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1 min read Internal Linking

Internal Linking Strategies to Avoid Orphan Pages

Orphan pages weaken your site’s authority and reduce AI overview visibility. In 2025, smart internal linking ensures every page is connected, crawlable, and eligible for citations.

TL;DR

  • Orphan pages = pages with no internal links pointing to them.
  • They block authority flow and risk being ignored by AI engines.
  • Use structured internal linking to keep every page connected.
  • Regular audits prevent missed content and wasted SEO potential.

What Are Orphan Pages?

  • Pages without any inbound internal links.
  • They exist on your site but are invisible to crawlers and AI engines.
  • Common with blogs, landing pages, or old content never linked properly.

Why Orphan Pages Hurt SEO

  1. No authority flow — link equity can’t reach them.
  2. Low discoverability — AI engines may skip citing them.
  3. Wasted content — valuable assets sit hidden from users and search.

How to Prevent Orphan Pages

  • Use a hub-and-spoke model:
    • Core pages (hubs) link to supporting posts (spokes).
    • Spokes link back to the hub.
  • Link informational blog posts back to their related service/transactional pages.
  • Example: “How to fix a leaking pipe” → links to “Plumbing Services in Toronto.”
  • Add links within paragraphs, not just navigation menus.
  • Anchor text should describe the destination page clearly.

Step 4: Audit Regularly

  • Use SEO tools to check for orphan pages quarterly.
  • Update older posts with fresh links to new content.

Best Practices

  • Ensure every page has at least one inbound internal link.
  • Connect related pages with descriptive anchor text.
  • Avoid deep nesting — keep important content within 3 clicks.
  • Use spreadsheets or visualization tools to map internal linking.

FAQs

What is an orphan page?
A page without internal links pointing to it, making it invisible to crawlers and AI engines.

How do I find orphan pages?
Use SEO tools, crawl reports, or spreadsheets that compare your sitemap to indexed pages.

Do navigation menus prevent orphan pages?
Not always — contextual links in content are stronger signals.

How often should I check for orphan pages?
At least once per quarter, or whenever publishing large amounts of new content.

Internal Linking Notes