How to Check Broken Links (Best 3 Methods)

Learn how to check broken links on your website with our easy guide. Fixing broken links improves user experience, boosts search rankings, and keeps your site running smoothly.

Discover simple tools and methods to find and repair both internal and external links, avoiding 404 errors. Start fixing your site today – read our guide now!

What is Broken Links?

Broken links, also known as dead links, are hyperlinks that no longer work because the target web page has been moved or deleted. These broken links result in 404 error pages when clicked.

They can occur with both internal links (links within your website) and outgoing links (links to external websites). Broken links can negatively impact the user experience and hurt your search engine rankings.

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Do Broken Links Damage Your Website?

Yes, broken links can significantly damage your website. When users encounter broken links, they may get frustrated and leave your site, leading to a higher bounce rate. Search engines, like Google, also take broken links into account when ranking websites.

Too many broken links can signal to search engines that your site is not well-maintained, which can negatively impact your SEO efforts. Therefore, checking broken links is essential to maintain a healthy website regularly.

How to Check Broken Links on Your Website?

Checking broken links on your website can be done through various methods:

1. Manual Checking: This involves going through each page and link manually. While this method is thorough, it is time-consuming, especially for large websites.
2. Online Broken Link Checker Tools: Use an online tool like a broken link checker to automate the process. These tools scan your website for broken links and provide a report.
3. SEO Tools: Many SEO tools, such as Ahrefs or SEMrush, include features to check broken links on your website. These tools not only find broken links but also offer insights into your website’s overall SEO health.

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How to Fix Broken Links on Your Website?

Once you have identified the broken links on your website, the next step is to fix them. Here’s how:

1. Update or Replace Broken Links: If the content is still available but has been moved, update the link to the new URL. If the content is no longer available, replace the broken link with a new, relevant link.
2. Create 301 Redirects: If a page has been permanently moved, use a 301 redirect to send users and search engines to the new location. This helps preserve the SEO value of the original page.
3. Remove the Link: If the content is not available and there is no suitable replacement, consider removing the link altogether to avoid a 404 error.

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How to Find and Fix Broken Backlinks?

Broken backlinks are links from other websites to your site that no longer work. They can harm your website’s authority and traffic. Here’s how to find and fix them:

1. Use an SEO Tool: Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush can help you find broken backlinks pointing to your site. These tools provide comprehensive reports on the status of your backlinks.
2. Contact the Linking Website: Reach out to the webmasters of the sites with broken backlinks and ask them to update their links to the correct URL.
3. Create Redirects: As with internal broken links, set up 301 redirects for the broken backlinks to guide users and search engines to the correct page.

Conclusion

Regularly checking and fixing broken links on your website is crucial for maintaining a good user experience and strong SEO performance.

Use a combination of manual checking, online broken link checker tools, and SEO tools to identify and repair broken links effectively.

Addressing link rot and keeping your site free of error pages can enhance your website’s usability and search engine rankings.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)