How important are internal links for SEO collections?

[SweetViolet]

I am setting up a number of Collections to help with SEO and I know that best practice is to link these from the menu or at least somewhere on the site. However they are not really collections that fit in the menu and the only other place I can think to put them is to try to create a canonical url via the filter tool, or maybe tags?

For example, my main menu has "Skirts" but I have many collections for seo including "black skirts", "wool skirts", "winter skirts". Potentially I could add them to the menu. But I also have some keywords like "long skirts" that I would never list on my site because even though it is a great keyword, it sounds weird and would not fit anywhere. 

My question is, how much does it matter if these collections have NO internal links to them, meaning they would exist only as entry pages? Would they lose out on link juice? If there are negative effects on SEO from no internal links to those pages, it would be great to get suggestions on how to achieve canonical urls for these keywords. 

[JoshHighland]

In my opinion its better to have quality links than a quantity of links. Blog posts are a great way to get some internal links, along with pages. Focus mostly on your product pages and get some offsite links when possible,

[Josh_Uebergang]

It's a big question.

You'd look at the search data in GSC to check for cannibalization between the collection and other content. Reduction of pages can help rankings. In the event you need to keep it because it exists with a filter, for example, you can create a custom metafield then update the theme.liquid to account for it, to help canonicalization. Unique content will also help canonicalization.

No one can tell you how exactly no internal links are effecting you. But, internal links matter. Go create 5 for the page through the website, then check back on its rankings in 30 days. You'll see improvements.

[SweetViolet]

Awesome info, thank you! I have created metafields for filters, do you mean that I would then update theme.liquid to make the filter results url the same as the Collection page url? So for example if I had a Collection "Maxi skirts", I would then change url in  the code for filter results to say collection/maxi-skirts? Or would it be a separate canonical url?

I found some instructions but I think they are a bit over my head - is this what you mean? 

https://community.shopify.com/c/shopify-discussions/setting-canonicals-on-collection-filters/td-p/19...

[SweetViolet]

Fantastic advice - thank you! It sounds like the URL redirects may be the way to go for me since the coding seems a bit complicated. Are there any seo considerations for using redirects or will it have no impact?

Would you be able to clarify what you mean by "consolidate similar collections under broader categories"? Thanks!

[SweetViolet]

Thank you!

[MilesWeb]

If you are aware of inbound links in SEO, internal linking matters a lot to increase the page authority. Also, online visitors will come across your portfolio of fashion accessories or clothing. With this, there will be less bounce rate on your website because all relevant information is available in front of their eyes. Instead of visiting competitor's website, they will click on internal links and access the data. 

[Levyostaa]

Honestly, internal links are super important! They help guide visitors through your site and keep them hanging around longer. Plus, Google loves a well-linked site because it makes it easier to understand your content.

Think of internal links like signposts, showing people and search engines the way. They can boost your SEO big time by spreading link juice and helping your pages rank better. Plus, they improve the user experience, making it easier for folks to find what they’re looking for.

One tip that’s been a game-changer for me is using a broken link checker. Seriously, nothing worse than sending someone to a dead end. It’s like inviting them to a party and then locking the door. Keeping all your links active and relevant can make a huge difference.