Broken Internal Links: What They Are and How to Fix Them
Internal links on your website that lead to broken pages are problematic for several reasons. For users, it's a frustrating experience to click on a link and end up at a 404 error page. For Google, it can be a sign that your site is not well-maintained and may result in lower rankings.
What are broken internal links?
A broken internal link is a link on your website that points to a page that no longer exists or returns a 404 error. This can happen for several reasons, such as:
The page was deleted or moved to a new location without updating the link.
The page was unpublished or made private.
The website's URL structure has changed.
The link is incorrect or misspelled.
Why are broken internal links important for SEO?
Broken internal links can negatively impact your website's search engine optimization (SEO) in several ways:
They can lead to a poor user experience. When users click on a broken link, they are likely to become frustrated and leave your website. This can increase your bounce rate and reduce your overall traffic.
They can make your website look unprofessional. Broken links can make your website look like it is not well-maintained, which can hurt your brand's reputation.
They can hurt your website's ranking. Google takes into account the quality of your website's internal links when determining your ranking in search results. Having too many broken internal links can lower your ranking.
How to fix broken internal links
Fixing broken internal links is relatively easy. The first step is to identify the broken links. You can do this by using a tool like Google Search Console or Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
Once you have identified the broken links, you need to fix them. You can do this by:
Redirecting the link to a new page. If the page that the link pointed to has been moved to a new location, you can redirect the link to the new page.
Removing the link. If the page that the link pointed to no longer exists, you can remove the link.
Updating the link. If the link is incorrect or misspelled, you can update it to the correct URL.
It's important to regularly check your website for broken internal links and fix them promptly. This will help to improve your website's user experience, search engine ranking, and overall performance.
Identify the broken links:
Use an SEO tool like SEMrush or Ahrefs to scan your website and identify the pages with broken internal links.
Check the reason for the broken links: Determine why the links are broken. It could be because the linked page has been removed, renamed, or moved to a new location.
Fix the broken links: There are several ways to fix broken links. You can either redirect the broken link to the new location, update the link to point to the correct page, or remove the link altogether.
Monitor your website regularly: Regularly scan your website for broken links to ensure that you catch and fix them promptly.