How to Find and Fix Your Broken Website Links
Have you ever clicked on a link on a website only for it to take you to an error page instead of the page you were expecting? If so, then you've experienced a broken link. In this post, we'll discuss broken links and how they can hinder your business's success. We'll also provide tips on finding and fixing broken links on your website.
What are Broken Website Links?
Broken links are website links that are non-functional due to errors or technical problems. If you click on them, you will be directed to a 404 page or error message instead of the desired webpage.
Broken links can occur when you edit website content during updates or redesigns. Other factors leading to broken links include misspelling a hyperlinked URL, technical glitches, or hardware failures. Issues with your web server or router can contribute to broken links. Overall, many factors can lead to broken website links, and businesses must monitor and fix these issues to ensure a smooth user experience.
Why are Broken Website Links Bad for Businesses?
There are many reasons why broken links can be bad for businesses. First and foremost, broken links can be frustrating for website visitors. If a potential client clicks on a link that doesn't work, they may not bother clicking on any other links on the page or even the website. This can lead to a decrease in website traffic and lower conversion rates.
Additionally, broken links can hurt a website's search engine ranking. Google uses link quality as one of its ranking factors, so if many of your website's links are broken, your ranking will likely decline.
Finally, broken website links can make your business look unprofessional. If your website is constantly experiencing broken links, it can be a sign that your business is not well-organized or that you do not care about your online presence.
How to Find and Fix Broken Website Links?
The best way to find and fix broken links is to use a link checker tool to scan your website for broken links. After the scan, you receive a report with a list of each broken link and the URL to know exactly where it's located on your website.
Below is a list of link checkers to get a free and quick basic assessment of your website. Typically the best results come from using multiple sites as they offer different levels of results.
If you prefer a paid option with all the bells and whistles, this article, 10 BEST Broken Link Checker Tools To Check Your Entire Website, is a great place to start.
Once you have this information, you can either fix the link yourself or hire someone else to do it for you.
Conclusion
Broken website links can be a significant hindrance to business growth and a waste of your invested time and resources. However, this can be easily avoided by checking your links regularly and fixing any broken ones. A good practice is to schedule a time to run these quick tests at least quarterly. By keeping your website links in good condition, you can ensure that your website is both user-friendly and search engine-friendly.
If it all seems too much to tackle alone, schedule a call to learn how we can help you get it done quickly.
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