Introduction:

Broken links on a website can be frustrating for users and negatively impact search engine rankings. In this blog, we will explore how to find and fix broken links on your website to improve user experience and search engine rankings.

Step 1: Use a Broken Link Checker Tool

Using a broken link checker tool is the easiest and most efficient way to find broken links on your website. These tools crawl your website and identify any broken links. Some popular broken link checker tools include:

1. Google Search Console – a free tool provided by Google that can identify broken links and other website issues.
2. Ahrefs – a paid tool that can identify broken links and provide additional website analysis.
3. Screaming Frog – a paid tool that can identify broken links and other website issues.

Step 2: Review and Identify Broken Links

Once you have identified broken links using a broken link checker tool, you should review each broken link and identify the cause of the broken link. Common causes of broken links include:

1. Website redesigns – if the URL of a web page has changed, the old link may result in a broken link.
2. Website maintenance – if web pages or content are removed, links to that content may result in broken links.
3. Typographical errors – typographical errors in links can result in broken links.

Step 3: Fix Broken Links

After identifying broken links and their causes, it’s time to fix them. Here are some best practices for fixing broken links:

1. Redirect broken links – redirecting broken links to working pages or new URLs can prevent broken links and improve user experience and search engine rankings.
2. Update or remove broken links – updating broken links with working links or removing them can prevent negative impacts on the user experience and search engine rankings.
3. Use descriptive anchor text – using descriptive anchor text in links can prevent typographical errors and improve the user experience and search engine rankings.
4. Test fixed links – after fixing broken links, test them to ensure they are working properly.

Conclusion:

Finding and fixing broken links on your website is essential for providing a positive user experience and improving search engine rankings. Using a broken link checker tool, reviewing and identifying broken links, and fixing broken links are key steps in this process. By implementing best practices for fixing broken links, companies can prevent broken links from negatively impacting the user experience and search engine rankings.