What is a "broken link"?
The term "broken link" is also known under the terms "dead link" or "dead link". Broken links are when the link refers to a website, subpage or file that no longer exists. In this case, the HTTP status code "404 Not Found" is returned.
What does a "broken link" mean for SEO?
Such a link has a negative impact on both the linking page and the target page.
Search engines always want to offer readers the best possible search results. Broken links lead nowhere and that is one of the most negative user experiences of all. In the Google ranking, a dead link therefore has a negative effect on visibility. If there are several broken links, the crawlers interpret that the page is not being maintained and updated. As a result, the website loses places in the search engine ranking.
Websites with many broken links are ultimately also checked less frequently and less intensively for relevant content by the crawlers, which is why SEO measures subsequently become considerably more difficult. It is therefore important to detect and correct dead links as quickly as possible before the page is devalued.
How do "broken links" arise?
The website may no longer exist or be accessible for the following reasons and thus cause a broken link:
- The website editor entered an incorrect URL as a link.
- The linked website has been removed from the target website.
- The target website may have been moved permanently.
- The corresponding target website is blocked by a firewall.
- It is also possible to link to a website that is hidden behind a firewall that does not allow external access. (This is possible with an intranet site or a website with a restricted access area).
If new websites are created, there are normally no problems with broken links. After all, the webmaster will check the links to make sure they really work. However, this is a problem for websites that have already existed for some time.
What are the consequences of a deadlink?
The consequences of a deadlink can be far-reaching. Visitors to the website want to find out more about a specific area. If they do not receive the relevant information due to a broken link, the user will go to another website and obtain the relevant information there. The visitor is gone.
How can broken links be prevented?
Outgoing (internal and external) links should be checked for functionality at regular intervals. If there are broken links, these must be corrected or removed. The search for broken links is very practical with an appropriate analysis tool. Dead links can be identified within seconds.
If your own site is restructured, correct redirects are necessary. If the redirects are not to remain in place permanently, it is advisable to inform link partners of the new URL. This allows the link partner to replace the old URL with the new one.
