Broken links can harm your website's performance, user experience, and even search engine rankings. In this article, we’ll explore what they are, why they matter, and how to find and fix broken links efficiently. Plus, we look at some best practices to prevent broken or invalid links and improve your site's overall functionality, user experience, and search engine performance.
What Are Broken Links?
A broken link (also called a dead link) is a hyperlink on a webpage that no longer leads to its intended destination. Instead, users encounter error messages such as “404 Not Found.” The most common causes are:
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Deleted pages: The target page has been removed or moved without proper redirection.
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URL changes: The linked URL was modified but not updated on referring pages.
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Domain issues: The linked domain has expired or is no longer active.
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Coding errors: Typos in the link's URL.
Why Do Broken or Dead Links Matter?
Broken links can negatively impact your website in several ways:
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User Experience: Visitors become frustrated when links don’t work, leading to higher bounce rates.
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SEO Rankings: Search engines, like Google, penalize websites with too many broken or dead links because they signal poor site maintenance.
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Professionalism: Broken or dead hyperlinks reduce credibility and trustworthiness, especially for business websites.
How to Find Broken Links
Find and fixing links is an important part of maintaining your website. You need to look for broken crosslinks, as well as erros with anchor links and outbound links to other websites. You should also look for broken backlinks, links to uyour
Here are the best ways to find links that are broken:
1. Use Link Checking Tools
There are several free and paid tools to find a list of links that are broken:
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Google Search Console: Provides a list of crawl errors like links that are broken in the “Coverage” section.
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Ahrefs or SEMrush: Premium SEO tools that offer link analysis as part of their site audit features to find ones that are broken.
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Dead Link Checker: A simple online tool to scan your site for bad links.
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Link Checker by W3C: A free service to check both internal and external links.
2. Leverage WordPress Plugins
For WordPress users, plugins like Broken Link Checker scan your website and notify you of broken or invalid hyperlinks via the dashboard or email.
3. Install a Browser Extension
Extensions like Check My Links for Chrome can quickly scan a page and highlight errors with your links.
4. Manual Check Links
For smaller websites, manually clicking on each link may be sufficient. While time-consuming, it ensures a thorough review.
How to Fix Broken Links
Once you identify broken links, follow these steps to resolve them:
1. Update or Replace the Link
If the linked page has moved or its URL has changed, update the hyperlink to point to the correct destination.
2. Redirect the URL
For internal links leading to deleted pages, set up a 301 redirect to guide users and search engines to an alternative, relevant page.
3. Remove the Link
If the target page no longer exists and has no suitable replacement, remove the broken link entirely.
Best Practices for Preventing Broken Links
Broken links can be a hassle to fix and detrimental to your website’s reputation if left unchecked. By following these best practices, you can proactively reduce the occurrence of broken, dead, or incorrect links and maintain a positive user experience.
1. Use Relative URLs for Internal Links
Instead of using full URLs (e.g., https://yourdomain.com/about-us), opt for relative URLs (/about-us) when linking to internal pages. Relative URLs ensure that links remain functional if your domain name changes or if you switch between development, staging, and production environments. This simple practice reduces the risk of broken links caused by domain-level changes or migrations.
2. Monitor Frequently
Regularly auditing your website for broken links helps you catch and resolve issues before they impact users or search engines. Schedule monthly or bi-weekly checks using automated tools or plugins that scan for dead links across your website. Platforms like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or Broken Link Checker can make the process efficient and thorough. Consistent monitoring ensures that your website remains functional and user-friendly.
3. Audit External Links
External links often lead to resources, articles, or references on other websites. However, you have no control over changes made to these third-party pages, such as deletions, domain expirations, or content updates. Maintain a log of your most critical external links and periodically verify that they remain valid. Tools like Dead Link Checker or Ahrefs can help you monitor external links without extensive manual effort. If an external link becomes broken, consider updating it to a newer source or removing it entirely.
4. Create Custom 404 Pages
Despite your best efforts, broken links may still occur. A well-designed custom 404 page can mitigate the negative effects by providing helpful navigation options. Include elements such as:
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A clear, user-friendly message (e.g., “Oops! This page doesn’t exist”).
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Links to popular or related pages on your website.
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A search bar for users to find what they’re looking for.
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Contact information or a feedback option to report broken links.
Custom 404 pages help retain visitors who encounter link errors by guiding them back to valuable content, minimizing frustration and bounce rates.
FAQs About Finding Broken Links
Why are broken links bad for SEO?
Search engines view broken links as a sign of poor website quality, which can lower your rankings. They also disrupt the user experience, indirectly impacting your SEO through increased bounce rates.
What’s the difference between internal and external broken links?
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Internal broken links: Point to pages within your website that no longer exist or have changed.
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External broken links: Lead to pages on other websites that are no longer valid.
Can broken links cause a drop in traffic?
Yes. If bad links result in a poor user experience and lower search rankings, your website may experience reduced organic traffic over time.
Are there free tools to check for broken links?
Yes, tools like Google Search Console, Dead Link Checker, and W3C Link Checker are free and effective for finding broken or bad links.
How often should I check links?
For small to medium websites, checking for broken links once a month is sufficient. Larger websites or eCommerce platforms may need weekly or automated checks.
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