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WordPress Guide → SEO → Orphaned Content
What is orphaned content? Your WordPress optimization guide
Hidden pages can sink your SEO. Even high-quality WordPress content (because, of course, that’s all you’re producing) can be overlooked if it’s not connected to the rest of your site. That’s what makes orphaned content such a silent problem, and such a big opportunity for optimization.
Let’s walk through what orphaned content is, why it matters, and how to fix it so your content actually gets found.
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What is orphaned content in WordPress?
Orphaned content, or orphaned pages, refers to posts, pages, or custom post types that exist on your WordPress site but have no internal links pointing to them. That means no other page or post on your site references them—so users won’t navigate to them naturally, and search engines may not discover or prioritize them.
The content itself exists and may even be indexed, but because it’s disconnected from the rest of your site structure, it becomes almost invisible to users and dramatically devalued by crawlers.
This applies to:
- Blog posts that were never linked to again after being published
- Pages created for one-time use, like landing pages or seasonal promos
- Custom post types created by themes or plugins with no archive or list view
Common examples of orphaned content
Some content types are more likely to be orphaned, especially if you’re not actively linking to them after publishing. Common examples include:
- Old blog posts: Especially ones published during a previous content strategy that have since been forgotten.
- Landing pages: Standalone pages used for ads or email campaigns that don’t appear in your site’s navigation or internal links
- Product pages: Items added in WooCommerce or another ecommerce plugin that aren’t categorized or linked anywhere else
- Thank-you or confirmation pages: Used after form submissions or purchases and never linked from public-facing areas.
Some of these are orphaned on purpose and that’s fine—you don’t want someone to find a link to your Thank You! page. But they do still count as orphaned pages.
Why orphaned content hurts SEO and user experience
Search engines and users both rely on internal links to discover and navigate your content.
For SEO, orphaned content poses problems because:
- It’s harder for crawlers to find if it’s not linked from any indexable page.
- It receives no internal link equity, weakening its chances of ranking.
- It signals low relevance if your own site isn’t linking to it.
For users, orphaned content can’t be found through menus, blog listings, or related posts. That makes your site harder to explore, reducing engagement and increasing bounce rates.
How to identify orphaned content in WordPress
Spotting orphaned content starts with checking which posts and pages lack internal links. You can do this manually or use tools to automate the process.
Manual checks:
- Use Google Search Console to find pages with low impressions or zero clicks.
- Audit your internal link structure with a spreadsheet or content audit plugin.
- Use your analytics platform to find pages with near-zero traffic.
SEO tools and plugins:
- Yoast SEO Premium: Flags orphaned content inside your WordPress dashboard.
- Ahrefs: Use the Site Audit tool to find pages with zero internal incoming links.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Crawl your site and filter by inlinks = 0.
- SEMrush: Includes orphaned page reports in the Site Audit feature.
- Link Whisper: Shows internal link counts and offers link suggestions.
Free versions of these tools often have limitations, so a premium plan or plugin may be required for large sites.
How to fix orphaned content (and prevent it)
Once you’ve identified orphaned pages or posts, the next step is fixing them. There are three main options, depending on the value of the content.
1. Link to it
If the content is still valuable, find other pages or posts that relate to it and add contextual internal links. Prioritize:
- Posts with high traffic
- Category pages or cornerstone content
- Related blog articles or product collections
Use relevant anchor text and avoid keyword stuffing.
2. Redirect it
If the content is outdated or duplicated by a better resource, use a 301 redirect to send users to the newer, more useful version. This passes SEO value and prevents broken links.
Plugins like Redirection or your SEO plugin can handle this easily in WordPress.
3. Delete it
If the content serves no purpose—low quality, irrelevant, or completely outdated—consider deleting it. Don’t forget to:
- Set a 410 (gone) or 301 (redirect) status
- Remove it from your sitemap
- Request removal in Google Search Console, if needed
4. Prevent it
The best offense is a good defense. Going forward, make internal linking part of your publishing workflow:
- Link new posts to 2 or three older articles as soon as they’re live.
- Use internal link plugins or checklists during editing.
- Use a related posts/pages that will automatically link content based on categories or tags.
When it’s okay to have orphaned content
Per my previous email, not every unlinked page is a problem. Some content is meant to exist without being publicly accessible through internal links.
Examples:
- Thank-you pages shown after a form or checkout
- Temporary seasonal pages with a short shelf life
- Legal pages (Privacy Policy, Terms) linked only in the footer
- Gated content or private landing pages for specific audiences
These pages should still be crawlable if they need to be indexed, but they don’t need a prominent place in your navigation or site structure.
Best practices for internal linking in WordPress
Good internal linking helps search engines understand your content and gives users helpful pathways to explore more. To prevent orphaned content and improve SEO, follow these practices:
- Add links when publishing: Always link new posts to relevant older content.
- Update older posts: Add links to new posts from popular older ones.
- Use categories and tags: Group related content using WordPress taxonomies.
- Avoid relying only on menus: Contextual in-post links are more valuable than just adding a page to your navigation.
- Use related post plugins: These can automatically suggest and display similar content.
- Don’t over-correct: One link per short paragraph is enough. If the content gets too crowded you hurt UX on mobile devices, where users can’t tap links that are too close together.
FAQ about orphaned content
Next steps for fixing orphaned content in WordPress
Orphaned content might be dragging down your SEO without you realizing it. Fortunately, fixing it is straightforward and can lead to better rankings, more engagement, and a cleaner site structure.
Start by auditing your site for orphaned pages using a plugin or SEO tool. Then choose whether to link, redirect, or delete each piece—and keep internal linking a part of your future publishing habits.
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Kiki Sheldon works as a Security Specialist for Liquid Web. Before joining the Abuse & Security Operations Department, she worked on the Liquid Web Managed Hosting Support Team, where she gained extensive knowledge of Linux System Administration and popular Content Management Systems (CMSs). Kiki’s passion for writing allows her to share her professional expertise and help others. She keeps up with technology and always looks to improve her technical skills. In her free time, she enjoys reading, especially classic books and detective stories.