Why Broken Links Are Hurting Your Site (and How to Fix Them)

Broken links might seem like a minor hiccup in the sprawling world of your website, but they can quietly wreak havoc on your user experience, SEO rankings, and even your business's reputation.

In fact, studies show that 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience, and broken links contribute significantly to that frustration. They’re easy to overlook—until you realize they’re driving customers away and hurting your search visibility. Additionally, research indicates that 42% of websites have broken links, which can negatively affect SEO performance.

This guide will show you exactly what broken links are, why they happen, their impact on your website, and most importantly, how to quickly identify and fix them. If you're serious about protecting your website's performance, keep reading.

What Are Broken Links (and Why Should You Care)?

Broken links (also known as dead links) are hyperlinks that no longer lead to their intended destination. Instead of directing users to the expected webpage, they result in error messages such as the infamous "404 Page Not Found".

These errors can occur for various reasons, such as the destination webpage being removed, the URL being changed without a redirect, or even simple typos in the link itself.

For example, imagine clicking on a product link while shopping online, only to land on an empty page with no explanation—it’s frustrating, right? That’s exactly the experience your users face when broken links are lurking on your website. Not only does this create a poor user experience, but it can also hurt your website's credibility. Users may begin to question your site's reliability and professionalism, potentially causing them to leave and look elsewhere.

Image Source: Seobility

While a single broken link may not seem consequential, the cumulative effect can be damaging. Broken links can lead to increased bounce rates, lower search engine rankings, and lost opportunities to engage customers. Which begs the next question...

Why Do Links Become Broken?

Several reasons can cause links on your site to "break", which can lead to a poor user experience and even harm your site's SEO. Understanding why these breaks happen can help you stay proactive in addressing them. Here are the most common causes:

1. The Linked Page Has Been Deleted

If a destination page has been removed or no longer exists, the link you created will become invalid. This is especially common in e-commerce sites when older product pages are retired or replaced with newer versions. Without an active page to direct users to, they’ll encounter a “404 Not Found” error, which can frustrate visitors and damage trust in your site.

2. URL Changes Without a Redirect

When you update the URL of a page but forget to create a redirect to the new URL, any existing link pointing to the old one will break. This can happen during site redesigns, rebranding, or when changing URL structures to improve site organization. Without proper redirects in place, users and search engines will struggle to navigate your site effectively.

3. Incorrectly Typed URLs

Typos happen more often than you might think, and an incorrectly inserted link means users won’t reach the correct page. A simple mistake such as missing a letter, number, or punctuation in the URL can lead to a broken link, causing confusion and a poor user experience.

4. External Website Changes

If a link on your site connects to an external page, and that website changes its URL structure, removes the page, or shuts down entirely, your link will no longer work. External links are particularly tricky because you have no control over the changes made on other websites, making regular checks necessary to ensure their validity.

5. Website Downtime

If the destination website, whether internal or external, is temporarily offline due to server issues, maintenance, or other technical problems, users trying to access the link will encounter an error. While temporary, this can still harm user trust if it happens frequently.

6. Plugins Malfunction

Sometimes, plugins or extensions installed on your website can interfere with how links operate. Certain plugins, especially outdated or poorly coded ones, can cause links to break by altering their functionality or introducing conflicts within your site’s code. For instance, URL shorteners or plugins designed to manage redirects might malfunction, leading users to incorrect or nonexistent pages.

Regularly updating and auditing your plugins can help minimize these issues and ensure your site’s links remain operational.

Broken links are an inevitable part of running a website, particularly as content evolves and external resources change. However, ignoring them isn’t an option. Regularly monitoring and fixing broken links is essential to maintaining a seamless user experience, building trust, and preserving your site’s search engine rankings.

The Impact of Broken Links on Websites

Broken links have far-reaching consequences that go beyond simply frustrating users. They can affect your website’s performance, reputation, and even your bottom line. Here's a breakdown of what’s at stake:

1. Kills User Experience

Dead links disrupt the intuitive flow of your site, leaving visitors stranded and frustrated. Instead of finding the information they’re looking for, they’re met with error pages, which can quickly lead them to abandon your website. When users leave to find information elsewhere, you face higher bounce rates and lower engagement, which can directly impact the overall effectiveness of your website.

2. Damages Your Brand Reputation

A link leading to an error page sends a clear signal of carelessness. Over time, these seemingly small issues erode trust in your brand, suggesting that your website—and by extension, your business—might be unreliable or outdated. For potential customers or business partners, this can be a dealbreaker, leaving them with a negative impression before you even have the chance to engage with them.

3. Hurts Your SEO Rankings

Google and other search engines place significant weight on user experience as a key ranking factor. When users leave your site because of broken links, it signals to search engines that your website isn’t providing the value users expect. Additionally, broken links can interfere with the efficiency of search engine bots crawling your site. If bots encounter too many errors, they may not index your content properly, leading to a drop in rankings and visibility.

4. Lost Opportunities

Broken links can mean missed sales, conversions, and potential leads. Whether it’s a call-to-action (CTA) link pointing to a product page, a link guiding users to a demo, or a reference to informative content, these errors create roadblocks for users. Every missed link is a missed opportunity to engage, build relationships, and drive revenue.

5. Creates Unnecessary Maintenance Headaches

Ignoring broken links doesn’t just impact your audience—it also creates long-term maintenance issues for your website. Over time, the accumulation of dead links can make your site harder to manage and update. It’s much easier to regularly identify and resolve broken links than to let them pile up into a more significant issue that requires extensive cleanup.

Fortunately, you don’t have to sit back and accept these problems. With the right tools, regular audits, and proactive maintenance, you can uncover and resolve broken links before they cause lasting damage to your site’s performance, user experience, and reputation. Don’t let broken links hold your website back—take action today!

How to Check Your Website for Broken Links?

Finding broken links on your website doesn’t have to be daunting. Broken links can affect your site’s usability and SEO performance, so addressing them is crucial. Here are a few effective ways to identify and address them:

1. Manual Checks

Manually browsing your site as a user and testing important links is a simple way to start. Visit key pages, click through menus, and test links to ensure they lead to the right destinations. While this method is straightforward and doesn’t require any tools, it can be time-consuming and might overlook less obvious links hidden on deeper pages.

2. Browser Extensions

Browser extensions like “Check My Links” on Chrome are a quick and efficient way to identify broken links on individual pages. These extensions scan a page, highlight broken links in red, and give you a clear report.

While they’re great for smaller sites or spot-checking key pages, they may not be the best solution for larger websites with hundreds of pages.

3. Online Tools

Free online tools such as Dead Link Checker or W3C Link Checker are user-friendly and allow you to scan entire websites for broken links. These tools provide detailed reports, often listing broken links along with the specific pages where they appear. They’re ideal for small to medium-sized websites and don’t require extensive technical knowledge to use.

4. SEO Auditing

For larger websites with numerous pages or higher traffic, SEO platforms like SEMrush, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs are invaluable. These advanced tools not only detect broken links but also offer insights into how they might impact your site’s search rankings. They can crawl your entire website and provide detailed reports, making it easier to prioritize fixes. Many of these platforms also include additional features like competitor analysis and performance monitoring, further enhancing their value.

Further Reading: The 15-Step SEO Audit Checklist for Domination in SERPs

By using a combination of these methods and tools, you can identify broken links efficiently and prioritize fixes based on their impact. With your broken links pinpointed, the next step is learning how to fix those dead ends and optimize your website for better performance and user experience. Stay tuned for a detailed guide on repairing and redirecting broken links!

How to Fix Broken Links Quickly?

Once you’ve identified problematic links, here’s how to address them in detail:

1. Update the Link

If the link contains a typo or points to the wrong URL, edit it so it directs users to the correct page. This is often the simplest fix and ensures your visitors can find the content they’re looking for without confusion. Double-check the URL after editing to confirm it works properly.

2. Set Up Redirects

If a linked page has been moved to a new location or deleted entirely, set up a 301 redirect to guide users automatically to a relevant alternative page. Redirects not only improve user experience by preventing frustration but also help preserve any SEO value associated with the original link. Be sure to choose a replacement page that closely matches the original content to maintain consistency.

3. Replace Outdated External Links

External sites might remove or alter their pages without notice, leaving you with broken links. When this happens, find a reliable, up-to-date alternative that offers similar value to your users. Ideally, the new link should align with your site’s content and provide accurate, high-quality information.

4. Create a Custom 404 Page

Sometimes links can’t be fixed right away, whether due to technical constraints or lack of suitable replacements. In these cases, a custom 404 error page can minimize user frustration. A well-designed 404 page should be helpful and engaging, providing users with clear options, such as a search bar, links to popular posts, or navigation to your homepage. This keeps visitors on your site longer instead of prompting them to leave.

5. Check Google Crawl Errors

Google Search Console is a powerful tool for identifying crawl errors on your website, including broken links. By regularly reviewing the "Coverage" report and "URL inspection" tool, you can pinpoint problematic URLs that Google has trouble accessing. Addressing these errors is vital to ensure your website is fully crawled and indexed correctly by search engines. Fixing crawl errors not only helps with broken links but also improves your site's overall performance in search rankings.

6. Deindex from Google

If you have pages with broken links that cannot be fixed or are no longer relevant, consider deindexing them from Google. This means removing them from Google's index so they don't appear in search results. You can request deindexing through Google Search Console by using the "Remove URLs" tool.

Deindexing ensures users won't encounter outdated or broken pages, enhancing both user experience and your site's professional image.

7. Avoid Deep Links Unless Required

Deep links—URLs that point to specific inner pages of your website—can be risky if the linked content is temporary or prone to changes. Only use deep links when absolutely necessary and ensure they point to stable, evergreen content. When linking to dynamic or temporary pages, opt for higher-level pages instead to reduce the chances of future broken links. Planning your internal linking structure with sustainability in mind can save time and effort down the line.

8. Reach Out to the Linking Website and Request a Fix

For broken inbound links (links from other websites pointing to yours), it’s a good idea to contact the webmaster of the linking site and request an update to the correct URL. Provide them with an accurate link and explain how it will improve the experience for their users. Building good relationships with external websites can also help foster continued link-building collaboration and boost your reputation online. While not all webmasters will respond, even a few corrections can make a significant difference.

9. Regularly Check for New Broken Links

Broken links aren’t a “fix it once and forget it” type of problem. Websites evolve, pages move, and external sites change, so it’s important to make routine link audits a part of your website maintenance process. Use tools like Google Search Console or broken link checkers to identify issues quickly and address them before they impact user experience or SEO performance. Consistency in monitoring ensures your site remains functional and user-friendly over time.

Further Reading: How to Find and Fix Broken Links to Improve Your SEO

10. Fixing Broken Backlinks

Broken backlinks—links from other websites that point to pages on your site which no longer exist or display errors—can negatively impact your SEO and result in lost referral traffic. Fixing these issues is crucial to maintaining your website’s authority and ensuring users can access the correct content. Here’s how you can address broken backlinks effectively:

• Identify Broken Backlinks: Use tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to generate a report of broken backlinks directed to your site. These tools will help pinpoint the exact URLs and referring domains for easier troubleshooting.
• Restore the Missing Page: If a high-value page has been accidentally removed, consider restoring it to address the issue directly. If the content is outdated, update it before re-publishing to ensure it provides fresh value to visitors.
• Set Up a 301 Redirect: For pages that can’t be restored, create a 301 redirect to guide users to a relevant alternative. This ensures they land on useful content while preserving any link equity from the original backlink.
• Contact the Referring Website: Reach out to the site linking to your broken page and request an update to the link. Provide them with the correct URL or suggest a new, relevant page on your site. Building strong communication with other webmasters can improve ongoing link relationships.
• Monitor Newly Acquired Backlinks Regularly: Periodically review new backlinks to ensure they are pointing to active pages on your site. This proactive approach helps mitigate the accumulation of future broken backlinks.

Taking the time to fix broken backlinks not only improves your site's SEO performance but also strengthens your credibility with referral sources and keeps users engaged with your content.

Best Practices for Link Maintenance

A. Regularly Scheduled Link Checks

To ensure your website remains user-friendly and functional, schedule regular link audits as part of your maintenance routine. Tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush can automate this process, identifying broken or outdated links efficiently. Depending on your site's size, consider performing these checks monthly or quarterly. Consistent link monitoring helps address issues promptly, minimizing their impact on user experience and SEO performance.

B. Keeping a Record of Changes and Redirects

Maintaining a detailed log of URL changes, redirects, and updates ensures nothing gets overlooked. This record can be invaluable when troubleshooting issues or updating older content that may reference outdated links. Using version control or a content management system with built-in logging features can simplify this process. Additionally, documenting redirects prevents the creation of unnecessary chains, which could slow down your site and confuse search engine bots.

C. Implementing a Robust URL Structure Strategy

A well-organized and consistent URL structure minimizes the risk of broken links over time. Use clear, descriptive, and intuitive URLs that reflect the content of each page. Avoid overly complex strings or dynamically generated URLs when possible, as they can be harder to track and manage. Implementing a logical hierarchy for your URLs not only aids in website maintenance but also enhances usability and SEO.

D. Careful Content Management

Strategically managing your content prevents the unnecessary creation of dead ends. Plan for regular content reviews to remove or update outdated information and ensure relevant pages remain live. When retiring content, always set up appropriate redirects to maintain link equity and guide users to alternative resources. Additionally, fostering strong communication within your team can help streamline content updates, ensuring links remain accurate across all pages.

DashClicks’ SEO Services – Your Solution for Managing Broken Links

DashClicks offers the best white label SEO services designed to streamline website maintenance and optimize your site's performance. One key area of expertise is identifying and fixing broken links efficiently. With cutting-edge tools and an experienced team, DashClicks ensures that your website remains error-free, user-friendly, and SEO-optimized.

Our services do more than just detect broken links—we provide actionable insights and solutions tailored to your needs. Whether it’s fixing internal links, setting up 301 redirects, or addressing broken backlinks from external sites, best white label SEO company helps maintain your site’s integrity while preserving valuable link equity.

By automating regular link audits and applying best practices, we minimize disruptions and improve your site's search engine rankings. Partner with DashClicks to save time, enhance user experience, and keep your website in peak condition.

Keep Your Links (and Website) in Top Shape

Broken links might be small in size, but their impact is undeniably powerful. They can drive potential customers away, harm your search rankings, and diminish your brand's reputation—unless you take action.

By staying proactive, using helpful tools, and making regular audits part of your website maintenance routine, you can ensure every link leads to an optimal user experience.