Detect broken links and repair them in time
A strong link structure is crucial for successful search engine Detect broken links and optimization (SEO) and top rankings on Google. But what if the links you set no longer work over time and lead to a dreaded 404 error page? In this article, ONELINE explains how to identify these so-called broken links and how a web development agency can help you avoid this problem.
Causes of broken links and why pay attention to them?
The Internet is constantly changing. New pages are added to the Internet every minute, web addresses and content are added or abandoned. It can therefore happen more quickly than you think that a link to a website leads nowhere . There are numerous reasons for these “dead links” or “broken links”:
Deleted domain: The linked domain has been deleted by the domain owner and no longer exists.
Change in URL structure or domain transfer: If the URL structure of a website changes or the domain moves, the internal links of the site must also be adjusted or correct redirects to the new URLs must be made.
Renamed or deleted files:
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If a file is renamed or deleted on the server, links to that file will be broken.
Linked page has been deleted: If a linked page is deleted, the link will take the visitor to an error page
Syntax and spelling errors: Not all broken links are caused by technical errors. Misspelled URLs or endings, for example due to a transposed number or letter, can cause a link to lead to an error.
Incorrect 301 redirects: When redirects are set up to direct links to new URLs, they must be set up correctly. Otherwise, the links will lead nowhere or to the wrong page.
Every reputable web development and online marketing agency recommends regularly checking all links on a website to ensure they are working properly. There are two main reasons for this:
- Visitors to your website may be discouraged and lose trust in your website if it links to a 404 error page.
- Search engines like Google and Bing pay attention to such links when crawling and downgrade a website if it has dead links .
How to identify broken links
It is a lot of work for the operator of a website to regularly check all of the links on their own site . Especially with websites with numerous sub-pages and hundreds of links, it is hardly reasonable to manually click on all of the links again and again. This is not necessary either; there are powerful tools for checking links. A professional web development agency is able to use special software to analyze a website in many different ways, including the existence of broken links. Free, simple versions of such tools can be downloaded or used online to carry out your own tests . These are often limited to a maximum number of sub-pages when checked; a commercial version is required for a comprehensive analysis. To avoid having to invest in this yourself, long-term cooperation with a web agency can help.
Understand the causes of broken links and react
If tools show that there are broken links , these should be removed as quickly as possible. Ideally, a check should be carried out before the next search engine crawl so that the dead links do not have an impact on the ranking achieved. Possible ways of dealing with broken links include:
- The complete removal of the link . This is a sensible decision for links to websites that no longer exist. Powerful tools can find out whether the website is still online at all; if not, the broken link can be easily removed.
- An adjustment of the link . It is not uncommon that the page to be linked actually exists, but typos or incomplete links cause the problem. In this case, a simple adjustment can ensure that the broken link is replaced with a working link.
- Setting a new link . This assumes that the “correct” subpage to which the link should actually be made is known and that it actually exists. Something may have changed in the menu structure or naming of the page. All of this can be integrated into the new link.
Catch broken links with special websites
With large web projects, removing all broken links can be very time- Detect broken links and consuming. Think of an online shop that links to manufacturers’ and brands’ websites in product descriptions. If one of these websites is no longer accessible, this can have consequences for dozens or hundreds of links in your own shop. As a professional web development agency ,
ONE LINE recommends considering centrally redirecting the link . The usa phone number resources aim here is to prevent site visitors from reaching a 404 page and thereby losing trust in your own website. Broken links can be redirected to a central landing page, for example . This can be used to communicate that the originally linked content no longer exists. Although this does not fulfill user interest, trust and a positive impression of your own website are maintained.
Correct handling of internal broken links
Dead links do not only arise from links to external sites. It can also happen that internal links become void when your own site is restructured . The consequences for your ranking on Google or Bing would be even more serious here, as crawling immediately gives the impression that your website is not well maintained.
Whether a broken link should simply be removed depends on how popular the linked website has been to date. Analysis tools for your own website can reveal that the linked content received a lot of search queries and was often accessed within the site. If you are unsure how to deal with your broken links, contact a web development agency who can advise and support you in this endeavor.
Simply removing the link would result in less traffic and falling Detect broken links and rankings. In this aob directory case, it makes more sense to recreate the page that no longer exists and thus activate the link in a meaningful way. Redirecting to a new page is also an option, as long as the broken link is permanently repaired.
Easy customization of links in the CMS
Every large web development agency works with a content management system (CMS) such as. WordPress or Typo3 when creating new websites . With these systems, web design and content can be separated from one another. And content can be easily adapted and updated in the backend.
When it comes to broken links, a CMS has the advantage of being able to set. Up a redirect for dead links using special plugins . A simple analysis of the page for broken. Links is also conceivable in order to determine an action for all non-functioning links. The most common action: a direct redirect to. An active internal or external website until all dead links have been removed.
Page optimization with a web development agency
Since dead links can cause significant damage to a website’s reputation and its search engine ranking. They should be removed as quickly as possible . Broken links are just one of many problems that can arise when maintaining a website.
Working with a web development agency like .ONE LINE is a good way to put the maintenance and upkeep of the site into professional hands. With additional support in areas such as. SEO and online marketing , the service provided by such agencies goes beyond pure site functionality.
