expect the next step, usually right after you mention a problem or solution.

Placement rules: make the link useful, not forced

When a new backlink lands on an article, the safest way to move that value is to place internal links where a real reader would want the next click. Reverse-silo internal linking works best when the link feels like help, not a detour.

Early in the article, link only if you’re defining a term or setting context and the hub genuinely expands it. Mid-article is often the sweet spot: you’ve given enough detail that a “go deeper” link makes sense. Near the end, a hub link can work as a wrap-up, especially if the reader is ready for options, comparisons, or a broader guide.

One simple trick is to earn the link with a short next-step sentence. “If you want the full list of options and when to use each one, start with our category guide.” That one line makes the click feel natural.

If the page style allows it, a small “Related” block can work, but keep it tight:

• One hub page that expands the topic
• One supporting guide that answers a common follow-up question

Avoid sitewide blocks that repeat the same anchors across every article. They look templated, readers skip them, and they can create over-optimization patterns.

Build hubs that can actually hold and spread authority

A hub page is where new authority can stick before it spreads. If the page is thin or confusing, people leave, and your internal links look like they exist only for SEO.

A strong hub feels like a helpful guide, not a menu. It answers the main question, summarizes the subtopics, and makes it easy to choose the next step.

What a hub should include

Keep it simple and structured:

• A short intro that defines the topic and who it’s for
• 3 to 7 clear “next clicks” based on common intents
• Brief summaries under each option (2 to 3 sentences) so the links earn the click
• A small “start here” path for beginners and an “advanced” path for experienced readers

Those “next clicks” reduce bounces. If someone arrives from a backlink, they should immediately see where to go next.

Link out like a teacher, not a salesperson

Don’t point every link at money pages. Mix in supporting pages that build confidence: definitions, comparisons, how-to posts, and checklists. Then, from those pages, send a smaller number of links to the money page.

To avoid turning the hub into a link dump, add context before each link and keep sections easy to scan.

Protect your money pages: send strength without raising flags

Money pages (product, service, pricing, demo) are where you want rankings. They’re also where obvious SEO patterns stand out most. The safer move is to treat them like the last step in the chain, not the first.

Reverse-silo internal linking works best when the new authority hits a helpful article, then flows to a related hub, and only then reaches the money page. That extra step looks like a normal reader journey.

Keep money-page links rare, and earn them with intent. If the page is informational, don’t force a sales link just because you can.

Safer ways to pass strength

A simple rule: hubs can link down to money pages more often than standalone articles can.

• Add one contextual link from the hub to a money page when the reader is likely comparing options.
• Spread links across a small set of closely related money pages instead of pointing everything to one.
• Use nearby supporting pages as buffers when the topic is adjacent, not identical.
• Limit “conversion” links per page so the hub still feels like a guide, not a funnel.

How to monitor results without fancy tools

You don’t need expensive software to see if reverse-silo internal linking is working. You just need to watch the right pages.

The most common mistake is celebrating the linked article going up while the hub and money pages stay flat.

Start with a baseline the day you add the new internal links. Save a quick snapshot (notes or screenshots) of:

• The backlink landing page and where your new internal link sits (which section it’s in)
• The hub page you pointed to (its title, main sections, and current position for key terms)
• The money page the hub supports (same quick notes)
• The anchor text you used

Then track changes on the hub and money pages, not just the page that got the backlink. Use what you already have: search performance reports, basic analytics, and manual checks for a small set of queries you care about.

Also watch internal link patterns over time. Every couple of weeks, check whether your hubs are slowly becoming “link magnets” (more internal links pointing in), and whether your anchors are repeating the same money phrase too often.

A simple way to run the test is to wait 2 to 4 weeks, then change one thing only:

• Add one helpful link from the backlink page to the hub
• Move an existing link higher or lower in the article
• Swap the anchor to something more natural
• Remove one link if the section feels forced

Common mistakes that waste the new authority

The biggest trap is treating the page that got the backlink like a power outlet you can plug everything into. If you spray links everywhere, the signal gets weaker and the page looks less focused.

Mistakes that quietly cancel the benefit:

• Linking from the backlink landing page to too many destinations. Pick one main hub and, at most, one secondary page.
• Reusing the same exact anchor text again and again. If every internal link repeats the same keyword, it reads unnatural.
• Pointing to a hub that’s off-topic or too broad. A backlink about “email security” shouldn’t funnel into a giant “software” page.
• Adding internal links but leaving the hub page thin. If the hub is weak, you’re pushing authority into a bucket with holes.
• Creating circular paths that confuse readers. If the landing page points to the hub and the hub immediately points back without a reason, you end up with a loop that helps nobody.

A useful gut-check: if a real reader would click the link to keep learning (not because it’s there), the structure is doing its job.

Quick checklist before you publish the internal links

Run this pass before you hit publish. It keeps the pattern clean, useful, and less likely to look like you’re pushing SEO signals around.

• Relevance is obvious: the backlink landing page should be tightly related to the hub topic.
• The hub works as a guide: clear sections and short intros, not just a pile of links.
• One main hub link from the linked article: avoid multiple hub links that look like routing tricks.
• Anchors sound like normal writing: mostly natural phrases, with exact-match anchors kept rare.
• Hubs pass intent, not hype: hub-to-money links should match the moment (pricing, demo, book a call), without repeating the same internal links sitewide.

A simple sanity test: read the paragraph out loud. If the internal link feels like advice you’d give a friend, it’s usually fine.

A realistic example you can copy (simple scenario)

Imagine a SaaS company that sells two plans: “Starter” and “Pro.” They buy a premium backlink that points to a blog post called “7 Pricing Models for SaaS (with pros and cons).” That post earns attention and starts picking up authority, but it’s not the page that drives signups.

Here’s the reverse-silo internal linking pattern they use to move that new strength to the pages that matter, without stuffing exact-match anchors.

First, the “pricing models” article adds one truly helpful internal link in the middle of the content to a hub page called “Pricing Guides.” The anchor is simple and natural, like “pricing guides” or “how to choose a plan,” not “best SaaS pricing software.”

Then the “Pricing Guides” hub links out to only the two most relevant money pages: the Starter plan page and the Pro plan page. It doesn’t link to every product or feature page, because that spreads attention too thin and can look pushy.

To reinforce the topic cluster, they update one existing supporting post (for example, “How to set up a free trial without losing money”) to include a contextual link back to the “Pricing Guides” hub. Now the hub isn’t relying on a single page for internal authority.

If the backlink lands on a very top-of-funnel post (for example, “What is SaaS?”), keep the first step softer:

• Link from the top-of-funnel post to a relevant learning hub (not directly to plan pages).
• From that hub, link to “Pricing Guides.”
• From “Pricing Guides,” link to Starter and Pro.

Next steps: build the map before your next backlink lands

Pick one or two pages that already earned a new backlink (or are most likely to). Treat them as entry points and apply the minimal reverse-silo pattern first. You’ll learn faster, and you’ll avoid changing dozens of pages at once.

Then make sure your main hub page actually deserves the extra attention. If the hub is thin, dated, or hard to scan, the added authority won’t help much. Tighten sections, answer the top questions, and make the next steps obvious.

Write down simple internal linking rules so every new post follows the same logic:

• Each new linked article points to one relevant hub using natural wording.
• The hub points to the key money pages using clear, non-repetitive anchors.
• Avoid multiple keyword-heavy links in one paragraph.
• Prefer links that help a reader take the next step.

If you’re using a premium backlink provider, plan the internal route before the placement goes live. Decide which linked article will feed which hub, and which money pages that hub should support.

If you use SEOBoosty (seoboosty.com) to secure premium backlinks, pick a target page that can naturally funnel readers inward, like a strong guide or comparison article that can point up to a category hub and then down to a couple of closely related money pages without feeling forced.