As a business owner, it’s important to make sure your website is well-managed and running as it should. Part of this involves regularly checking your site for broken internal links. This is important because broken links can negatively impact your website’s traffic and user experience.
The first step to fixing broken links is finding them. Luckily, there are a variety of tools and techniques that can make finding and fixing broken links easier.
WSI Web Enhancers is an SEO company that can offer easy solutions and guidance when it comes to fixing broken links and keeping your website running smoothly.
Here are some of the most common questions about broken links.
How can you identify broken links?
A broken internal link, also known as a dead link or a broken hyperlink, is a link on a website that no longer works. A broken link will return an error message when clicked instead of taking the user to the intended destination. For example, you may see an error such as “404 Not Found.”
There are several reasons why links may break:
- The page has been deleted or moved
- The domain name of the site has expired
- The URL structure of the site has changed
- The URL has a typo
- The linking site has been hacked or maliciously redirected
What are the consequences of broken links?
From a user perspective, broken links are frustrating. If a visitor is trying to find information on your website and clicks on a link that doesn’t work, they will likely give up and go to another site. Multiple broken links can also make a website appear untrustworthy or unprofessional, making customers less likely to want to return to your website for business.
Users may be cautious about staying on a website with broken links, as they give the impression that the site is not well-maintained or up-to-date. When a user clicks on a link and is taken to an error page, they may assume that the website is no longer active or that the content is outdated, which is inconvenient from a user perspective. This can lead to a loss of trust and credibility, ultimately harming your business’s reputation as a trusted service provider.
In addition to harming your relationship with customers, broken links can also negatively impact your website’s search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines like Google use algorithms to crawl and index websites, and broken links can signal to these algorithms that your website is not valuable or trustworthy. This can lead to lower rankings in search results, which makes it harder for potential customers to find the information they need from your site.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to ensure that your website is free of broken links.
How can you fix broken links?
There are many tools you can use to find and fix broken links on your website.
Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that gives you insights into your website’s performance on the search engine. It also includes a feature that allows you to submit your sitemap, which helps Google index your pages more quickly.
Screaming Frog is a paid tool that crawls your website and identifies broken links, duplicate content, and other technical issues. You can also use Wget to crawl websites for free.
Once you find the broken links on your website, you’re ready to fix them. If the page that the link is pointing to has been moved, deleted, or has a typo, you can update the link by putting in the correct URL to point to the new location. You can also renew the domain name and update the DNS records if the domain name has expired.
If the URL structure has changed, you can update the links to reflect the new structure. If the linking site has been hacked or maliciously redirected, you can contact the site owner and ask them to remove the link.
The most important step to remember is to regularly check your website for broken links, as they can occur at any time. This can be done manually by clicking on each link or by setting up automated checks using a tool like Google Analytics. You can also reach out to a local SEO company near you for guidance on website maintenance.
WSI Web Enhancers Is Here To Help!
As shown, broken links can have a significant impact on the overall appearance and functionality of your website. By taking the time to regularly check and update your links, you can ensure that your site is professional, trustworthy, and easy for users to navigate.
For expert help with broken links, reach out to WSI Web Enhancers! We are a trusted SEO company in Albuquerque that offers a variety of services to help businesses of all industries, including website design, search engine optimization, and Google paid advertising.
Call 505-850-9177 today for a free website audit.
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Jukka founded WSI Web Enhancers in 2012. His progressive and pioneering SEO approaches help businesses increase traffic while improving conversion rates. As an accomplished digital marketing authority, he spins effective web design, SEO, and social media engagement into winning strategies for local and national companies.
