Do you know if you fix orphaned content on your blog or website it can help your site rank better than it has? Yes, each of your pages and posts may be an orphan page on your business website. However, there is a correct way how to fix your orphaned content in WordPress vs. just updating an older blog post.
Several years ago, I noticed in my WordPress dashboard the orphaned content column when I looked at my posts. I was looking at them to find old blog posts to update.
Therefore, I had to know how to fix the content that was unlinked and staring me right in the eyes.
To my surprise, I had over 550 total blog posts that were orphaned. Has it really been that long since I’ve been blogging here? (The answer can be found on my about me page.)
But what intrigued me the most was the orphaned content had over 350 blog posts.
I began to wonder as I knew something had to be done to fix them.
Table of Contents
What Is Orphaned Content In WordPress?
Orphan content is content that has no incoming links from your blog or website. It happens a lot when you post a new blog post or webpage and forget to include an internal link to it.
Today, I use a plugin called Link Whisper to do it for me easily. It can save you a lot of time looking for internal links to add.
Use code INSPIRE to save $15 off your LInk Whisper order today. It will save you time linking your blog posts internally and finding external broken links as well.
Now, if you know me, I had to investigate what that was all about a few years back. Looking at the WordPress dashboard under posts and/or pages is where you’ll find your orphaned content.
But, if you don’t have Yoast or RankMath, (both are WordPress plugins) you would need an SEO tool like SEM Rush to find out your orphaned pages and fix that orphan content.
(By the way SEM Rush is a great tool, even the Free version.! You can even find your broken links with this SEO tool. I’ve been loving the suggestions that they email me weekly for my site’s SEO here.)
Of course, fixing it slowly and steadily is the best way. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with updating them.
And while you are fixing these internal links you can make your content more relevant and up-to-date with new information.
So, here is how you can fix that orphaned content on your site: And, this blog post has a YouTube video on how to do it if you prefer to watch and learn below.
Being An Orphan
Now, I could really relate to those orphaned pages lately as my dad passed away a few years ago and I’m an adult orphan. It started to hit me after I was no longer in the busy stage of emptying the old homestead and such.
I know how these pages feel being alone in left field without a parent to watch over them. There is a missing link in my family tree.
Hence, think of your website as a family tree. All the roots need to be interconnected and talk to each other.
What Does Orphaned Content Mean For SEO?
Orphaned content means a page or post that is NOT linked to any other page on that same website. It’s all by itself. The orphaned page is all alone.
No internal links are pointing to it. That can drag down your SEO efforts.
According to Confluence, the technical answer is: “ An orphaned page is a page without any incoming links and is located at what’s called the ‘root of the space’, meaning it sits alongside the space’s homepage.
This means that, unless you know the page exists, you’re not likely to come across it during the natural course of navigation.
Navigation of your blog or website is key when doing search engine optimization.
Readers of your content need to be able to find things quickly, otherwise, they will leave and go elsewhere. Therefore, having fewer orphaned pages on your website will lead to a lower bounce rate and higher engagement.
The SEO gods love lower bounce rates as people stay on your website for more extended periods of time-devouring content.
However, Google is replacing that with engagement in the remaining months of 2024.
Why Fix It?
- SEO Benefits – You will see a higher amount of traffic as the SEO of your site gets better with fewer orphaned pages. Your site structure will be better for your readers. The Google bots will LOVE you for interconnecting all your blog posts.
- Lower Bounce Rate – Readers will stay longer on your site with links pointing to other content that is RELEVANT for them to read. Relevant is the keyword here. Do not point to useless information just for the sake of it.
- Readers Will Love It – Your readers will appreciate reading more on a topic if you point them to the most relevant content about it. It will be easier for them to find things on your website.
Linking To Newer Posts and Pages
Now, I’ve always linked new posts to old ones but not the other way around. Yes, now link your old posts to new ones when it makes sense. And don’t forget to link to your pages too.
So, I’m in the process of fixing these, a few per day, and of course, updating the older posts and pages along the way.
Now, after doing these (months later) the site Inspire To Thrives traffic grew. It’s a great way to grow your website’s traffic organically.
How To Fix Orphaned Content In WordPress
Not only do internal links increase your website’s traffic but they can increase your ranking when people are searching online for content. These orphan pages of your site may not be crawled thus causing them to rank further down from other sites.
In the old days of black hat SEO, orphan pages were hidden for no good reason. The search engines caught on.
Now, the search engines think these orphaned pages are not important since they were not interlinked on a website. Make them appear more important by fixing them for your site with the right tools.
These search engines can even punish a whole site with the presence of orphaned pages. (Blog posts are considered pages too in SEO speak.)
What Other Way Can You Fix Orphaned Pages?
You can update your old posts and pages. How long since some of these pages have received any attention from you?
Some of my old blog posts made me cringe. How could I have written that? And the creative art was another part that needed a refresh. Recently I did an overhaul of Content Viral Bee.
It was like rewriting the entire post. But things have changed, and the post had to reflect that.
What was surprising to me was that some people still haven’t heard of the services from Content Viral Bee. You may have many blog posts like that yourself that can use a refresh.
So not only will you be fixing your links to other pages, but you may update your old content and make it fresh. You know how much Google loves fresh content if you have been a reader here.
However, if your content is really thin and irrelevant you may want to dig those old blog posts or pages from your website.
-Lisa, Inspire To Thrive
For my dog-lover blogger friends and clients, Hunter had a stepbrother and loved being linked to another dog. (I babysit him from time to time, imagine me with 2 dogs when I was once afraid of dogs?)
So if you are thinking about links, think about your dogs as part of that family tree.
SEO Changes Frequently And Changes Often
Recently, Google had major algorithm changes. Oh yes, they keep on changing just like social networks do. AI has really hit SEO hard this past year with many updates.
The structure of keywords and how people search have changed over the years and months. Mobile devices like Google Home and Alexa have contributed to these more recent algorithm updates.
SEO is not all about keywords and the old keyword stuffing method.
Today, it is more about site structure, website speed, helpfulness to readers, and mobile friendliness. There are still over 200 factors that count towards your website’s SEO score and how your website ranks in search.
As a result, when you fix orphan pages and content you are increasing the SEO juice of your website by refreshing content and linking pages and posts of your website.
As a matter of fact, you can add some evergreen SEO to your content. This will ensure it is quality content that is everlasting.
Have You Fixed Your Orphaned Content?
Finally, I’d love to know if you knew how to fix orphaned pages in WordPress or if you have fixed orphaned content on your website already.
Please leave a comment below about it today! I’d love to know if it helped your traffic increase.
FAQ: How to Fix Orphaned Content on Your Blog or Website
What is orphaned content?
It is content that doesn’t get any internal links from other pages on your site. This makes it hard for both users and search engines to find it.
Why should I care about that type of content?
Orphaned content can hurt your site’s SEO. If search engines can’t find your content, it won’t rank well. Visitors may also miss this content, reducing its value.
How can I identify orphan pages?
Use tools like Google Analytics or an SEO plugin like Yoast. These tools can help you find pages with no internal links pointing to them.
What’s the best way how to fix orphaned content in WordPress?
Link to it from other relevant pages on your site. Make sure these links are natural and add value to the reader.
How many internal links should I add to fix orphaned content?
There’s no magic number, but aim for at least 2-3 internal links. The key is to link where it makes sense for your readers.
Can I use external links to fix orphaned content?
External links won’t fix orphaned content. Internal links are key because they help both users and search engines navigate your site.
Should I update old content to fix orphaned content?
Yes, updating old content can help. Add internal links to orphaned content from older, well-performing articles.
Is there a tool to automate fixing orphaned content?
While some SEO tools can identify orphaned content, you usually need to add internal links manually. Automation might miss the context and relevance needed for good linking.
How often should I check for orphaned content?
Check at least once a quarter. Regular checks help you catch and fix issues before they impact your site’s performance.
What if I can’t find relevant places to link my orphaned content?
If you can’t find natural places to link, consider creating new content that references the orphaned content. Ensure this new content is valuable and relevant to your audience.
