If you manage a website, you may have come across the term “orphan pages” before.
But what exactly are orphan pages and how do they impact your site’s SEO?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain what orphan pages are, why they are problematic for SEO, and most importantly – how to identify and deal with them.
So, get started.
What are Orphan Pages?
Orphan pages are web pages that have no internal or external links pointing to them, making them difficult to find by search engines and website visitors.
These pages are isolated from the rest of the website structure, which can negatively impact SEO efforts.
Common Causes of Orphan Pages
There are several common causes of orphan pages. One of the most common causes is when a web page is deleted or moved without updating the internal links on the website. This can leave behind orphan pages that are not linked to any other pages on the website.
Another common cause of orphan pages is when a website is redesigned or restructured, and some pages are left behind. These pages may not be linked to any other pages on the website, making them difficult to find.
Orphan pages can also be created intentionally, such as when a landing page is created for a specific marketing campaign. These pages may not be linked to any other pages on the website, but they can still be found through external links or search engine results.
Understanding orphan pages and their impact on SEO is important for website owners and marketers. By identifying and fixing orphan pages, you can improve the overall structure of your website and make it easier for search engines and visitors to find your content.
Impact of Orphan Pages on SEO
Orphan pages can have a significant impact on your website’s SEO performance.
In this section, we will discuss the various ways orphan pages can affect your website’s SEO.
Effect on Crawl Budget
Search engines use crawlers to index and rank websites. Crawlers follow links from one page to another, which means that if an orphan page has no internal links pointing to it, it will not be crawled by search engines. This can lead to a waste of crawl budget, which is the amount of time and resources search engines allocate to crawl your website.
When search engines crawl orphan pages, they are not able to crawl other pages on your website, which can result in important pages being left out of the index. This can negatively impact your website’s search engine rankings.
Influence on Site Structure
Orphan pages can also have an impact on your website’s site structure. Site structure refers to the way pages are organized and linked together on your website. If an orphan page has no internal links pointing to it, it is essentially isolated from the rest of your website. This can make it difficult for users and search engines to navigate your website.
Having a clear and organized site structure is important for SEO because it helps search engines understand the hierarchy and relationships between pages on your website. If orphan pages are left unaddressed, they can disrupt the site structure and negatively impact your website’s search engine rankings.
Impact on Organic Traffic
Orphan pages can also have an impact on your website’s organic traffic. Organic traffic refers to the traffic that comes to your website from search engine results pages. If an orphan page has no internal links pointing to it, it will not be indexed by search engines and will not appear in search engine results pages. This means that potential visitors will not be able to find the page through search engines, resulting in a loss of organic traffic.
Furthermore, if orphan pages are left unaddressed, they can negatively impact your website’s overall user experience. Users may become frustrated if they are unable to find the information they are looking for on your website, leading to a decrease in user engagement and a loss of potential customers.
Orphan pages can have a negative impact on your website’s SEO performance. It is important to identify and fix any orphan pages on your website to ensure that search engines can crawl and index all of your important pages, maintain a clean and organized site structure and maximize your website’s potential organic traffic.
How To Identify Orphan Pages
To identify orphan pages on your website, you can use a variety of tools including Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and SEO tools such as Ahrefs and Screaming Frog.
Using Google Analytics
Google Analytics provides an easy way to identify orphan pages on your website. To do this, follow these steps:
- Log in to your Google Analytics account and select the website you want to work on.
- Click on “Behavior” in the left-hand menu, then select “Site Content” and “All Pages.”
- Look for pages with zero page views. These are likely orphan pages.
Using Google Search Console
Google Search Console is another useful tool for identifying orphan pages on your website. Here’s how to do it:
- Log in to your Google Search Console account and select the website you want to work on.
- Click on “Coverage” in the left-hand menu, then select “Excluded.”
- Look for pages labeled “Excluded by ‘no index’ tag” or “Excluded by ‘nofollow’ tag.” These are likely orphan pages.
Using SEO Tools
SEO tools such as Ahrefs and Screaming Frog can also help you identify orphan pages on your website. Here’s how to do it:
Ahrefs
- Log in to your Ahrefs account and enter your website’s URL.
- Click on “Site Explorer” in the left-hand menu, then select “Best by Links” and “404 not found.”
- Look for pages with zero backlinks. These are likely orphan pages.
Screaming Frog
- Download and install Screaming Frog on your computer.
- Enter your website’s URL and click “Start.”
- Look for pages with zero internal links. These are likely orphan pages.
By using these tools, you can quickly and easily identify orphan pages on your website. Once you have identified them, you can take steps to fix them and improve your website’s SEO.
How To Fix Orphan Pages
If you have identified orphan pages on your website, it is essential to fix them to avoid negative impacts on your SEO. In this section, we will discuss some effective ways to fix orphan pages.
Implementing Internal Linking
One of the most effective ways to fix orphan pages is by implementing internal linking. Internal linking refers to linking to other pages on your website within your content. By doing so, you can help search engines discover your orphan pages and improve their visibility.
To implement internal linking, you can add links to your orphan pages from other relevant pages on your website. You can also add links to your orphan pages in your navigation menu or footer. This will help search engines discover your orphan pages and improve their visibility.
Utilizing Sitemaps
Another effective way to fix orphan pages is by utilizing sitemaps. A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website and helps search engines discover them. By submitting your sitemap to search engines, you can improve the visibility of your orphan pages.
To create a sitemap, you can use various online tools or plugins. After creating a sitemap, you can submit it to search engines like Google and Bing using their webmaster tools.
Applying Noindex and Canonical Tags
If you have orphan pages that you do not want to appear in search engine results, you can apply no index tags to them. Noindex tags tell search engines not to index a particular page. This can help prevent duplicate content issues and improve the overall quality of your website.
On the other hand, if you have multiple pages with similar content, you can apply canonical tags to them. Canonical tags tell search engines which page is the original version and should be indexed. This can help prevent duplicate content issues and improve the visibility of your pages.
Monitoring Orphan Pages
Regularly monitoring your website for orphan pages is crucial for maintaining a healthy website and improving your SEO. There are several ways to monitor orphan pages, including regular site audits and server log file analysis.
Regular Site Audits
Performing regular site audits is an effective way to identify orphan pages on your website. Site audits involve analyzing your website’s structure, content, and performance to identify any issues that may be affecting your SEO.
During a site audit, you can use a tool like Screaming Frog or SEMrush to crawl your website and identify any pages that are not linked to other pages on your website. Once you have identified these orphan pages, you can take steps to fix them by adding internal links to these pages from other pages on your website.
Server Log Files Analysis
Another way to monitor orphan pages is by analyzing your server log files. Server log files contain a record of all requests made to your website, including requests for pages that do not exist or are not linked to other pages on your website.
By analyzing your server log files, you can identify any requests for orphan pages and take steps to fix them. You can use a tool like Logz.io or Splunk to analyze your server log files and identify any orphan pages.
In addition to monitoring for orphan pages, analyzing your server log files can also help you identify other issues that may be affecting your SEO, such as broken links, slow page load times, and crawl errors.
By regularly monitoring your website for orphan pages and other issues, you can ensure that your website is functioning properly and improve your SEO over time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding orphan pages and their impact on SEO is crucial for the success of your website. Orphan pages can negatively affect your SEO efforts by hindering search engine crawling and indexing, which ultimately impacts your website’s visibility and organic traffic potential.
As a website owner, it is essential to regularly audit your website for orphan pages and fix them promptly.
Technical SEO experts can help you identify and address orphan pages on your website, ensuring that your website is optimized for search engines and providing a seamless user experience for your visitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are orphan pages and how do they impact SEO?
Orphan pages are pages on a website that have no internal links pointing to them, making them difficult for search engines to find and index. These pages can negatively impact SEO because they don’t contribute to the overall authority of the website and can lead to a poor user experience.
Why are orphan pages problematic for website optimization?
Orphan pages are problematic for website optimization because they don’t contribute to the overall authority of the website. They can also lead to a poor user experience if users can’t find the content they are looking for. Additionally, orphan pages can waste the crawl budget, which can lead to slower indexing of important pages on the website.
How can orphan pages be identified using Google Analytics?
To identify orphan pages using Google Analytics, you can look at the Landing Pages report. This report shows which pages on your website are receiving traffic from search engines. If you notice that there are pages receiving traffic but have no internal links pointing to them, then they are likely orphan pages.
What are some common causes of orphan pages?
Common causes of orphan pages include website redesigns, changes to the website’s URL structure, and content updates that remove internal links. Orphan pages can also be created when a website’s content management system generates pages automatically.
What steps can be taken to fix orphan pages in WordPress?
To fix orphan pages in WordPress, you can add internal links to them from other pages on your website. You can also use plugins like Broken Link Checker to identify any broken links on your website and fix them. Additionally, you can use the Yoast SEO plugin to set up a 301 redirect from orphan pages to relevant pages on your website.
Can orphan pages be indexed by search engines?
Yes, orphan pages can be indexed by search engines if they are linked to external websites or if they are submitted to search engines manually. However, it is best practice to ensure that all pages on your website are linked internally to maximize their visibility and authority.
