What Is Broken Links?
Broken links, also known as dead links, are hyperlinks that lead to a page or resource that no longer exists or is unavailable. Clicking on these links typically results in error messages, such as the “404 Page Not Found” error.The Importance Of Broken Links
Broken links disrupt user experience and hinder the flow of information. They also negatively impact SEO by wasting search engine crawl budget and signaling to search engines that a website is poorly maintained. Regularly fixing broken links improves both user satisfaction and search rankings.
Types Of Broken Links
- Internal Broken Links: Point to non-existent pages within the same website.
- External Broken Links: Lead to missing or outdated pages on other websites.
Examples Of Broken Links
- A blog linking to a deleted article, resulting in a 404 error.
- A website linking to an external resource that has been moved or removed.
Best Practices For Broken Links
- Regularly audit the website for broken links using tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Screaming Frog.
- Redirect broken links to relevant pages using 301 redirects.
- Update external links to point to current resources.
- Create a custom 404 page to guide users to alternative content.
Key Aspects Of Broken Links
- User Experience: Broken links frustrate visitors, reducing engagement and trust.
- SEO Impact: Search engines penalize sites with excessive broken links, seeing them as poorly maintained.
- Crawl Budget Wastage: Search engine bots expend resources on broken links, leaving fewer resources for valuable pages.
- Link Equity Loss: When broken links cannot pass link equity, it diminishes the SEO value of the page.
- Brand Reputation: Multiple broken links can give the impression of a neglected or outdated website.
Challenges For Broken Links
- Large websites with thousands of pages require consistent audits to identify broken links.
- External links are beyond the website owner’s control and can break without warning.
- Migrations and redesigns often result in orphaned or broken internal links.
Learn more: SEO Guide On How To Conduct A Website Audit
Relevant Metrics
- Number of 404 errors identified during audits.
- Crawl reports indicating broken internal or external links.
- User behavior metrics, such as bounce rates on pages with broken links.
Learn more: How Does Website Crawling Work and What It Means For Us?
Learn more: Understanding What Website Crawl Results Indicate
Learn more: What Are Crawl Errors And How To Fix Them