Impact on SEO and How to Find & Fix Orphan Pages
What Are Orphan Pages?
Internal linking plays a crucial role in helping both users and search engines navigate a website. When a page lacks internal links from other pages, it becomes an orphan page.
In this guide, we’ll define orphan pages, explain their impact on SEO, and provide methods to find, fix, and prevent them from negatively affecting your website’s performance. We’ll also address some common questions.
How Do Orphan Pages Impact SEO?
1. Difficulty in Indexing
Internal links serve as signposts for search engines, guiding them to different pages. Without these, orphan pages are hard to find and may not be indexed, meaning they won’t appear in search results.
However, if an orphan page is included in your XML sitemap, Google might still crawl and index it.
2. Poor Keyword Ranking
Even if an orphan page is indexed, ranking for keywords becomes challenging. Internal links pass link equity, helping search engines determine a page’s importance. Without link equity, the page has little authority.
3. Limited User Access
Even valuable content can go unnoticed if there are no links leading to it. Orphan pages create a poor user experience since visitors cannot easily discover them.
Common Causes of Orphan Pages
- New pages not integrated into the navigation or site structure
- Website restructuring without updating internal links
- Poorly planned site migrations, leaving pages without links
- Pages missing from the XML sitemap
- Improper product categorization in e-commerce stores
- Outdated pages still being live (e.g., past events or old promotions)
- Lack of regular audits and updates to internal links
How to Find Orphan Pages
1. Use SEO Auditing Tools
Several tools can help identify orphan pages:
Sitebulb
- Flags orphan pages as “isolated URLs” in its Indexability report
- Integrates with Google Analytics and Google Search Console for extra insights
Screaming Frog
- Crawls your website to detect orphan pages
- Allows integration with Google Analytics and Google Search Console for better data analysis
Ahrefs
- The Site Audit feature highlights orphan pages
- Ensure that sitemap crawling is enabled to detect missing pages
Semrush
- The Site Audit tool identifies orphan pages and other site issues
2. Google Search Console Method
- Navigate to Pages > Performance in Google Search Console
- Select the largest date range and filter by Impressions
- Export the URLs and compare them with data from an SEO crawling tool
- Any missing URLs in the crawl report are likely orphan pages
How to Fix Orphan Pages
1. Add Internal Links
The easiest way to fix an orphan page is to add links from relevant pages to it. Consider adding links from:
- Navigation menus
- Sitemaps
- Homepage
- Related pages
2. Redirect the Page
If the orphan page is outdated and has been replaced, a 301 redirect can guide users and search engines to the newer version while preserving link equity.
3. Apply a Noindex Tag
If the page is intentionally isolated and should not be indexed, add a noindex tag to prevent it from appearing in search results.
4. Delete the Page
If the page has no value (e.g., an expired campaign or outdated event), deleting it may be the best option. However, ensure it has no valuable backlinks before removal.
How to Prevent Orphan Pages
- Regularly audit your website using SEO tools like Screaming Frog or Semrush
- Ensure all new pages are properly linked within the site structure
- Maintain an up-to-date XML sitemap
- Monitor Google Search Console for indexing issues
- Be extra cautious during site migrations and restructuring
Final Thoughts
Even well-optimized content can suffer due to orphan pages. These pages are difficult to find, index, and rank in search engines, leading to lost opportunities for engagement and conversions.
To avoid SEO pitfalls, ensure your site structure is solid, internal links are properly implemented, and regular audits are conducted.
For expert guidance, contact us for a free website audit today!
Orphan Pages FAQs
Are Orphan Pages Bad for SEO?
Yes, orphan pages can negatively impact SEO since they are difficult to crawl, less likely to be indexed, and rarely rank well.
Can Google Crawl Orphan Pages?
Google can sometimes crawl orphan pages if they appear in the XML sitemap, are linked externally, or are referenced through redirects. However, their visibility remains limited without internal links.
How Do I Find Orphan Pages in Google Search Console?
- Use the Pages > Performance report
- Select the largest date range and filter by Impressions
- Compare exported data with an SEO crawling tool
Should I Delete Orphan Pages?
If an orphan page has no value and lacks external backlinks, deleting it may be the best option. Otherwise, consider adding internal links or applying a redirect.
How Often Should I Check for Orphan Pages?
Regular audits (quarterly or biannually) are recommended, especially after site updates or migrations.
