Why Internal Links Matter
Internal links help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of a website, which can improve the website’s search engine ranking.
Types of broken links
Internal broken links are links within a website that lead to pages or files that no longer exist or have been moved.
External broken links are links that lead to pages or files on other websites that are no longer available or have been moved.
Causes Broken Links
- Website updates or redesigns
- Deleted pages or files
- Moving content
- Dead or inactive external links
- Website maintenance or downtime
There are several free online tools that can help you find broken links on your website.
Eg “Dead Link Checker “
Browser Plugins
“Check My Links” plugin for Google Chrome can quickly find and highlight broken links on a page
Website Crawler Tools
like Screaming Frog,ahrefs
Screaming Frog is a popular SEO tool that can crawl your website and identify broken links, along with other technical SEO issues.
Google Search Console
you can use it to monitor broken links and other technical issues that may affect your website’s visibility on search engines.
- Update the broken link to point to the correct URL or a similar page if the content has been moved.
- Use a 301 redirect to redirect the user from the broken link to a relevant page on the website.
- Remove the link entirely if it is no longer relevant or necessary.
- Create a custom error page (such as a 404 error page) that provides information to the user and helps guide them to other relevant pages on the website.