What is a broken link?

Imagine clicking a link on a website, expecting to find information, but instead, you see a message like 'Page Not Found' or '404 Error'. This is what we call a broken link. It's like trying to open a door that isn't there anymore, leaving you stuck and unable to get to where you wanted to go.

Broken links happen for several reasons. Maybe the page it was pointing to was deleted, or its address (URL) was changed without updating the link. Sometimes, it's just a simple typo when the link was first created. Regardless of the cause, these non-working links create a poor experience for anyone visiting your website or clicking on your content.

For marketing teams, understanding and fixing broken links is really important. They can harm your website's performance in search engines and frustrate potential customers, making them leave your site sooner. Keeping your links healthy is a key part of maintaining a professional and effective online presence.

Why it matters for marketing

Broken links might seem like a small issue, but they can have a big impact on your marketing efforts and your website's success. There are a few key areas where they really cause problems:

Impact on user experience

When someone clicks a link and it leads to an error page, it's frustrating. They don't get the information they expected, and it makes your website seem unprofessional or neglected. This poor experience often causes visitors to leave your site quickly, which increases your 'bounce rate' and means they're less likely to come back or engage with your brand in the future.

Impact on search engine optimization (SEO)

Search engines like Google use automated programs called 'crawlers' to discover and understand the content on your website. When these crawlers encounter many broken links, it makes it harder for them to navigate your site. This can signal to search engines that your site is not well-maintained or authoritative, which might hurt your rankings in search results. Broken internal links also prevent search engines from passing 'link equity' or 'authority' between your own pages, which is important for SEO.

Impact on conversions and sales

If a broken link leads to a crucial page like a product description, a contact form, or a sign-up page, you're directly losing potential customers or leads. Every broken link is a missed opportunity for a conversion, meaning fewer sales, subscriptions, or inquiries for your business.

How to find and fix broken links

The good news is that finding and fixing broken links is a manageable task once you know how. Here's a practical approach:

Tools for detection

• Google Search Console: This free tool from Google is essential. It reports '404 errors' that Google's crawlers find on your site, helping you pinpoint broken pages.
• Website crawlers: Tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free for up to 500 URLs), Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz Pro can crawl your entire site and identify all broken links, both internal and external.
• Browser extensions: Some browser extensions can check for broken links on individual pages as you browse.

Steps to fix

1. Identify the broken link: Use the tools mentioned above to get a list of broken links, noting both the page where the link is found (the source) and the broken destination URL.
2. Update the link: If the destination page has simply moved or changed its URL, edit the link on your source page to point to the correct, new address.
3. Set up a 301 redirect: If a page has been permanently deleted or moved to a completely different URL, set up a '301 redirect'. This tells browsers and search engines that the old page has moved, automatically sending users and crawlers to the new, correct page. This preserves any SEO value the old page might have had.
4. Remove the link: If the content is no longer relevant and there's no suitable new page to link to, simply remove the broken link from your content.

Best practices for link management

To avoid broken links in the first place, it's helpful to adopt some proactive strategies:

• Regular auditing: Make it a habit to check for broken links regularly, perhaps monthly or quarterly, depending on how often you update your site.
• Quality control during content creation: Always double-check all links before publishing new content. Make sure they point to the correct, live pages.
• Use descriptive anchor text: While not directly preventing broken links, using clear, descriptive text for your links (e.g., 'read our guide to SEO' instead of 'click here') improves user experience and makes it easier to understand the link's purpose if it ever breaks.
• Monitor external links: Remember that links to other websites can also break if those sites change their content. Regularly check these external links too.

Keeping your website free of broken links is a simple yet powerful way to improve your site's health, user experience, and SEO performance. By regularly checking and fixing these issues, you ensure that your visitors can always find the information they need and that search engines can easily understand and rank your content. Make link maintenance a regular part of your marketing routine for a smoother online journey for everyone.