A broken link hurts your website in multiple ways. These dead URLs frustrate visitors and damage your SEO efforts. When users click a link that leads nowhere, they often leave your site. Search engines also notice these errors and may lower your rankings.

Learning how to fix broken links is essential for website success. This guide shows you how to find and fix these problems fast. Follow our steps to improve your site’s health and user experience.

Key Takeaways

  • Broken links create poor user experiences and hurt SEO rankings
  • Use tools like Google Search Console to find non-working links on your site
  • Apply 301 redirects to guide users from old URLs to new pages
  • Fix internal and external links through different methods
  • Regular site checks prevent link problems
  • Broken link building can turn dead links into SEO opportunities
how to fix broken links

What Are Broken Links and Why They Damage Your Website

A broken link is a URL that no longer works as expected. When users click these links, they see a 404 error page. This happens when a page is removed from the server or the URL structure changes.

Broken links come in two main types. Internal links connect pages within your domain. External links point to other websites. Both types need attention for different reasons.

These dead links harm your site in several ways:

  • They create a poor user experience
  • They waste your crawl budget
  • They reduce the value of your SEO efforts
  • They make your site look unprofessional
  • They increase bounce rates

Google and other search crawlers track how users interact with your site. High bounce rates from broken links tell them your content isn’t helpful. This can lower your rankings over time.

How to Find Broken Links on Your Website

Before you can fix inactive links, you must find them. Several tools help identify broken pages on your site.

Using Google Search Console

Google Search Console shows 404 errors your site generates. Go to the “Coverage” section to find pages that return errors. This free tool helps you identify broken inbound links.

Try Dedicated Link Checkers

Link checker tools crawl your site to find problematic URLs. Tools like:

  • SEMrush
  • Ahrefs
  • Link Checker plugin (for WordPress)

These tools scan your website pages and report all inactive links they find.

Check Links Manually

For smaller sites, manual checking works well. Click links within important pages to see if they work as expected. You can also examine the HTML source code to catch hidden links that aren’t visible on the page. Pay special attention to:

Make a list of any broken pages you find. Note both the page the link appears on and the URL it points to.

5 Steps to Fix Broken Links Effectively

Fixing those links involves a simple process. Follow these steps to fix the broken URLs on your website.

1. Identify Links That Are Broken

Use the tools mentioned above to find all 404 links. Create a list with:

  • The page where the broken link appears
  • The URL of the broken link
  • The anchor text used

This information helps you decide how to fix each link.

2. Determine Why Links Are Broken

Links break for different reasons:

  • The page was removed
  • The URL structure changed
  • There’s a typo in the URL
  • The domain no longer exists

Understanding why a link is broken helps you choose the right fix.

3. Fix Internal Links

For links within your site:

  • Update the link to the correct URL if the page exists
  • Create a 301 forwarding from the old URL to a new page
  • Remove the link if the content is no longer relevant

Internal links are fully under your control. This makes them easier to fix.

4. Address External Links

For links to other websites:

  • Replace with an updated link to the same resource
  • Find a similar resource to link to instead
  • Remove the link if no suitable replacement exists

Outgoing links require more research to fix properly.

5. Implement Redirects

For important pages that have moved:

  • Set up 301 routing for permanently moved content
  • Use 302 for temporarily moved pages
  • Update your sitemap after adding rules

301 and 302 Redirects help both users and search engines find your content.

Forwarding Options for Broken Pages

Redirects send visitors from old URLs to new pages. They’re essential for fixing broken links that point to your site.

301 Rule: The Best Option

A 301 redirect tells browsers and search crawlers a page has moved permanently. This rerouting passes most SEO value to the new page. Use 301s when:

  • You’ve changed your URL structure
  • You’ve consolidated content
  • A page has a new permanent home

Googlebot and other search indexing robots respect 301s and update their indexes.

WordPress Redirect Methods

If you use WordPress, several options exist:

  • Use a redirection plugin like Redirection or RankMath
  • Edit your .htaccess file directly
  • Use Yoast SEO Premium’s redirect manager

These tools make creating redirects simple on WordPress sites.

Using .htaccess for Redirects

For non-WordPress sites, edit your .htaccess file to add:

Redirect 301 /old-page.html https://yourdomain.com/new-page/

This code reroutes visitors from the old page to the new URL. Always back up your .htaccess file before editing.

Broken Link Building: Turning Problems Into Opportunities

Broken link building uses other sites’ dead links for SEO gains. This technique helps you get quality backlinks.

Finding Broken Backlinks

Look for websites in your niche with broken outbound links:

  1. Use tools like Ahrefs to find relevant sites
  2. Check their outbound links for 404 errors
  3. Create content that replaces what the broken backlink pointed to
  4. Contact the website owner about the inactive link

Offer your content as a replacement for the broken link they have.

Crafting Your Outreach

When contacting website owners:

  • Be helpful by pointing out the broken link
  • Explain where you found the link
  • Suggest your content as a replacement
  • Keep your email short and friendly

This approach helps website owners while building links to your site.

Why This Strategy Works

Website owners want to fix broken links on their sites. By helping them identify problems and offering solutions, you:

  • Build goodwill
  • Provide value first
  • Make the fix easy for them
  • Create a win-win situation

This strategy works better than simply asking for links.

Maintain Your Site to Prevent Broken Links

Regular maintenance prevents link problems. Set up a schedule to:

  • Check for non-working links monthly
  • Update old content with fresh links
  • Review redirects to ensure they work
  • Monitor traffic patterns for 404s

Prevention is easier than fixing problems later.

Conclusion

Fixing broken links improves both user experience and SEO. Start by identifying broken URLs on your site. Then apply the right fix for each situation. Use redirects for important pages and update links where possible.

Regular checks keep your site running smoothly. Make link checking part of your website maintenance routine. Your visitors and search engines will reward you for a well-maintained site.

Remember that dead links hurt your site in multiple ways. Taking time to fix them shows you care about quality. This attention to detail helps your site rank better and keeps visitors happy.