Jenny is in charge of creating the URL mapping file for her company’s website migration project. While working on it, she notices that there are many pages which have no corresponding page on the new site, because they have been either removed or consolidated. She isn’t sure what to do about these pages. What would you suggest Jenny do in this scenario?
- She should redirect all orphan pages to the website homepage.
- She should redirect each orphan page to its parent category page or the most relevant similar page.
- She should not redirect these pages.
Explanation: The correct answer is She should redirect each orphan page to its parent category page or the most relevant similar page. When handling orphan pages—pages from the old site that have no corresponding page on the new site—redirecting them to their parent category page or the most relevant similar page is the best course of action. Redirecting to the website homepage (as suggested in the first option) may not provide the best user experience or preserve the relevance of the content, as users may expect to find content related to what they were originally seeking. Redirecting to the parent category or a similar page ensures that users are directed to content that closely matches their original intent, improving user experience and reducing bounce rates. Additionally, from an SEO perspective, redirecting orphan pages to relevant pages helps preserve any existing SEO equity, backlinks, and authority associated with the old pages, contributing to the overall organic search visibility and ranking of the website. Therefore, redirecting each orphan page to its parent category page or the most relevant similar page is the most effective strategy for handling orphan pages during a website migration project, ensuring a seamless transition for users and maintaining the SEO value of the website’s content.