Broken Links: How to Find and Fix Them for Better SEO
Broken links, broken links everywhere! Isn't it just the worst when you click a link expecting useful content and instead find yourself face-to-face with a dreaded "404 error"? It's like turning down the wrong road during a road trip, only to end up lost in the digital wilderness.
Broken links not only annoy your visitors but also negatively impact your SEO. Let's dive into exactly what broken links are, why they're harmful, and how you can fix and avoid them.
🚫 What Exactly Are Broken Links?
Broken links are URLs on your website leading to pages that no longer exist or have moved, resulting in a "404 Page Not Found" error.
🤔 Why Are Broken Links Bad for SEO?
Poor User Experience
Users dislike encountering dead ends. Broken links can increase bounce rates, reduce engagement, and negatively impact your overall user experience.
Hurts Crawlability
Search engines use links to explore your site. When they hit broken links, crawling can stop abruptly, affecting how your site is indexed and ranked.
🔍 How to Find Broken Links
The quickest method is to use a broken link checker tool. These tools crawl your website thoroughly to pinpoint broken links.
Recommended tools: Screaming Frog, SEMrush, Ahrefs.
🛠️ How to Fix Broken Links
You have several effective ways to handle broken links:
1. Delete the Broken Link
Simply remove the broken URL. This is quick but doesn't guide visitors to helpful alternatives.
2. Set Up Redirects
Implement 301 redirects to relevant, functioning pages. This helps maintain a smooth user experience and preserves your SEO.
Example .htaccess redirect:
Redirect 301 /old-page.html https://www.example.com/new-page/
Replace /old-page.html with the broken URL and the example domain with your target page.
3. Create a Custom 404 Page
Custom 404 pages guide visitors to helpful information or alternatives when they encounter broken links, improving user experience.
Example .htaccess code:
ErrorDocument 404 /404.html
Replace /404.html with your custom error page URL.
📌 Best Practices to Avoid Broken Links
✅ Regularly Audit Your Website
Consistently use link-checking tools to catch issues early.
📂 Keep Your Website Structure Organised
Maintain clear, logical site architecture to minimise broken links caused by structural changes.
🔗 Use Descriptive Link Text
Clear and meaningful anchor text helps reduce confusion and errors.
🚀 Wrap-Up: Stay Link-Healthy
Broken links are SEO and user-experience killers. Regularly finding, fixing, and preventing broken links ensures your visitors (and search engines) have the smoothest journey possible.
Key tips:
Regularly audit your website for broken links
Promptly fix or redirect broken links
Utilise a custom 404 error page
Keep your digital paths clear and your visitors happy!
🌟 Ready for SEO Success?
Managing broken links is just part of the comprehensive SEO strategy we offer at Tomedia. Want a healthy, high-performing website? Get in touch today and let's ensure your site achieves peak performance!