What exactly the orphan page is?
An orphan page refers to a web page that has no internal link from any other pages on the same website. Therefore, visitors and search engines are unable to find the page through navigation or internal links easily. Orphan pages can be detrimental to SEO since they may not be indexed by search engines, making them less likely to become visible in search results. Moreover, it may be difficult for users to access these pages, which can cause a poor user experience. To boost site structure and visibility, it is recommended to make sure that all crucial pages are linked to other relevant pages within the website.
How the orphan pages could hurt your SEO?
Orphan pages can have detrimental effects on your SEO in several ways:
- Lower Crawlability: Search engines are dependent on links to find and index content. If a page is orphaned, it may not be crawled at all and finally does not appear in search engine results.
- Reduced Visibility: Because orphan pages do not receive any link from other pages, they are less likely to be discovered by visitors. This can cause lower traffic and engagement, which are crucial factors for SEO.
- Wasted Resources: Creating content that is inaccessible can waste time and resources. If the content is valuable, it should be effortlessly accessible to increase its potential impact.
- Dilution of Link Equity: If your site is equipped with valuable pages that are well-linked, orphan pages do not leverage this link equity, which can prevent their ability to rank well in search results.
- Disjointed User Experience: Orphan pages can cause a poor user experience, as users may not discover relevant content easily. This can raise bounce rates and lower overall site engagement, which can negatively impact SEO.
Typical causes for orphan pages
Orphan pages are usually created accidentally through changes and updates. Here’s a closer look at the common causes for orphan pages:
- Bad Internal Linking Structure: If a website does not have a well-planned internal linking strategy, some pages may not receive internal links from other pages, leading to them becoming orphaned.
- Deleted or Moved Content: When content is removed or migrated without updating the internal links, the pages that previously linked to them may no longer direct visitors to those pages.
- Newly Added Pages: Newly created pages may not yet have been linked to from other sections of the site, leading to them becoming orphaned until they are integrated into the site’s navigation or linked from another part.
- Technical Issues: Problems like incorrect URL structures, broken links, or issues with the website’s content management system can hinder pages from being correctly linked.
- User-Generated Content: Pages created by users like forum posts or comments, may not be linked back to the main site structure, resulting in orphan pages.
- Redirects: If a page is redirected to another page without making the links up to date, it can become orphaned.
Solving these issues usually includes improving the internal linking strategy, regularly auditing the website for orphan pages, and ensuring that all content is effortlessly reachable.
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Ways to Locate Orphan Pages on Your Website
To find orphan pages on your website, you can use several methods:
Site Audit Tools:
SEO audit tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or SEMrush can be very helpful. These tools can crawl your website and find pages that do not have any internal links referring to them.
Google Search Console:
The Coverage report in Google Search Console needs to be checked. It may show pages that are indexed but not linked to other pages on your site.
Manual Site Navigation:
A manual review of your website’s structure can be useful. You should go through your main pages and determine any pages that are not easily reachable through internal links.
XML Sitemap Review:
The XML sitemap must be examined for pages that are listed but not linked to from other sections of your website. This can help find orphan pages that are still indexed.
Log File Analysis:
Server log files need to be analyzed to find out which pages are accessible. If certain pages are receiving traffic but have no internal link, they may be orphan pages.
Content Management System (CMS) Features:
Some CMS platforms are equipped with built-in features or plugins that can help find orphaned content.
Methods for Correcting Orphan Pages
There are some methods that can help fix orphan pages. Here are several methods for fixing orphan pages:
- Internal Linking: It is a good idea to find orphan pages and create internal links to them from other related pages on your site. This helps enhance navigation and ensures that these pages are indexed by search engines.
- Site Navigation Updates: You should check and make your site’s navigation structure up to date. This can be conducted through menus, footers, or sidebars.
- Sitemap Submission: You need to make sure that your XML sitemap involves all pages, including orphan pages. Submitting an updated sitemap to search engines can help them find these pages.
- Content Audit: Conducting a content audit can help find orphan pages. Tools such as Google Analytics or SEO auditing tools can help discover pages with no incoming links.
- Redirects: If certain orphan pages are out of date or irrelevant, consider redirecting them to more related pages. This can help preserve link equity and enhance user experience.
- Promotional Strategies: promoting orphan pages via social media, newsletters, or other marketing platforms can drive traffic and increase visibility.
- User Feedback: You must encourage user feedback on your site to find any pages that may not be easily reachable. This can provide insights into user experience and navigation issues.
I appreciate the excellent information you provided and the pointers on spotting orphan pages.
Thank you, dear friend.