New Page Wave Link Routing
What this page covers
New Page Wave Link Routing
New Page Wave Link Routing explains how to connect newly published growth pages to your internal linking structure so they are discoverable, useful, and aligned with your hub-and-leaf model.
Use this guide with your internal linking map, hub and leaf rules, and orphan page audit to decide where each new page should receive links from and which related pages it should link to.
In brief
- Treat every new page as a leaf that needs a clear path from an existing hub. Pick its primary hub, then add contextual links from that hub and from relevant sibling pages.
- Give each new page a simple outbound pattern: one or two links back to its hub, two to four links to related leaves, and one or two links to high-value product or conversion pages.
- Update your internal linking map during the same publishing wave. This helps prevent orphan pages, keeps crawl paths shallow, and preserves a consistent hub-and-leaf structure.
What to do
When you publish a new wave of pages, plan internal links as part of the launch rather than as a cleanup task. Start by assigning each page one primary hub based on topic and intent. From that hub, add at least one prominent contextual link to the new page, ideally from a section that already receives traffic and carries internal authority.
Next, define the new page’s outbound linking pattern. Link back to the hub with a consistent anchor that reflects the hub’s core topic. Then add a small set of links to closely related leaf pages that answer adjacent questions or provide deeper detail. Finally, include one or two links to key product or conversion pages so users and crawlers have a clear path from discovery content to action pages.
Document each decision in your internal linking map as you publish. For every new URL, record its hub, inbound sources, outbound targets, and role in the user journey. This keeps the hub-and-leaf model coherent across waves, reduces orphan risk, and makes future audits, Radar scans, and expansions easier to manage.
What to keep in mind
New page wave routing works best when you already have a defined hub-and-leaf model and a current internal linking map. If the structure is unclear or many legacy pages are orphaned, stabilize the existing architecture first so new pages can follow consistent rules.
Not every new page needs the same link depth or prominence. High-value evergreen pages may deserve stronger links from hubs or navigation, while narrow or experimental topics may only need a few contextual links from related leaves. Linking every new page from your strongest hubs can dilute topical focus and make the structure harder to understand.
Routing also depends on crawl budget and site size. Large sites should link new pages from sections that are already crawled often and avoid deep, isolated paths. Smaller sites can be more flexible, but still benefit from clear rules for links up to hubs, across to siblings, and down to more specific leaves.