Unlinked Pages

Unlinked pages, also known as orphan pages, are web pages within your website that do not have any internal links pointing to them. They are not accessible through navigation menus, hyperlinks, or any other means from other pages within your website.

Unlinked pages can occur for the following for reasons:

1. New or Recently Created Page
   When a new page is added to a website, it may not be immediately linked to other relevant pages within the site. This can happen if the page was created as a standalone landing page or if the linking process was overlooked.
2. Page Removed from Navigation
   You may have intentionally removed a page from navigation menus or internal linking structures however the page may still exist on your website and becomes unlinked and difficult for search engines and users to discover.
3. Content Reorganization
   During website updates or restructuring, pages may be moved or merged, resulting in an unlinked page. If an internal links pointing to this page is not appropriately updated, it can become unlinked.
4. URL Changes
   If you modify a page URL, the previous internal links leading to that page will become broken links, leaving the page unlinked until the links are updated.

Unlinked pages can have several implications:

• Poor User Experience
  An unlinked page challenge users to find and access content. Visitors may not be aware of its existence, resulting in a fragmented browsing experience and difficulties in discovering relevant content.
• Decreased Visibility
  Search engines primarily rely on internal links to discover and index web pages. If a page is unlinked, search engines may have difficulty finding and indexing it, potentially leading to reduced visibility in search results.
• Incomplete Website Structure
  Internal links play a crucial role in defining the structure and hierarchy of a website. Unlinked pages can disrupt the logical flow and organization of your website, making it challenging for users and search engines to navigate and understand your content.

To mitigate unlinked pages, you should perform regular audits to identify orphan pages. By adding relevant internal links to these pages, they can integrate them into your website navigation and linking structure. This helps improve user experience, ensures proper indexing by search engines, and promotes a coherent and organized website structure.