What are Broken Links? | How do You Find & Fix Them? | SEO Tutorial

 

What is a Broken Link?

In the world of website development and online content creation, broken links are a common problem that can cause significant issues for website owners and users alike. A broken link, also known as a dead link, is a hyperlink that no longer leads to its intended destination, resulting in an error message or a blank page. These broken links can occur for a variety of reasons, including changes to the URL structure, deletion of pages, or updates to the website's content.

The presence of broken links on a website can have several negative consequences, both for the website owner and for the user experience. For website owners, broken links can negatively impact search engine optimization (SEO) efforts by reducing the website's overall authority and relevance. This can result in a lower ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs) and ultimately fewer organic traffic and revenue. Broken links can also create a poor user experience by frustrating users who are looking for specific information or products and driving them away from the site.

For users, broken links can be frustrating, particularly if they are looking for important information or trying to complete a transaction. Broken links can also lead to a loss of trust in the website, as users may perceive the website as unprofessional or poorly maintained. This loss of trust can ultimately lead to a decrease in conversions and revenue for the website owner.

There are several tools available to help website owners identify and fix broken links on their sites. These tools typically scan the website's pages and identify any broken links, allowing the website owner to update the links or redirect them to the correct destination. Many website platforms and content management systems also have built-in features that automatically redirect broken links to the correct destination, minimizing the impact of broken links on SEO and user experience.

How to Detect Broken Links?

Here are some ways to detect broken links on your website:

1. Manual Checking: One of the simplest ways to detect broken links is to manually check each page of your website. This method is time-consuming, but it allows you to identify broken links accurately. You can click on each link on your website and see if it leads to the intended destination or not. This method is ideal for small websites or those with a limited number of pages.
2. Use a Web Crawler: A web crawler is a software tool that scans your website for broken links. It crawls all the pages on your website and identifies links that lead to a 404 error page or a page that no longer exists. There are many free and paid web crawler tools available online that you can use to scan your website.
3. Google Search Console: Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that helps website owners monitor their website's performance on Google search results. It also provides information on broken links and crawls errors on your website. To use this tool, you need to verify your website with Google and set up a Search Console account. Once you have done that, you can access the crawl error report that provides details on broken links, missing pages, and other crawl errors.
4. Online Broken Link Checkers: There are many online tools available that allow you to check your website for broken links. These tools work by scanning your website and identifying links that no longer work. Some of the popular broken link checker tools include Dead Link Checker, Broken Link Checker, and Dr. Link Check.
5. Browser Extensions: Many browser extensions are available that can help you identify broken links on a website. These extensions work by highlighting broken links on the page, making it easy for you to identify them. Some popular browser extensions for detecting broken links include Check My Links, Link Checker, and LinkMiner.

Do Broken Links Hurt Your Website?

Broken links can hurt your website in several ways, making it essential to identify and fix them promptly. Broken links, also known as dead links or 404 errors, occur when a hyperlink on your website leads to a page that no longer exists or has been removed. Here are some ways in which broken links can harm your website:

1. Negative impact on user experience: When users encounter broken links, they are unable to access the information they are looking for, leading to frustration and disappointment. This negative experience can lead to users leaving your website and finding the information they need elsewhere. It can also result in a loss of trust in your website, potentially leading to a decrease in conversions and revenue.
2. Lower search engine ranking: Search engines use various factors to rank websites, including the number of high-quality external and internal links pointing to a website. Broken links can negatively impact the website's authority and relevance, leading to a lower search engine ranking. This can result in lower organic traffic and revenue for the website owner.
3. Negative impact on website crawlability: Search engine bots regularly crawl websites to update their index and rank them accordingly. Broken links can negatively impact the crawlability of your website, making it harder for search engine bots to crawl your website and index your pages. This can lead to a decrease in search engine ranking and organic traffic.
4. Negative impact on website reputation: Broken links can harm your website's reputation and make it appear unprofessional and poorly maintained. This can lead to a decrease in user trust, ultimately resulting in a loss of traffic and revenue.
5. Negative impact on website analytics: Broken links can skew website analytics by inflating the bounce rate and reducing the average time on site. This can make it harder to accurately track website performance and make informed decisions about website optimization.

Examples of a Broken Link Error Code

When a web server returns a broken link error code, it typically sends an HTTP status code to the user's web browser to indicate the type of error that occurred. Here are some examples of HTTP status codes that may be associated with broken link errors:

1. 400 Bad Request: The URL on your website is not understood by the host server
2. 404 Not Found: This is the most common HTTP status code associated with broken links. It occurs when the server is unable to locate the requested page or resource. This error code may be displayed as "404 Page Not Found" on the user's web browser.
3. 410 Gone: This HTTP status code indicates that the requested page or resource is no longer available and has been permanently removed from the server. This error code may be displayed as "410 Gone" on the user's web browser. It is also known as a Bad host
4. 403 Forbidden: This HTTP status code occurs when the server refuses to provide access to the requested page or resource. This error code may be displayed as "403 Forbidden" on the user's web browser. It's also called Empty because it has no content and no response code
5. 408 Request Timeout: This HTTP status code occurs when the server is unable to process the user's request within a specified time limit. This error code may be displayed as "408 Request Timeout" on the user's web browser.
6. 500 Internal Server Error: This HTTP status code indicates that an unexpected error occurred on the server, preventing it from fulfilling the user's request. This error code may be displayed as "500 Internal Server Error" on the user's web browser.
7. Bad URL: It is the one that has errors, such as a missing bracket, additional slashes, incorrect protocol, etc.

Reasons for Broken Links

Here are some common reasons for broken links:

1. Page or resource has been deleted: When a webpage or resource is deleted from a website, any links pointing to that page or resource will become broken. This can occur when a website owner removes outdated content or when a webpage is accidentally deleted.
2. URL changes: If a webpage's URL changes, any links pointing to the old URL will become broken. This can occur when a website owner updates the structure of their website or changes the permalink structure of their pages.
3. Typing errors: Broken links can also be caused by typing errors, such as a misspelled URL or an incorrect hyperlink. These types of errors are typically the result of human error and can be easily corrected.
4. Website migration: When a website is migrated to a new domain or hosting provider, any links pointing to the old website may become broken. This can occur when website owners change their domain name or switch to a new hosting provider.
5. Content updates: If a website owner updates the content of a page, any links pointing to that page may become broken. This can occur when website owners remove or rename sections of a page, causing any links pointing to those sections to become broken.
6. Linking to external resources: Broken links can also be caused by linking to external resources that are no longer available. This can occur when external websites remove or relocate content, or when external resources are removed or renamed.
7. Redirect errors: When a redirect is set up incorrectly, it can result in a broken link. This can occur when website owners set up a redirect to a non-existent page or when redirect rules are set up incorrectly.

Are Broken Links Important for SEO and Why?

Broken links will harm your Google Search rankings, but they won't have an overall negative effect on your SEO. Broken links are a factor in Google's Search Quality Rating Guidelines, but as long as you regularly check for broken links and fix them when Google alerts you to a new problem on your website, as in the example below, you should be able to maintain a high-quality site:

User Experience

The repercussions of a broken link should not be understated because user experience has a big impact on SEO. The UX and search results are the main reason behind the changes in search engines' algorithms. Although search engines might accept broken links, people who visit your website might not do so and it can unavoidably damage your site's reputation.

Bounce rate

No matter how many broken links you have, anyone who visits your page will judge it based on its accessibility, expertise, loading speed, and information. If the information on your site is inaccessible due to broken links, viewers will exit and visit another website. When people will spend less time on your website the bounce rate will go up.

How to Find and Fix Broken Links on Your Website?

1. Use a website crawler: Website crawlers are tools that can scan your website and identify broken links. Some popular website crawlers include Screaming Frog, SEMrush, and Ahrefs. Simply enter your website URL into the tool and it will scan your website for broken links.
2. Check Google Search Console: Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that can help you identify and fix website issues. One of its features is the ability to identify crawl errors, including broken links. Simply navigate to the "Coverage" report in Google Search Console to identify any crawl errors on your website.
3. Use a broken link checker: There are several online broken link checker tools available that can scan your website for broken links. Some popular tools include Broken Link Checker, Dead Link Checker, and W3C Link Checker. Simply enter your website URL into the tool and it will scan your website for broken links.
4. Check for broken internal links: In addition to checking for broken external links, it's important to check for broken internal links on your website. Internal links are links that point to other pages on your website. Broken internal links can negatively impact user experience and website performance. Use the same tools mentioned above to identify broken internal links on your website.
5. Fix broken links: Once you have identified broken links on your website, it's important to fix them promptly. There are several ways to fix broken links, including:
6. Update the link URL: If the linked page or resource still exists, update the link URL to point to the correct page or resource.
7. Redirect the link: If the linked page or resource has been permanently moved or deleted, set up a redirect to a new page or resource.
8. Remove the link: If the linked page or resource is no longer relevant, remove the link from your website.

Best Practices to Resolve Broken Links

You will need to set aside time each month to monitor for any broken links, based on how much content you publish. You should adhere to these recommended practices whether it's once a month, once a quarter, or any interval you select:

• Check Google Crawl Errors

404 Not Found This is made simple by the search console, which prioritises crawl failures for you. You can be sure that there are no pressing 404 crawl issues farther down the list if the top mistakes in the report are all irrelevant.

• Regularly monitor for broken links

The first and most important best practice is to regularly monitor your website for broken links. You can use website crawlers, Google Search Console, broken link checker tools, and manual checks to identify broken links on your website.

• On the website, stay away from deep links unless necessary

A deep link is one that points to a specific page rather than the homepage; internal linking and anchor text are additional terms for deep links. If you think the website is a trustworthy source of information, you should use deep links whether they are internal or external. You should plan a monthly review to make sure none of your connections are broken, for instance, if you operate an online store and are connecting to your own product pages that might disappear when you run out of stock.

• Monitor external links

External links pointing to your website can also become broken, so it's important to monitor them as well. Use tools like Google Search Console or Ahrefs to identify external links pointing to broken pages on your website, and reach out to the linking websites to ask them to update the link.

• Contact the website that is linking if the link is an external one and ask them to update it

It's important to get in touch with the connecting website and inform them if they linked to you inadvertently. They might solve it, or you might have a chance to establish a link with them. If the URL source or website is no longer active, you can consider substituting another source or getting rid of it entirely.

• The utilisation of systems for redirection, which, in the event that links are broken, routes users to a different site of content. Visit the following website to 301 the broken page to the new location:

<meta http-equiv=”refresh” content=”0; URL=’http://yourwebsite.com'”/>

• Keep your website structure and URLs consistent

A consistent website structure and URL format can help prevent broken links from occurring in the first place. Use a logical website structure and consistent URL format to ensure that links remain valid even if pages or resources are moved or renamed.

Depending on your website’s programming language here are a few more tips:

• Replace and recreate the broken URL's content: To rebuild or reconstruct the shattered page, ascertain what it formerly was.
• You can redirect (301) visitors to a relevant page on your website from the broken page

Find a similar piece of content on your website, then refer to that page from the broken one. For instance, it would make perfect sense to send traffic from a broken page labelled "How to do broken link building" to a working website titled "The complete guide to broken link building."

• Leave as a 404

This is a completely viable alternative; just be sure to display a "hard" 404 rather than a "soft" 404. 

How to Find and Fix Broken Backlinks?

Here are some steps you can follow to find and fix broken backlinks:

1. Use a backlink analysis tool: There are several backlink analysis tools available that can help you identify broken backlinks pointing to your website. Some popular tools include Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz. Simply enter your website URL into the tool and it will scan the internet for backlinks pointing to your website.
2. Identify broken backlinks: Once you have identified the backlinks pointing to your website, use the backlink analysis tool to identify any broken backlinks. Broken backlinks are those that lead to a 404 error page or a page that no longer exists.
3. Contact the linking website: If the linking website is still active, reach out to them and ask them to update the broken link with the correct URL. Be polite and professional in your outreach, and provide the correct URL for the broken link to make it easy for them to update.
4. Set up a redirect: If the linking website is no longer active or you are unable to contact them, set up a redirect from the broken URL to a relevant page on your website. This will ensure that visitors who click on the broken backlink are redirected to a relevant page on your website, and link equity is passed on to your website.
5. Disavow the backlink: If the broken backlink is spammy or harmful to your website's SEO, you may want to disavow it. Disavowing a backlink means telling Google that you don't want it to be considered a part of your backlink profile. You can do this by creating a disavow file and submitting it to Google through Google Search Console.

How to Redirect Broken Links in WordPress

Redirecting broken links is an important task for maintaining a healthy website and improving user experience. WordPress does not offer an out-of-the-box redirect solution, but you can easily redirect broken links using plugins or manually. Here are some steps to redirect broken links in WordPress:

Source: Seo-Hacker

Method 1: Using a plugin

Install and activate a redirect plugin: There are several redirect plugins available for WordPress, but some popular ones are Redirection and Yoast SEO. Install and activate the plugin of your choice.

Identify the broken links: Use a broken link checker tool or a Google Search Console to identify the broken links on your website.

Set up the redirects: Open the redirect plugin and set up the redirects for the broken links. You can set up redirects manually or import a CSV file with the list of broken links and their corresponding redirect URLs.

Test the redirects: Once you have set up the redirects, test them to ensure that they are working correctly.

Method 2: Manually redirect broken links

Identify the broken links: Use a broken link checker tool or a Google Search Console to identify the broken links on your website.

Locate the .htaccess file: The .htaccess file is located in the root directory of your WordPress installation. You can access it through your website's hosting control panel or using an FTP client.

You'll need to open your .htaccess file in Notepad or TextEdit.

Enter the following data (be sure to change the URLs to your own):

On RewriteEngine

Redirect 301 /your-old-post-product/ http://example.com/new-link-to-replace/

Redirect 301 /another-old-post-product/ http://example.com/anothernew-link-to-replace/

After saving, you can use FTP to upload the file. Your old link has been changed to point to the new page.

Add redirect rules: Open the .htaccess file and add redirect rules for the broken links. The redirect rule should include the broken link and the corresponding redirect URL. For example:

Redirect 301 /old-page/ http://www.yourwebsite.com/new-page/

Save the file and test the redirects: Save the .htaccess file and test the redirects to ensure that they are working correctly.

Redirecting broken links in WordPress is a simple task that can be done using a plugin or manually. Use a broken link checker tool or a Google Search Console to identify the broken links on your website, and set up the redirects using a plugin or by manually adding redirect rules to the .htaccess file. By redirecting broken links, you can maintain a healthy website and improve user experience.

How to Redirect Broken Links in Wix

Here are some steps to redirect broken links in Wix:

• Identify the broken links: Use a broken link checker tool or a Google Search Console to identify the broken links on your Wix website.
• Locate the Site Structure section: In the Wix editor, go to the Site Structure section.
• Click on the page with the broken link: Click on the page that contains the broken link.
• Click on the "Settings" button: Click on the "Settings" button located in the top bar of the editor.
• Click on the "SEO (Google)" tab: Click on the "SEO (Google)" tab located in the left-hand menu.
• Click on the "Custom 404 Page" button: Scroll down to the "Advanced SEO" section and click on the "Custom 404 Page" button.
• Click on the "Add 301 Redirect" button: Click on the "Add 301 Redirect" button located at the bottom of the custom 404-page section.
• Enter the old and new URLs: In the redirect editor, enter the old URL (the broken link) and the new URL (the correct link).
• Save the redirect: Click on the "Save" button to save the redirect.
• Test the redirect: Once you have set up the redirect, test it to ensure that it is working correctly.

How to Redirect Broken Links in Shopify

Here are some steps to redirect broken links in Shopify:

• Identify the broken links: Use a broken link checker tool or a Google Search Console to identify the broken links on your Shopify website.
• Open the Shopify admin panel: Log in to your Shopify account and open the Shopify admin panel.
• Go to the Online Store section: In the Shopify admin panel, go to the Online Store section.
• Click on the "Navigation" link: Click on the "Navigation" link located in the left-hand menu.
• Click on the "URL Redirects" button: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the "URL Redirects" button.
• Click on the "Add URL Redirect" button: Click on the "Add URL Redirect" button located at the top of the URL redirects page.
• Enter the old and new URLs: In the URL redirect editor, enter the old URL (the broken link) and the new URL (the correct link).
• Save the redirect: Click on the "Save" button to save the redirect.
• Test the redirect: Once you have set up the redirect, test it to ensure that it is working correctly.

In conclusion, broken links are a common issue that can negatively impact website user experience and SEO. It is important to regularly check for broken links and fix them promptly. There are several tools available to help identify broken links, such as Google Search Console and broken link checker tools.

To fix broken links, the first step is to identify them using the tools mentioned above. Once identified, there are several ways to fix them, including updating the link to the correct URL, creating a 301 redirect to a new page, or removing the broken link altogether.

For website owners using popular website builders such as WordPress, Wix, and Shopify, fixing broken links is relatively easy. Each platform has its own process for redirecting broken links, which can be done within the platform's settings or admin panel.

By regularly checking for and fixing broken links on your website, you can improve user experience, maintain a healthy website, and improve your search engine rankings.