What Are Broken Links? And How Do You Find and Fix Them?

Broken links are a common issue on websites that negatively impact user experience, SEO performance, and website credibility. When users encounter broken links, they may become frustrated and leave your website, increasing your bounce rate. Additionally, search engines like Google use broken links as a signal to determine the quality and maintenance of a website.

 

A well-maintained website should have minimal broken links to ensure smooth navigation for users and efficient search engine crawling. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain what broken links are, why they occur, how they affect SEO, how to find them, and the best ways to fix and prevent them from happening in the future.

 

 

What Are Broken Links?

 

A broken link, also known as a dead link or link rot, is a hyperlink that leads to a webpage that is no longer accessible. Instead of directing users to the intended content, broken links return error messages such as 404 Page Not Found.

 

 

Types of Broken Links:

 

1. Internal Broken Links: These are links within your own website that lead to non-existent pages. Internal broken links typically occur when pages are deleted, URLs are changed, or the website structure is modified without proper redirects.

 

2. External Broken Links: These are links to other websites that no longer work due to changes or removal of content. If an external site shuts down or removes a page, your outbound link will become broken.

 

3. Broken Media Links: These include missing images, videos, PDFs, or other embedded media files. If media files are moved or deleted without updating the corresponding links, users will encounter missing content.

 

 

Common Error Messages for Broken Links:

 

• 404 Page Not Found: The requested page does not exist or has been removed.

• 400 Bad Request: The URL is malformed or incorrectly formatted.

• Timeout Error: The server took too long to respond, often due to server overload or connectivity issues.

• Invalid Hostname: The domain no longer exists or is unreachable.

• Empty Response: The server returns no content, indicating a possible misconfiguration.

 

 

Why Do Broken Links Occur?

 

Broken links can appear on a website for several reasons:

 

1. Page Deletion: If a webpage is removed without proper redirection, any existing links pointing to it become broken.

2.  URL Changes: Modifying the structure of URLs without setting up 301 redirects leads to dead links.

3. External Websites Going Offline: If an external website you linked to has been taken down or restructured, the link becomes broken.

4. Misspelled URLs: A typo in a URL can cause a link to be non-functional.

5. Firewall or Geolocation Restrictions: Some websites restrict access based on location or security settings.

6. Website Migration Without Redirects: Moving content to a new domain without setting up redirects results in broken links.

 

 

How Do Broken Links Affect SEO?

 

1. Poor User Experience

Broken links create a frustrating experience for users. When visitors encounter a dead link, they may leave the site, leading to lower engagement and conversion rates.

 

2. Increased Bounce Rate

If users frequently land on broken pages, they are more likely to exit the website quickly, increasing the bounce rate, which can negatively impact your search rankings.

 

3. Loss of Link Equity (Link Juice)

Backlinks play a crucial role in SEO. If a high-authority page contains broken internal or external links, the link equity is wasted, affecting search engine ranking potential.

 

4. Search Engine Crawling Issues

Search engine bots frequently crawl websites to index pages. Too many broken links can waste the crawl budget, preventing important pages from being indexed properly.

 

 

How to Find Broken Links on Your Website

 

1. Google Search Console

Google Search Console helps identify broken pages by reporting crawl errors.

• Log in to Google Search Console.

• Navigate to Indexing > Pages.

• Check under Not Found (404) for broken pages.

• Address the issues by redirecting or updating URLs.

 

2. SEO Crawler Tools

Using SEO tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, and SEMrush, you can scan your website and detect broken links.

• Run a crawl scan to identify broken links.

• Export the list of affected URLs.

• Fix them accordingly.

 

3. Online Broken Link Checker Tools

Web-based tools such as Dead Link Checker and Broken Link Checker help detect and fix broken links quickly.

 

4. Manual Inspection

For small websites, you can manually check each link to ensure it is functioning properly.

 

 

How to Fix Broken Links

 

1. Implement 301 Redirects

A 301 redirect permanently directs users and search engines to a new URL.

Example of a 301 Redirect (For .htaccess in Apache Server):

Redirect 301 /old-page.html https://example.com/new-page.html

 

2. Update or Replace Links

For external links, replace broken URLs with valid sources or updated versions.

 

3. Restore Deleted Pages

If a missing page had valuable backlinks and traffic, consider restoring it with relevant content.

 

4. Use a Custom 404 Page

A custom 404 error page should guide users to helpful resources or similar content rather than leaving them stranded.

 

 

Preventing Broken Links in the Future

 

• Regularly Audit Your Website: Run link audits at least once a month to catch and fix broken links.

• Use Absolute URLs: Avoid linking to relative URLs that may break with structural changes.

• Monitor External Links: Periodically check outbound links and replace any that no longer work.

• Set Up 301 Redirects Proactively: If restructuring your website, create redirects to ensure users find the correct pages.

 

 

Wrapping Up

 

Broken links can harm both user experience and SEO rankings, but they are easy to detect and fix with the right approach.

 

Key Takeaways:

 

• Regularly check for broken links using SEO tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs. 

• Use 301 redirects for moved or deleted pages. 

• Update or replace external broken links with new sources. 

• Ensure your website has a custom 404 error page.

 

By maintaining a healthy website with minimal broken links, you can enhance SEO, improve user engagement, and retain valuable traffic. 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions 

 

1. What is a broken link?

A broken link is a hyperlink that leads to a webpage that cannot be accessed, often returning a 404 error.

 

2. How do broken links affect SEO?

Broken links impact SEO by increasing bounce rates, reducing link equity, and making a site appear outdated or poorly maintained.

 

3. How can I check for broken links on my website?

You can use tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, w3era broken link finder, and online broken link checkers to find broken links.

 

4. What is a 301 redirect, and when should I use it?

A 301 redirect permanently redirects users and search engines from a broken URL to a relevant working page, preserving SEO value.

 

5. Can broken links be fixed?

Yes, broken links can be fixed by updating the URL, using 301 redirects, or restoring the missing page.

 

6. How often should I check for broken links?

It is recommended to run a broken link check at least once a month to ensure a smooth user experience and SEO performance.

 

7. How can I prevent broken links from occurring?

To prevent broken links, regularly audit your website, use absolute URLs, monitor external links, and set up 301 redirects when changing URLs.

 

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