Broken links negatively impact both user experience and search engine optimization (SEO) performance. These hyperlinks lead to unavailable web pages, resulting in errors like 404s, and can signal to search engines that a website is poorly maintained. Addressing broken links proactively is a crucial aspect of website maintenance.
What Are Broken Links?
Broken links are hyperlinks that point to web pages that no longer exist or are inaccessible. They commonly result in a 404 error, but can also manifest as 410 (Gone) or 500 (Server Error) HTTP status codes. These links can be internal, connecting pages within the same website, or external, linking to pages on other websites. Different types of broken links exist, including 404 Not Found errors, Soft 404 errors (which visually indicate a page is not found but return a 200 OK status), and Server Errors (5xx codes indicating server-side issues).
Why Address Broken Links?
The presence of broken links can damage a website’s reputation and SEO. Potential clients or customers encountering error pages may become frustrated and seek information elsewhere. A high number of broken links can create the impression of an unprofessional or untrustworthy website. Search engines interpret broken links as a negative signal, potentially leading to decreased search engine traffic and lower rankings. When a search engine crawler encounters a broken link, it registers a crawl error; an excess of these errors may cause the search engine to view the website as poorly maintained or unreliable. Recovering link equity from broken backlinks is also possible by redirecting the link or requesting an update from the referring domain.
Tools for Finding Broken Links
Several tools are available to identify broken links on a website, with the best choice depending on the site’s size and complexity.
- Ahrefs Broken Link Checker: This tool scans a website for broken outbound links, providing a report detailing the broken target URLs, referring pages, and anchor text.
- Check My Links (Chrome Extension): Suitable for smaller websites or individual pages, this extension quickly scans for broken links without requiring a full site crawl.
- Google Search Console: This tool identifies crawl errors, including 404 errors, and provides information on indexing problems and mobile usability. It allows filtering by “Not Found (404)” to specifically view broken internal URLs and identify referring pages.
- Ahrefs Site Audit Tool: This tool crawls an entire website to identify technical issues, including broken internal and external links, and allows tracking of errors over time.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Free Version): This downloadable tool crawls up to 500 URLs, checking for broken links, missing image alt text, redirect chains, and duplicate content.
- Webseotools.io Broken Links Checker: This tool scans a website and provides a complete report of broken links.
- Ahrefs Webmaster Tools: This free tool identifies broken internal and external links, missing alt tags, slow pages, and indexing issues.
Methods for Identifying Broken Links with Specific Tools
Several methods can be used to find broken links using specific tools:
Ahrefs Broken Link Checker: Enter the website URL into the search bar and click “Check broken links” to generate a report.
Google Search Console: Log in, select the website property, navigate to Pages under Indexing, click “Not Indexed,” filter by “Reason = Not Found (404),” review the list of broken pages, and export the data.
Ahrefs Site Audit Tool: Log in, navigate to Site Audit, create a new project or open an existing one, start a crawl, and then examine the Internal pages section for issues flagged as “Broken internal link” or “4XX response.”
Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Download and run the tool, enter the website URL, and allow it to crawl the site, identifying broken links and other issues.
Fixing Broken Links
There are different approaches to fixing broken links depending on whether they are internal or external.
For broken internal links, the primary solution is to update the link to point to the correct, existing page.
For broken external links, two options exist: redirecting the link to a relevant page or contacting the referring domain to request an update. Redirecting preserves some link equity, while contacting the referring domain may result in a more relevant link. Finding the appropriate contact person on the referring domain can be challenging.
Finding Broken Backlinks
Identifying broken backlinks – links from other websites pointing to your site – can help recover lost link equity. Tools like Ahrefs Site Explorer can be used to find these broken links. Once identified, the options are to redirect the link to a relevant page on your site or to contact the referring domain and request they update the link to a working URL.
Conclusion
Identifying and resolving broken links is a critical component of website maintenance and SEO. Utilizing tools such as Ahrefs, Google Search Console, and Screaming Frog, website owners and SEO professionals can efficiently locate and address these issues, improving user experience and potentially boosting search engine rankings. The source materials emphasize the importance of proactive monitoring and timely resolution of broken links to maintain a healthy and effective online presence.