You’re browsing a website and discover a link to some content you’d like to read – it’s just what you’ve been searching for. You click the link, and you’re met by ‘404 – page not found’.
Broken links on a website can make for a very frustrating search experience. They are bad for user experience and can harm your SEO efforts too.
Broken links are also more common than you’d think. Rather aptly, when researching this blog, I found a 404 page on one website!
In this guide, we define what a broken link is, explore common causes of broken links and their impact on SEO, and explain how to find, fix, and prevent broken links from occurring. We also answer some frequently asked questions about dead links.
Table of Contents
What is a broken link?
A broken link – or dead link – on a website is a hyperlink to a page or resource that no longer exists. Once it’s clicked, you are met with the ‘404 – Page Not Found’ message.
Broken links can be:
- Internal links (linking to another page of your website)
- External links (linking out to another website)
- Broken backlinks (another site links to a broken page on your site, so the backlink no longer exists)
How can dead links occur?
Dead links are a common issue that can occur for several reasons.
Page has moved or been deleted
If a page has been deleted or has moved location from the original URL, any links to the original URL will become broken. Users will be met by the 404 status code if a redirect is not implemented, or if the existing links are not updated.
For example, the bikes category page has been deleted from an online store as these are no longer sold. However, existing links to that page across the site are not removed, resulting in broken links. Any backlinks pointing to that page will also be removed.
Change in URL or site structure (no redirects)
Where site structure or URL structure changes have happened across the site, 301 redirects should be implemented. If this hasn’t happened, links will become broken.
For example, a recent site restructure has taken place to better target keywords.
Old URL: /black-blue-shoes/
New URLs: /black-shoes/ and /blue-shoes/
A redirect should be put in place and existing links to this page should be updated.
Link is not spelled correctly
Dead links may be caused by a simple error such as the URL has a typo or is not formatted correctly.
For example: https://www.seoworks.co.uk/cntact-s/ should be https://www.seoworks.co.uk/contact-us/
Restricted access
Links may not lead users to the correct destination if they have restricted access.
For example, a password-protected page or a page behind a firewall.
File is removed
Just as a 404 will be returned if a page no longer exists, the same applies if files that are linked to it are removed.
For example, a restaurant menu PDF no longer exists, or an image has been deleted.
Plugin issues
Issues with plugins malfunctioning can cause links to break, or HTML or JavaScript errors may cause elements of the page to break.
For example, a plugin causes dead links from social sharing buttons.
Links to old domain
When a site changes domain names, links to any page on that domain will return a 502 error (bad gateway).
For example, a company rebrands from Sheffield Office Supplies to Yorkshire Office Supplies.
Redirects should always be mapped out in advance of a domain change. Check out our site migration checklist.
Are broken links bad for SEO?
Broken links can negatively impact your SEO efforts in several ways:
- Dead links are frustrating for user experience, which means users are less likely to convert (e.g. make a purchase or an enquiry), or to return to your site in future
- When Google’s crawlers hit various broken links, this hinders their ability to crawl and index your site. This means that all of your SEO efforts, like creating great content, are for nothing if they can’t be crawled and indexed – leading to zero chance of ranking
- Keyword rankings are determined by many factors, including how users engage with your site. So if a lot of users are ‘bouncing’ back to search results due to hitting dead links, this will act as a bad signal to Google. Your content is unlikely to rank high
- Google favours fresh, updated content so whether you have a lot of broken links on your site (internal and external), or whether inbound links to your site hit a dead end, Google will assume your content is outdated and your site is poorly maintained. This will again have a knock-on effect on rankings and performance
How to check your site & find broken links
Now we’ve identified some common causes of broken links and know the negative impact they have on SEO, let’s explore how you can find broken links.
Broken link checker tools
Various broken link checker tools will provide you with the data to find broken links.
Auditing tools such as Sitebulb, Screaming Frog, Semrush and Ahrefs provide data on broken links.
You can also add extensions to your Chrome browser that will flag any dead links on the page. Add-ons such as Check My Links are free from the Chrome web store.
Google Search Console
Search Console’s Indexing report will provide you with an overview of which pages aren’t indexed, including any 404 (not found) errors. We recommend checking Search Console regularly.
You can also review all internal and external links using the Links report.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics also enables you to find broken links on your website. Using the Pages and Screens Report (which can be found under Engagement), select ‘Page title and screen class’ in the drop-down menu. Add ‘page path and screen class’ as a secondary dimension. Search for ‘404’ or ‘page not found’ in the search box.
Manual broken link checks
Alternatively, you can also check through all the pages of your site, clicking each link. This can, however, be time-consuming – especially if you have a lot of content.
Manual checks will only identify broken links on your website, and not inbound backlinks.
How to fix broken links
How to fix broken links will depend on the type.
Internal & external links on your site
You have a few options for fixing the dead links on your site – whether they are internal or external links.
- Update the old link to the new URL. Not only will this fix the link, but it will also avoid the extra ‘hop’ that occurs when a 301 redirect is in place (if the link is internal). The new URL will take the user directly to the linked page
- Remove the old link. You may want to remove the old link entirely if you cannot find the new URL or a suitable alternative
- If it’s an internal link, you could add a 301 redirect. You might choose this option if the URL has moved location, or to redirect users to a similar product or service. It is always better to input the new URL rather than implement a redirect if it’s the same product. Do not redirect users to irrelevant pages – this will be bad for rankings and user experience
Backlinks to your site
While the internal and external links on your site are easier to fix, broken backlinks to your site can prove to be an effective link-building method.
Recovering your lost backlinks will involve reaching out to the website owner and asking them to update the link. You can read more in our blog about broken link-building & other methods.
How to prevent broken links
With broken links found and fixed, it’s important to prevent them from harming your SEO efforts in future.
When undergoing any major site changes like a site or URL restructure, make sure to update your links.
We recommend regularly checking for dead links across your site using auditing tools such as Sitebulb or Semrush.
Google Search Console’s Links report is a great tool for reviewing internal and external links as a whole. You can also identify pages that could benefit from more internal links. Find out more about the benefits of internal linking.
Final thoughts
Broken links can negatively impact your site’s performance. They are bad for users and search engines, so it’s important to regularly review your links.
We can see how your site is performing with our audits. Contact us for a FREE website review.
Broken links FAQs
What is the difference between 404 and broken links?
A broken link leads to content that no longer exists, whereas 404 (page not found) is the status code you usually see that tells you the page could not be found. The 404 status code is served after you click the broken link.
What is the difference between a broken link and a dead link?
A broken link is also known as a dead link. It’s a hyperlink on a website that links to content that no longer exists. It may also be referred to as link rot.
How do you deal with dead links?
Dead – or broken – links should be fixed so they don’t impact your SEO. With dead links on your website, you can either update or remove the link, or add a 301 redirect if the link is internal. Website owners will need to be contacted to update broken backlinks to your site.
How do I find broken links to build backlinks?
Auditing tools like Semrush or Ahrefs will help you to identify lost links to your site, as well as broken competitor links. Broken links can be an effective link-building method. Read our blog to learn more about broken link-building & other methods.
How long does it take for Google to remove dead links?
Google’s crawlers will eventually remove dead links from their index if they are not dealt with. It may take a few weeks to a few months for Google to remove dead links from its index. It will depend on many factors, including how often Google crawls your site. If you don’t want your content de-indexing, it’s best to regularly audit your links.
Steph is a Team Leader and has worked in SEO for 7 years. She is a meticulous proofreader.
Hi! I’m Ben, CEO of The SEO Works
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